Driving licence expired - who knew?

[desperatetostaypositive]

Got my driving licence out (for ID verification) and ds was looking at it and told me it's expired
I'm 52. I've just looked online and it needs renewing (easy to do online and with a little extra time allowed due to Covid ) but is this common knowledge? I didn't think you had to renew it until you were 70 or so

@ismiseeire

I was of the opinion that once you passed your driving test and got a license, that was it, off you go until you're 70 and need an eyesight test or something. I had no idea that there was an expiry date these days (there never was years ago?).

The licence itself lasts until age 70 but if you have a photocard one, the photo needs to be renewed every 10 years.

If you have an old paper licence then its still valid until you change your name/address, etc at which point you need to swap to a photocard one

I received my reminder and my photo card license expires in May.

I'll have to go to the Post Office as my passport expired last June and I haven't bothered renewing it yet

Received my reminder yesterday

It was made clear when the photocard licences first came out, and it got a lot of attention again around the tenth anniversary of the photocard driving licences, so I'm surprised so many people weren't aware.

Having said that, I'm sure there's things that I don't know that other people will be like 'how did you miss that?'. I just don't know what they are . It's impossible to know everything.

@ismiseeire

They don't teach you this shit!

It's on your license. 4b xx/xx/xxxx

They even include a wee key on the back to tell you 4b = date of expiry.

How much more teaching do you need

It's on your license

How much more teaching do you need

So is the correct way to spell licence, but people don't seem to see that either.

I was able to hire a car abroad with an expired photocard... The license number was still valid which was the bit they cared about. (Western Europe, big multinational firm...)

@changi

Ooo aren't you just a clever one this moring.

I do hope you got what you wanted from your post.

Nothing happens until you get stopped at a checkpoint!

What is a "checkpoint"? I've never seen one. I live in the UK, not Angola.

The new cards have a ten year shelf life. Then you need to reapply with a new photo. Just a miney making scheme. Unless your appearance has significantly changed or your address, I don’t see the need for this.

It's also important to get a new one anytime your address changes.

Have you updated your address? I got a letter last week for renewing mine

It's on your license. 4b xx/xx/xxxx

They even include a wee key on the back to tell you 4b = date of expiry.

How much more teaching do you need

To be honest I just looked at the photo to see whether I looked half decent.

@PickleSarnie

The paper licence isn't valid now and your plastic licence expires every 10 years. Although there's been a 6 month extension (dependent on when your licence expires) because of Covid

Yes, the paper licence is still fine to have.

It’s why i have kept my paper only version, despite it being rather battered these days.
It is made quite clear imo that the photo ones have a limited shelf life.