Would someone please help? Driving related. Shamelessly posting here for traffic

[SundayIsCalling]

I have my first 2 hour driving lesson in a dew hours and the confirmation email says I need to generate a code to give to my instructor.

All is well and good, but I've just realised something - My driving licence is in my maiden name!

Can I use it anyway? Or will my instructor cancel today if I tell him and make me tell the DVLA/Send off my marriage certificate etc?

Thank you

You'll be fine. I work in car sales and have to use these codes for test drives daily. Giving him the code just confirms you have a valid licence.

I'd get the licence updates ASAP for ID purposes but you'll be OK today with the DVLA code.

Don't understand what you mean?

You risk a £1000 fine driving with your license not being up to date.

Ah you'll be fine. Quite a few people's driving licence will be out of date, for instance today i am a man and therefore my dl is out of date as it still states I am female but I'm not too concerned.

You won't get a fine.

Yes, they do say there is a fine. But they NEVER fine you if you are updating your license, no matter how late you are (If you haven't already been caught out).

The process is easy... and quite quick!

www.gov.uk/change-name-driving-licence

I'm really confused

So is it or is it not a fineable offence to drive in an old licence name?

Surely you can choose to use either your married or maiden name so it isn’t out of date on the name?

Used to work in the field and saw plenty of fines. They do exist and are doled out a lot.

The license isnt out of date.

It is a fineable offence.

Some people fear that when they update it the DVLA will notice how out of date the information is and they will be fined. They don't do that!

So the est thing to do is to update it now... take a photocopy of your license and tell your instructor that's what you are doing... you can still drive on your license in your maiden name, it doesn't affect insurance etc etc. It only becomes likely you will be fined if you are stopped by a policeman!

But it will prevent you hiring a car...

www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-2337363/Could-fined-1-000-invalid-driving-licence.html

I was told only last year by a DVLA rep that they only issue fines if, for eg, they try and contact you about a fine and you've not updated the address and they discover this. Not if you're updating it (I called to find out process as I hadn't updated my address for 10 years but could still get my letters sent to the previous address so there was no issue)

Don't worry op.

Tulips if that was for my post, I meant updating as in making the information current and that they won't fine for making changes years after they happened!

For example if OP got married 5 years ago they won't do anything if she sends off the info to update her licence now.

I passed my test after I was married with my licence in my maiden name. I remember because I was surprised when the examiner called me Miss X when I'd been Mrs Y for some time. It was no problem and I think I just sent my marriage certificate with my pass certificate to the DVLA. Admittedly there weren't these codes then.

Is there an obligation to take your husband's surname now? I can't see how they can fine you if you can choose to be known by you maiden name.

The DVLA treat surnames differently to addresses.

The reason is that a woman can, for example, use one surname at home and one for professional purposes.

You are absolutely fine to keep your married name on your driving licence.

Lots of bad advice on this thread. You will not be fined. It will not stop you driving a hire car. You can have one surname on your driving licence, a different one one your passport and be double barrelled on your bank account if you like!

As long as it is not “in attempt to deceive or defraud” it is absolutely fine.

I do wish people would stop policing women’s decisions!

QuickBug It really can stop you from hiring a car if all your other info is in your married name

It's not a case of policing women's decisions, ffs, just advice to help OP work out if she needs to do anything.

The difference between a decision made and a change overlooked. We don't know if OP uses both names, but her worry about her license not having her married name suggests that most other things do and she is worried about the discrepency!

You are entitled to use your maiden name. An offence is committed if you don’t have the correct address on your licence.

Ignore the people saying you will be fined... probably the same people who insist that people like me with a paper licence are braking the law! (The licence has my current address on it and is perfectly legal).

Thanks all, I suppose the name is fine for today. I will change it soon though since I'm known my my married name now.

Another issue is the provisional has my old address on it! Would this be okay for today?

Oh lord! Make the changes NOW. Go online and do it, it is free!

Then you won't have to worry about it ever again!

But yes, you can still use it for your driving lessons as it having wrong information on does not remove your right to drive/learn.

Yes, go and change it now - you'll get your new licence next week. You're driving with an invalid licence.

You're driving with an invalid licence.

No she isn’t! What is invalid about her maiden name?

Oops missed OPs latest post. Yes having your old address is a whole other ball game. That is a problem and, I believe, illegal.

Although you can still drive on the old licence while waiting for the amended one.....

@CuriousaboutSamphire your posts are incorrect.