Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Likelihood of being caught driving with no licence?

277 replies

Throwaway283833848 · 20/10/2019 23:01

Currently don’t have a driving licence.

What is the likelihood of being stopped by the police?

Myself and my husband are both insured on the car.

I know it’s unreasonable, just wondering how likely it is?

OP posts:
Proseccoinamug · 21/10/2019 12:45

fedup21

Ok, only I recently passed y test and took out insurance for the first time and had to give my licence number.

A friend tried to add me to her insurance and was asked for my licence number. They knew I was a new driver before she told them.

I assumed all insurance companies worked the same way.

HubbabubbaT · 21/10/2019 12:49

You may well not be stopped..but what if some uninsured moron drives into the side of you on the road.. you'd be livid...plus your insurance would be invalidated... So you'd end up having to come up with some cash asap!

ShippingNews · 21/10/2019 12:55

A friend of my DH told me he has never held a license, has been driving for 40 years. Said he just drives carefully and never speeds. So yes it can be done.

bellinisurge · 21/10/2019 12:57

Then your DH's friend needs reporting.

Lhastingsmua · 21/10/2019 13:05

I’m guessing you’re asking if your vehicle will flag up on ANPR, no one is going to give you advice on how to break the law.

No license = invalid insurance = no insurance - that’s such a dick move against all other motorists and pedestrians that you may harm with your car. It’s just not “unreasonable”, you may leave someone with life changing injuries or destroy their car and your insurance company may refuse to help them. If they do help them, your insurance company will invoice you in full rather than just the excess.

Why don’t you have a license? If you haven’t passed your test, you’re unsafe to be on the road and therefore at a higher risk of being involved in an RTC. If it was revoked, that’s even worse because you’ve proved that you’re a poor driver and are even more likely to get in an RTC - especially as instead of rectifying your behaviour and getting your license back, you’re going to just continue driving.

I think it’s more of a case of when you will get caught, rather than how.

Contraceptionismyfriend · 21/10/2019 13:21

It can be done. In Uni a work fitness partner didn't have a license. He'd been driving years. Pretty sure he's still driving now.

Lifecraft · 21/10/2019 13:35

So much rubbish on this thread. Firstly, INSURANCE IS NOT INVALIDATED BY NOT HAVING A LICENCE.

Read your own certificate, if you don't believe me. Where it says who can drive, it'll also say something like "provided they hold a licence to drive or have held a licence in the past and are not disqualified from holding one

So anyone with an expired licence or photocard is fully covered. Even someone who had a provisional when they were 17 for a year and is now 60, has held a licence in the past and is not disqualified, so is covered.

Secondly, ANPR would not pick this up, anyone who says otherwise doesn't understand how it works.

Finally, driving without a licence is actually a very minor offence, it's an LC endorsement on your licence (when you get one), just 3 points usually, like speeding. It's not the big deal in law everyone thinks it should be.

I'm not saying it's a good idea, but legally it's not the hanging offence people think it is. And unlikely to invalidate insurance.

Mushypeasandchipstogo · 21/10/2019 13:38

I have no time whatsoever for anybody who drives without a license. when I was much younger , and poorer, I got my car written off by a driver with no license and no insurance. If you were a friend of mine I would have no hesitation in reporting you.

bellinisurge · 21/10/2019 14:06

Lifecraft says it's fiiiiiiiine - so it wouldn't matter if I tell the authorities, then, would it?

SoupDragon · 21/10/2019 14:18

Read your own certificate, if you don't believe me. Where it says who can drive, it'll also say something like "provided they hold a licence to drive or have held a licence in the past and are not disqualified from holding one

Mine says All drivers must drive within the terms of a valid licence and must not be disqualified from driving or holding a licence.

So, no, having read my own certificate I still don't believe you. If you don't have a valid license you are not covered.

Lifecraft · 21/10/2019 14:20

Lifecraft says it's fiiiiiiiine

Where did I say that? You must be hard of reading. Maybe you shouldn't be driving if you have such a poor command of the language.

Lifecraft · 21/10/2019 14:24

Mine says All drivers must drive within the terms of a valid licence and must not be disqualified from driving or holding a licence.

That means as it says. You must be driving within the terms of your licence, when you had one, and not disqualified from holding one. So, you don't actually have to hold one!!! As long as you had one in the past.

Ask any insurance company if they exclude people automatically, just because they don't have a licence. The answer is no. They are not allowed to. Under the Insurance Act.

Buster72 · 21/10/2019 14:24

"Even someone who had a provisional when they were 17 for a year and is now 60, has held a licence in the past and is not disqualified, so is covered."

The provisional will expire after 2 years, hence they are not in possession of a licence.

ANPR can and often is updated with information that the vehicle maybe driven by someone who is disqualified or not in possession of a licence.

"Driving not in accordance" is 3 points possible 1000k fine and possible disqualification.

Boireannachlaidir · 21/10/2019 14:28

The OPs work is done. Light touch paper, boom, everyone arguing amongst themselves, sit back. Job's a good 'un.

SoupDragon · 21/10/2019 14:30

You must be driving within the terms of your licence, when you had one

No, it clearly says it has to be a valid license. Are you "hard of reading"?

Contraceptionismyfriend · 21/10/2019 14:48

If you do not hold a valid license your insurance is void.

Likelihood of being caught driving with no licence?
Lifecraft · 21/10/2019 14:49

No, it clearly says it has to be a valid license. Are you "hard of reading"

Nope, within the terms of a valid licence. If you knew about the law in these matters, you'd understand what that means. But you clearly don't.

subwaysaladfan · 21/10/2019 14:49

@Boireannachlaidir it's so obvious yet everyone's still posting Confused also did no one read the first post? It says me and my husband, only when someone mentioned that the police can get info from mn did the op come back and say sister Confused

Lifecraft · 21/10/2019 14:51

The provisional will expire after 2 years, hence they are not in possession of a licence.

You don't need to be in possession of a licence for insurance to be valid. You have to hold a licence, or HAVE HELD ONE, and not be disqualified from holding one.

Read your certificate.

AndNoneForGretchenWieners · 21/10/2019 14:54

My niece is proud that she just passed her driving test on the first attempt, despite having been driving illegally for the last 20 years. I was horrified and asked her if she had ever been stopped, but she just laughed at me. So on that basis, chances are high you could get away with it.

However, DH was regularly stopped on his way to work at 4am, or when leaving a pub after delivering post there and using their car park to park up for his round. He was fully licensed and insured. On that basis, I wouldn't take the risk, before you even get to the moral and ethical considerations.

In fact, I was too scared to drive DH the mile down the road to hospital when he had sepsis because I didn't have a licence and was paranoid I'd be stopped, even though he needed to get there really quickly. We called 999 instead.

Contraceptionismyfriend · 21/10/2019 14:56

After reading @Lifecraft posts I'm now wondering if some sort of competence test should be added to the driving test.

Wannabegreenfingers · 21/10/2019 14:58

Please report her. What an utterly stupid and dangerous thing to do.

EmilyStar · 21/10/2019 15:17

My insurance certificate says who’s covered under the policy and then says:

“provided that the person driving holds a licence to drive such motor car or has held and is not disqualified from holding or obtaining such a licence or is not breaking the conditions of their driving licence”

The DVLA says that the photocard driving licence must by law be renewed every 10 years. I’m reading that as saying that if I fail to renew my photocard driving licence, I am breaking the conditions of my driving licence - and as such I would invalidate my car insurance by not renewing the photocard.

Lifecraft · 21/10/2019 15:19

After reading @Lifecraft posts I'm now wondering if some sort of competence test should be added to the driving test.

Indeed. People have so little idea about how hard it is for an insurance company to not pay a claim, (most people think it's easy, but it's very hard for them) and not actually reading their certificate or understanding what it says.

Shocking really.

Lifecraft · 21/10/2019 15:23

The DVLA says that the photocard driving licence must by law be renewed every 10 years. I’m reading that as saying that if I fail to renew my photocard driving licence, I am breaking the conditions of my driving licence - and as such I would invalidate my car insurance by not renewing the photocard.

Utter nonsense. Your full licence lasts until age 70. The photo card is not even your licence, that's held online and can be accessed via the DVLA website. Having an out of date photocard is not even classed a motoring offence, just a normal offence. No points on your licence at all, just a fine. But they rarely fine you either. Tens of thousands of people have out of date photocards. There insurance is still valid, and if stopped, they'll likely just be told to sort it out.