to think it shouldn't cost £20

[McHappyPants2012]

www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-2081666/Driving-licence-trap-1-6m-drivers-risk-hefty-fine-renewing-photograph-20-cost.html

it cost alot to get a driving licence in the first place, then tax moting and insurances, wear and tear ect....why should be pay another thing on top DONT THEY GET ENOUGH FROM PETROL PRICES

What annoys me is that I've already paid £20 for a new licence (this summer as my purse was stolen) but will have to pay £20 in 5 years again to update the photo - they won't update earlier than 10 years.

Most places (credit cards, railcards etc) will send a replacement free if you have a crime number, but the DVLA apparently wont do this as "then everyone would say they'd been stolen" (quote from DVLA guy). Err yes, because getting a valid crime number is so easy

Some post offices have the facility to do your photo directly onto the computer system so saving you the cost of having passport photos done. Not much of a saving I know but worth checking out if you have one of those post offices near you.

I am glad I still have the paper one. Another rip off IMHO.

it's just a huge revenue raiser, like passports, how much have they gone up In the last twenty years??

and you can allegedly do it online, if you have a recent passport they can use that photo. helpfully though despite having a 3 month old passport my details were completely unaccessible and unusable (liar liar pants on fire to the dvla!)

BASTARDS

shame when you get married and have to change your name (20 quid please) they don't bother telling you that your new license will only be valid for another 2 years unless you did your photo update at the same time...two years later another 20 quid please to update the photo on your 'new' license!!! As most people who change their name are women getting married, we girlies are being hit harder than the men unless very diligent.

Ah, we avoided that one by keeping our own surnames on marriage, but you are right, they should tell you to get the photo done at the same time. Just dug mine out, I really don't look very different now

What really annoyed me when I renewed mine was that I sent the licence back in the specially-shaped plastic wallet it came in, and they returned it to me without the wallet.

I rang them Melpomene and complained that they had not returned my wallet. They agreed to send me one but they don't usually they said. Another rip off what are they doing with all the wallets people send in?

This thread made me go and check mine. It expires later this year. I look exactly the same now as I do in the photo on it. I am quite tempted to use the same one if I have any left from that set....

It is free to update when you change address, I just did this, as you can be fined if your address is incorrect.

I received my reminder in November 2 months before the expiry date, so me being me got the photo and cheque and sent them off. When renewed licence came back the new expiry date was November 2021 not January 2022 as I was expecting.
Upshot of all that is don't send it in too early!

Why do
You need to renew? What if you just don't bother
Driving anymore?

Is it def. free forceslover? I've been putting off renewing mine because of a change of address. We moved home 3 years ago

flubba you can do it online aswell (yes it is free)

www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Motoringtransactions/BeforeyouapplyC/DG_066944

I never knew you were supposed to update your driving licence every 10 years.

i reckon mine is only legal because we moved house 8 years ago (just checked)

it cant cost the dvla £20 to produce a new card. I sometimes think the govt just dont want us all to drive... yeah well if they used the money for better public transport ........

Jubbly, thank you McHappyPants :) Done. Not happy about cutting my card (and paper counterpart?) in two and sending it off though!

Stop complaining! At least your license is for life, here you have to pay to renew them as often as each year & it works out to more than 20pounds a go!

I got a reminder for mine when it was required to be renewed.

I didn't begrudge the £20. If you can afford to run a car, you can afford the cost of the licence. If you can't afford it or think it is unfair, don't run a car.

I can't see the fuss personally, the admin costs of updating the picture needs to be paid for. It is only fair that the person who gets the benefit from the licence it pays for it, rather than coming from general taxation.

How much is a passport now? Considerably more than £20, I'd wager. Nobody suggests that they should be given out free to all and sundry.

DH got reminders and I did it all online, including linking to our passports to use the photos so there was no extra cost there. The £40 was annoying enough.

It does tell you plastic wallets won't be returned.

I didn't cut ours up and post them until we had received our new ones.