UK photo card licence expiry

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If yours doesn’t work, just don’t borrow one of these (even though apparently US citizens are allowed to own one!).

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I know where I could find around a hundred of those (of varying sizes - IIRC, 12, 24 & 32 pounders), and just down the road from me. However, I suspect that the RN would get upset if I tried to nick one!

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Fair play to the PO and DVLA. Less than a week from application to delivery of my new licence :+1:

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Mine expired some years back and the DVLA wouldn’t renew it as I no longer have a UK address. This left me with the prospect of, at 40, having to take driving lessons, sit a paper test, then a practical with a bunch of kids in Japan. I just gave up driving instead.

Word of caution to any British expats who have no ties back to Ol’ Blighty.

My understanding is that some countries will accept a UK driving licence as proof of ability to drive, enabling you to obtain a licence if you settle there, without retaking a test. Is that not the case in Japan - or was it simply that you didn’t drive for a while, not seeking to until after your UK licence had lapsed?

Japan requires an actual certified “international drivers license” which your bog standard UK one isn’t unless you specifically apply.

But even if I’d had one, I couldn’t trade it in for a Japanese one. I assume it would have also expired eventually.

I’m at peace with it. I spend about $80/week on taxis for a family of 4. Multiplied over 10 years, that’s still less than a nice car, petrol, MOT, road tax, toll booth, 2 legally mandated annual wheel changes (snow and summer) would cost.

Once we went on vacation in the countryside and just hired a driver for 5 days. Totally cost effective compaired to long term car ownership.

There comes a time where if you are in your 40s and haven’t driven in over 20 years, what’s the point?

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In France, if you become resident, they will exchange your UK licence for a French one but not until 6 months before the UK one expires. This is so the system isn’t swamped with applications but means I keep my non photo UK licence until I’m just short of 70 with an address on it of a house I sold in March this year.

I am one of those who was still on a paper licence, never had a passport, so it looked like a long journey to get my age 70 one.
I phoned DVLA with a query, got answered immediately and was told to follow the on line process. So even with no photo in the system I did so and my application was “accepted”. A short while later, an email, we are sending you a form. That took a while to arrive, but the licence arrived today, on the sixth day after they received the form and photo. If I understand correctly, the on line application generates an application number that also creates a target for clearance.

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If you are in the UK (I realise that you aren’t) and you have a valid UK drivers licence then you can get a certified international drivers licence over a Post Office counter for about £5. It’s valid for a couple of years or so (that varies depending on exactly which country you need it for).

The renewal process at 70 appears to be swift and efficient as long as you have no relevant medical conditions. That was my experience last year. However, my wife has a relevant condition (glaucoma) which led to prolonged delay. After completing the medical declaration the whole process stalled for nearly a year. Eventually she got the appropriate tests at a DVLA-approved optician. She passed these and got her licence a couple of weeks later. As long as the renewal was ‘in progress’ she was legally allowed to drive, but it was a long frustrating wait with communication from DVLA effectively useless.

Rather horrifically I checked my license yesterday -to find it had expired in 2014…

Went on line to find it was renewed , so I have misplaced the current one and not destroyed the old one

I’ve been trying to borrow a Phalanx Gun from a cousin who is a weapons officer, he was somewhat bemused when I told him it was for my pigeon problem

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Don’t forget to have him also provide the radar tracking/sighting system - pigeons are quick little bu**ers!

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I asked my RAF contact if I could borrow an Apache attack helicopter to clear out the middle lane sitters on the M23 :grin:

The pigeons around my way are ‘controlled’ by the foxes. Simply follow the trail of feathers.

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Aren’t the Apaches an Army helicopter ?

Exactly , I would prefer a visit from Mr or Mrs Sparrow Hawk…

Yes – I think the RAF and Army Air Corps have them.

I renewed my driving licence online last Thursday and today the new one arrived in the mail. Quite impressive turnaround I thought.

But then I imagine no human was involved at any stage after I submitted my application until the postman gathered the mail for our street and put it in his delivery bag.

I work on Apaches. The RAF doesn’t operate them.

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