To be pissed of with the DVLA for wanting an updated photo licence

[gingerfrizz]

What a great money making wheeze they've got going - it's going to cost me £20 to renew my licence just because they want a new fucking photo. Does anybody else get annoyed about this or is it just me?

I started a thread about this in Chat on Thursday. What a money-grabbing trick!

£160 to renew your passport here. They know you have no choice because you're out of the country, so can charge what they like.

So, you're all upset, because you look different now?

I'm sure you see my point here.

I was very annoyed when I had to do mine as my old driving licence actually had a flattering photo. I would have paid the £20 to keep the old one

Passport and driving licence admin are expensive operations. The alternative would be to pay for these through taxes, which seems a little unfair on those who don't drive or travel overseas.

I imagine the higher fee charged to those renewing passport overseas reflects the huge cost of running embassies.

Oh, you just reminded me I need to do mine. Great. Another cost to pay this month :(

Also, thank god I got a passport last year, as currently almost housebound due to hyperemesis, and couldn't go and get a new picture done.

Also. I was 15 on my photo. I am now 27. I look younger at 27 than I did at 15, and I was a pretty youthful looking 15 year old!

Will have to do mine online when I get paid next week.

It's pretty small in context of the total cost of being a driver, surely if you can afford the cost of a car, petrol, parking, MOT, insurance, £20 once a decade is a tiny fraction . Personally I have just surrendered my licence instead of renewing as I don't feel the cost of driving is sustainable, but then I have always ensured I live somewhere where public transport is good - it's so much cheaper and easier than the hassle and cost of driving.

I'm aged 19 on my driving licence photo, my provisional was 9 years old when I passed my test earlier this year. So when I get a new photo on there I will be 38!
I don't think £20 is that bad really, what about for changing your name on your passport you have to pay for a whole new passport!

YANBU....I've just had to cough up £20 for the same - a new photo as it's 10 yrs since I got my last license, which I also had to pay for, because I was getting married and changing my name. Grrrr...

Overall, its not the cost I object to as much as the inconvenience and the need to replace a license after 10 yrs when I look pretty much exactly the same barring a few lines and half a stone as I did 10 yrs ago....

I imagine the higher fee charged to those renewing passport overseas reflects the huge cost of running embassies.

They don't do them at the embassy. In fact the embassy here does bugger all except host expensive swanky parties for all the bigwigs. We have to send our passports abroad to get them done but they won't allow us to send them to the UK and pay the same as everyone else.

My passport expired last year. I haven't renewed it because it costs so much, plus we can't afford to go abroad anyway so I seriously doubt I'll need it for the forseeable future. I think my driving license photo might need updating too actually. Do they send you a letter telling you when to do it or are we meant to take note of the renewal date on the card?

The charge is £0 if you change your address, so £20 for the photo makes no sense.

It'd probably make more sense for the charge to be something like £3 for any changes. It should just be whatever covers their costs.

katienana You will probably find yours will be requested next year! I've been driving 8 years, had provisional for 2 years prior. I have just had my request!

You get a letter telling you when you have to renew.

I don't think it is a moneymaking scam. It is reasonable to request a new picture every 10 years or so. What would the point of having a photo licence if the photo remained the same? Imagine a pensioner whipping out their licence showing a picture of them as a fresh faced 17 year old. It would be useless.

If it was a money making scheme, they would charge for changes of address or set a deadline for all paper licences to be withdrawn and replaced by photocards (at the driver's expense)

I don't begrudge £2 a year and I don't even have a car to drive any more.