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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be reluctant to send my driving licence off?

37 replies

Caramelandcoco · 14/03/2022 16:08

I need to update my details on my driving licence as I recently got married, but AIBU to be reluctant to do this? Last time I needed a replacement it took around eight months to come back …

OP posts:
girlmom21 · 14/03/2022 16:10

You can tell them you lost it and pay £25 for a replacement if you want.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 14/03/2022 16:11

Blush I've never sent any of mine back.

mimbleandlittlemy · 14/03/2022 16:12

I had mine back in less than a fortnight just before Christmas.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 14/03/2022 16:12

Also you can just keep it in your maiden name til it naturally expires. I think they need replacing every 10 years anyway

Original poster
Caramelandcoco · 14/03/2022 16:14

Thanks, I could do. I suppose the issue is if I need to apply for another job or similar (not looking at the moment but you never know) I’d need it for identification purposes.

OP posts:
M0RVEN · 14/03/2022 16:14

Or you can just keep your own name and save all this time and money Hmm.

Original poster
Caramelandcoco · 14/03/2022 16:16

It’s free to change your name. I know keeping my maiden name is an option but I’ve chosen not to do this.

OP posts:
lanthanum · 14/03/2022 16:16

I sent my provisional licence in for a change of address. They said I needed a photocard, and since I was no longer even attempting to learn to drive, I didn't bother.
When I did decide to learn to drive again, about 15 years later, I managed to establish that they still had the old one in a filing cabinet somewhere, and I just needed to put a post-it on my form explaining that!

girlmom21 · 14/03/2022 16:17

Surely you've got other ID? Bank statements, council tax bills, passports?

MrsVoorhees · 14/03/2022 16:18

Don't you send it in separately and later?

LampLighter414 · 14/03/2022 16:19

I did this in early 2020 following a change if name and did not need to send in my old license until after receiving the new one

DamnShesaSexyChick · 14/03/2022 16:19

I know they ask for it but I’ve never sent mine back.

Cognoscenti · 14/03/2022 16:20

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

Also you can just keep it in your maiden name til it naturally expires. I think they need replacing every 10 years anyway
Are you sure? I was pulled over for a random check, granted this was about 8 or 9 years ago, and the officer said he'd let it go that time, but that I needed to change the name on my driving licence straight away as it didn't match my legal name. I didn't tell them, but it must have come up on their database as my insurance and everything else was in my married name.
namechange30455 · 14/03/2022 16:20

Just don't send it until you get the new one. They don't actually check. I'm pretty sure I've still got my old one Blush

Hereforthedramaz · 14/03/2022 16:21

I changed my address on mine last week and I had to tick a box to say I'd send my old one back ASAP (haven't yet).

If it helps I ordered the updated one on Wednesday and it arrived on Saturday so turnaround does seem to be really quick (unless address changes are dealt with differently).

NutCheeseBag · 14/03/2022 16:21

My husband sent his driving licence away when we moved. It came back with some of his permitted vehicle types missing (I forget which) Then they wouldn’t accept there was an error, so he lost that possibility. Fortunately he didn’t need to drive those vehicles for work any more, but that suggests you should definitely keep a photocopy of it when sending it off.

TirednessButHappiness · 14/03/2022 16:23

I’ve never sent my old ones back. You could wait for the new one to arrive then send the old one back after if you want to?

WhatHaveIFound · 14/03/2022 16:25

Do you have to send it back before a new one is issued? I renewed mine onine recently and the instruction was to send it in when I'd got the replacement. I was expecting it to take months but in the end it was back within a week.

zingally · 14/03/2022 16:28

I THOUGHT (but may be mistaken) that you didn't have to send your old one off, while waiting for a new one?

I had my 10 year renewal about this time last year, and I didn't have to send my old one off. I just cut the old one up when the new one came. It only took about 10 days IIRC.

Thoosa · 14/03/2022 16:30

You don’t have to send the old one back until you receive the new one, if you notify the change online.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 14/03/2022 16:32

Are you sure? I was pulled over for a random check, granted this was about 8 or 9 years ago, and the officer said he'd let it go that time, but that I needed to change the name on my driving licence straight away as it didn't match my legal name. I didn't tell them, but it must have come up on their database as my insurance and everything else was in my married name

In the UK at least, a married woman can use either her maiden name or her husbands name as she wishes on whichever bills and docs she likes.

Lolly34h · 14/03/2022 16:34

I sent my provisional off for renewal and change of address via the post office on Thursday last week it arrived this morning so they are turning them around pretty quickly

Cognoscenti · 14/03/2022 16:38

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

Are you sure? I was pulled over for a random check, granted this was about 8 or 9 years ago, and the officer said he'd let it go that time, but that I needed to change the name on my driving licence straight away as it didn't match my legal name. I didn't tell them, but it must have come up on their database as my insurance and everything else was in my married name

In the UK at least, a married woman can use either her maiden name or her husbands name as she wishes on whichever bills and docs she likes.

Ahh I didn't realise, I'm also in the UK. I never changed my passport and it was fine as long as my flights were also booked in my maiden name, but the police officer said I needed to change it. I looked it up just there, and apparently it's one of the things you can be penalised for if you don't change it. I probably wouldn't have bothered if it hadn't been for the random check. 🙈
BoristalkedaboutBruno22 · 14/03/2022 16:44

Waiting since before Christmas for my husbands license back

junecat · 14/03/2022 16:45

I ordered a new one on Friday 4th and it came on Wednesday 9th. Hadn't even had time to post the old one back