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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

DVLA gave DS a 1 year licence

86 replies

user400 · 30/12/2018 12:48

Hi all,

So DS turned 17 at the start of April this year and he applied for his provisional in February. DS has Asperger’s, short sightedness and takes medication (Prozac) but he has not taken it in a few months as he doesn’t need it but his GP doesn’t know this. (He wears glasses for his short sightedness and can drive with them)

He declared all those 3 things on his provisional application form and a few weeks later he was sent a form from the DVLA (something about pschyological conditions) and he had to get his GP to fill that out and return it to the DVLA on his behalf.

So all that was done and his provisional arrived late March just before his 17th birthday.

His provisional was due to expire on 25 March 2019, we thought this was normal as I always thought that provisional licenses lasted one year but we only caught on yesterday that they do in fact last 10 years just like the full licences! So this was never questioned until now!

He passed his driving test last week, his full licence arrived in the post yesterday. The expiry date from the provisional carried over, meaning he will have to renew his driving licence in 3 months! Wtf??

DS said to me That he thought licences lasted 10 years so that’s when it became clear that the DVLA have put him on a short time licence, without even telling him! He has been on a short term provisional as well and we never caught on until now.

All I need to ask is, why have the DVLA put him on a short term licence because of his Asperger’s? It’s obvious they have as that’s what the medical form was about when they sent it when he applied for his provisional.

His Asperger’s doesn’t affect his driving so I can’t understand this. Either the DVLA are being silly or the GP has written something on the letter to make it sound worse than what it is, I will need a copy of this letter to see exactly what was written.

Do you think We can change this and get a new 10 year licence sent to him? I have rheumatoid arthritis in my feet and I told DVLA and they never gave me a short term licence for that, a condition that is more likely to cause problems driving than Asperger’s!

OP posts:

DanielRicciardosSmile · 30/12/2018 14:51

I don't think prozac is that unusual at a young age. I know of children much younger who take or have taken it.

whiskeysourpuss · 30/12/2018 14:53

They usually do everything promptly,

After 22 years I've given up trying to get them to correct their spelling mistake on my middle name - now if I get pulled by the police for anything I give the incorrect spelling so that when they run me through the database it shows up that I do indeed have a licence.

TAmum123 · 30/12/2018 15:03

My dd is 17 and diagnosed with ASD (high functioning) and ADHD, for which she is medicated. She also takes citalopram for anxiety. All this was declared on her driving license application and a form was sent for her CAMHS consultant to complete... she has a license that is valid for 10 years. Did your gp complete a form and not give answers the DVLA found satisfactory perhaps?

Original poster

user400 · 30/12/2018 15:19

So do you think if he tells the DVLA it was an honest mistake / lack of understanding they will understand and If the GP backs it up they will send him a new 10 year licence? Hoping this isn’t the start of a whole load of upheaval

OP posts:

Roomba · 30/12/2018 15:33

They might. Or they might require a consultant's letter or similar. I know people who have had things like this sorted fairly quickly, and others have taken months to resolve.

A neighbour of mine lost his job as he made the 'mistake' of notifying DVLA that he was no longer on the low dosage of methadone he'd taken for 10+ years. They were absolutely fine with him driving with no restrictions while he was on it, as long as he wasn't drowsy or anything the same as any other prescribed medication. But as soon as he told them he was clean, they revoked his licence until he had months of clean drug test results, letters from his GP, letters from the local drug team... It went on for ages and he couldn't get to work reliably so lost his job (he said it almost tempted him back towards heroin as he was so depressed due to it all!).

In future your DS only needs to notify them about things which actually affect his driving. Hope it gets sorted promptly.

Original poster

user400 · 30/12/2018 15:45

That’s awful! But yes I really do hope they’re understanding and it’s a quick and easy process of getting to all sorted but something does tell me it’ll be long and messy lol

OP posts:

tinesltitties · 30/12/2018 17:02

Slightly confused as to why the doctor doesn't know your son hasn't taken Prozac for months.

Original poster

user400 · 30/12/2018 17:23

I should have been more specific but his cahms consultant deals with his medication, the GP does the prescription but it’s his responsibility to order it. He only goes to cahms like twice a year but they think he is still on the meds as he hasn’t told them otherwise but he may have to if he wants this licence situation sorted

OP posts:

thesnapandfartisinfallible · 30/12/2018 17:30

No I don't think they will. Not easily anyway. If you were them and someone stated they had a condition that affected their driving and then, having found out that they had a restricted licence, suddenly backtracked and said actually that was a mistake and it doesn't, what would you think?

Original poster

user400 · 30/12/2018 17:35

Yep, I see your point. But surely If he explains the situation and says that it was human error and tells them that he didn’t know that it had to be a condition that actually affects your driving it’ll be ok? I’m sure If they’re in doubt they can contact the GP for back up who will then tell them that the conditions he has don’t affect his driving?

OP posts:

tinesltitties · 30/12/2018 17:39

So surely the GP will have checked your sons medical records when responding to the DVLA and noted that no Prozac has been prescribed for months?

Flyingarcher · 30/12/2018 17:41

Be very careful in phoning the dvla. I stupidly reacted to a post on MN where someone stated if you didn't declare an existing condition then they could be liable for a huge fine, prosecution. I thought that Flyingboy had declared his autism yonks ago (he passed his test three years ago) so we phoned to check. Next thing we were sent a form that basically was either about declaring your conditions and possibly giving up the licence. To say I panicked and was in bit was an understatement. He needs his licence to drive to work. We immediately got a gp appointment who told me we didn't need to declare the autism at all. Unfortunately, we were now in the system so couldn't unsay anything, even though we'd only phoned as a query. I had three months of hell worrying about it but it's all good.

I recommend that you get a gp appointment with him to discuss the form and also the medication - if he's not taking the prozac then they can save money by not prescribing it.

Flyingarcher · 30/12/2018 17:43

Honestly user, they don't listen on the phone. They hear 'condition' and you get sent the form. My other son has a three year licence because he is diabetic.

Original poster

user400 · 30/12/2018 17:47

You would think they would have but honestly I’ve no idea what on earth has happened. It seems like a very messy situation

OP posts:

tinesltitties · 30/12/2018 17:50

My point is, you seem to think the doctor can give evidence to fix this but given the massive mistake they seem to have made, it seems unlikely. Tbh I would be making a complaint the the surgery. Filling out forms for the DVLA about medical conditions is quite a responsibility. A doctor who doesn't read the notes properly perhaps isn't the right one for the job.

Original poster

user400 · 30/12/2018 17:56

Yes you would think so. But it’s maybe DS’s fault too. He hasn’t told the GP / cahms that he has stopped his medication, although I’m sure it must be recorded on a computer system when he orders a prescription. He can’t remember when he last ordered a prescription though, so I’m not sure if his last order would have been quite recent to the time he was applying for his provisional

OP posts:

tinesltitties · 30/12/2018 17:59

Ah that makes sense of course, it was months ago he applied for the provisional. Sorry for slating the doctor

Original poster

user400 · 30/12/2018 18:03

Haha, don’t worry about that! But yeah I hope for his sake the DVLA take into account that it was a genuine mistake and try to sort the problem promptly as I don’t think a one year licence is necessary but I can see them making a big deal out of it.

I do see it from their point of view that it will look strange him saying that these conditions affect his driving and then saying they now don’t but I hope they will understand that he thought you had to declare them no matter what

OP posts:

thesnapandfartisinfallible · 30/12/2018 18:06

It will probably be fine but I think you will need to prove more than if he hadn't declared it in the first place. Can you imagine how many people they get who just go Oh yeah human error, just to get their licence. Obviously you know your son and know he wouldn't lie and actually it was a desire to be honest and by the book that caused the situation but they don't know that and sadly honesty seems to be a dying virtue nowadays.

Original poster

user400 · 30/12/2018 18:41

Yeah I guess he will just have to try his best to persuade them that it was an honest mistake!

OP posts:

TheDarkPassenger · 30/12/2018 19:12

@70sbaubles

Samesies. It’s not really a big issue tbh.

Was a slight issue when they suspended it for being unstable but I understand why.

IwillrunIwillfly · 30/12/2018 19:25

Before you phone up saying you've made a mistake, just phone up and ask why he is on a restricted term license. It may be nothing to do with the prescription, it could be to do with his eye site for example. If you phone up talking about prescriptions when that's not the issue, it could make it the problem if that makes sense as it might seem like there's a problem you haven't declared. If it is because he's on Prozac, when he fills in his renewal form soon, just put that he no longer takes it. Maybe speak with his consultant gp to inform them first but can't see they would have a problem with it of he's doing well off of it.

I have a restricted license because of epilepsy. Never had a problem, they just send me the forms and I complete them to say I am well and nothing has changed so it's not necessarily a big problem (although appreciate other's have had a much harder time than I have!)

grimupnorth1 · 31/12/2018 00:24

You should have received a decision letter from the DVLA that explains why a 1 year license was issued which you can then appeal. Definitely contact the DVLA and ask why you didn't receive this.

Tigger365 · 31/12/2018 00:34

When they said I didn’t need a restriction (diabetic) they sent me a letter explaining why I didn’t

Gth1234 · 31/12/2018 00:45

it's reasonable. I am diabetic and have a 3 year license. He will need to demonstrate he can control himself while driving. I would have thought not taking prescribed medication would be a concern.

no doubt you should also declare these medical conditions to your insurers, as you will probably get problems if you don't.

A normal licence runs till you are 65, I think. I am sure it's not 10 years.

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