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Motorists Face Fine for Invalid Licence

Thousands of motorists are at risk of being fined up to £1,000 because they are unwittingly driving without a valid licence.

Motorists risk prosecution after failing to spot the small print on their photo-card licence which states it automatically expires after 10 years. It has to be renewed even though drivers are licensed to drive until the age of 70. The first batch of photo-card licenses were issued a decade ago in July 1998.

As well as invalidating their driving licence, drivers who fail to renew their photo can be prosecuted for failing to surrender the old licence and supply a fresh photograph for the replacement one.

Although the DVLA will write to every licence holder reminding them of the need to renew, there are concerns that many drivers have changed address without informing the authorities, which is also an offence.

Drivers will have to pay £17.50 to renew their card. Official DVLA figures reveal that while 16,136 expire this summer, only 11,566 drivers have renewed, leaving 4,570 outstanding. While another 30,000 photo-card licences are due to expire over the coming year, experts fear the number of invalid licenses will soar, putting thousands more drivers in breach of the law and at risk of a fine.

At the heart of the confusion is the (very) small print on the photo-licence: 4b. Just below the driver name on the front of the photo-card licence is a series of dates and details — each one numbered. Number 4b features a date in tiny writing, but no explanation as to what it means. The date’s significance is only explained if the driver turns over the card and reads the key on the back which states that 4b means ‘licence valid to’.

Even more confusing is an adjacent table on the back of the card which sets how long you are registered to hold a licence... until your 70th birthday!

CHECK YOUR LICENCE EXPIRY DATE!