Maintaining an identity in one's home country - Have you let your driver's license expire?

[Oldgumshoe]

Keeping some connection with ones home or country of origin is entirely up to the individual. Personally I keep a postal address, my drivers licence, private health insurance and bank accounts all current. I travel back regularly to keep me eligible for Government assisted medication normally $60 to $70 per script but only $6 or $7 under the scheme, and I bring 4 or 5 months supply with me

As for drivers licence as one gets older the time valid decreases and when one hits 75 then it is issued annually and requires a medical cert. Talking Queensland Aus.

[Mattd]

37 minutes ago, simon43 said:

I still have an old pink paper UK licence, albeit very tattered now. It was issued about 20 years ago and still has another 10 years before it expires...

 

26 minutes ago, Mutt Daeng said:

I also have a UK pink paper license - issued in 1977 and valid until 2025.

So do I, unfortunately it is no longer able to be used though, unless you still have solid connections to the address that is printed on it.

It is illegal to drive in the UK using a license where the address is obsolete, this includes the new licenses.

[Pat in Pattaya]

15 minutes ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

I like to help people where needed, but seriously ??

Google DVLA, google renewing U.K driving licence online, google expired licence, google anything ?

Was just asking fella, I haven't looked at this for over a decade

[Mattd]

3 minutes ago, Pat in Pattaya said:

Was just asking fella, I haven't looked at this for over a decade

https://www.gov.uk/renew-driving-licence

[cornishcarlos]

7 minutes ago, Pat in Pattaya said:

Was just asking fella, I haven't looked at this for over a decade

 

It just makes me chuckle when people ask a question on here about asking a question on there (google)...

Save everyone some time and just cut out the middle man ?

[alanrchase]

26 minutes ago, Mattd said:

 

So do I, unfortunately it is no longer able to be used though, unless you still have solid connections to the address that is printed on it.

It is illegal to drive in the UK using a license where the address is obsolete, this includes the new licenses.

My understanding is that you have to live at the address you put on the form not just have a "solid connection" to it. I would have concerns about the legal implications of putting false information on the application. Is the licence valid? Would insurance cover you? etc, etc. 

[NoshowJones]

3 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

Just renewed my U.K licence, took 5 mins online... I prefer to have both Thai and home country valid at all times..

You must have a UK address, right?

[cornishcarlos]

1 minute ago, possum1931 said:

You must have a UK address, right?

 Yup... Not mine but I use the address

[Formaleins]

2 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

U.K is valid for 10 years and cost a few bucks only.

Why not keep it valid, you never know what the future might hold. Could save you a headache down the road ?

This seems a bit strange - I have my old paper licence from the UK from when I passed my test at 17 years old, this paper licence is valid until I am 69 years old. I understand that there now is also a photo i.d.  licence for the UK which has a shorter validity, which one takes priority?

[Surasak]

3 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

Let mine expire a long time ago. What's the point of renewing a driver's license where one no longer lives? 

I used mine at a bank, as a second form of ID with Thai licence. No problem.

[Tongjaw]

4 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

Just renewed my U.K licence, took 5 mins online... I prefer to have both Thai and home country valid at all times..

I still have my old pink paper license in UK from 1978. It’s still valid till the day before my 70th Birthday. Although a friend says last month in UK he had trouble hiring a car as they wanted to see the new photo card licence. They said they need to check for any endorsements electronically now. 

Edited May 24, 2018 by Tongjaw
Forgot to add information

[Mattd]

14 minutes ago, Formaleins said:

This seems a bit strange - I have my old paper licence from the UK from when I passed my test at 17 years old, this paper licence is valid until I am 69 years old. I understand that there now is also a photo i.d.  licence for the UK which has a shorter validity, which one takes priority?

You can still use the paper version so long as the address on it is your address, you would be required to get the photo license if this changes.

[Mattd]

6 minutes ago, Tongjaw said:

I still have my old pink paper license in UK from 1978. I’m sure well expired now. Would have to head home to renew probably. Do you require a residential address in UK to apply online? 

The paper license expires on your 70th birthday and yes you do need a residential address in the UK to apply online, along with a Government Gateway ID.

[petermik]

10 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

U.K is valid for 10 years and cost a few bucks only.

Why not keep it valid, you never know what the future might hold. Could save you a headache down the road ?

If your over 70 it only lasts for three years.......but its free

[Mattd]

26 minutes ago, alanrchase said:

My understanding is that you have to live at the address you put on the form not just have a "solid connection" to it. I would have concerns about the legal implications of putting false information on the application. Is the licence valid? Would insurance cover you? etc, etc. 

Technically you are correct, it could well lead to issues if you were to put false information on the application, personally I use the Thai license whenever driving in the UK, as the paper one I have is 3 addresses wrong, the last time I was at that address was 1989!

[Odysseus123]

6 minutes ago, Mattd said:

You can still use the paper version so long as the address on it is your address, you would be required to get the photo license if this changes.

That is correct and I am sure that the poster actually knows that he is carrying around a piece of paper,worthless to man,dog or alien.

 

Whoever does not try to maintain some links to his/her home country-whatever he/she can-is an utter fool.

Edited May 24, 2018 by Odysseus123

[ivor bigun]

Just did mine online last month .all good arrived a few weeks ago

Sent from my SM-A720F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[cornishcarlos]

6 minutes ago, petermik said:

If your over 70 it only lasts for three years.......but its free

 

Stay off the roads, you're a liability ?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

4 hours ago, canopy said:

Let it go. Many years on my experiences are a US DL is not needed for anything. If you are thinking it is needed for anything, do those things before letting it expire. On the other hand a Thai DL is valid in the US for driving and is a very useful form of ID to have in Thailand.

 

 

I think that's bad advice. I've kept my US DL and am glad I have. Not for driving alone. But for banking. Every time I've ever tried to use a passport alone as part of the application process for opening a new bank/financial account, the banks involved have always asked for my state DL as well. Though I imagine they would have accepted a state ID card as well (similar to a DL, but no driving rights).

 

I've been here a fair number of years now, and I can't count the number of different bank accounts I've had to close and new accounts I've had to open during those  years for various reasons, so opening new accounts periodically has been a very important, and financially rewarding, element.

 

Plus, you can typically renew/extend a DL during a wide period of time, not just right at the expiration point. So that gives you a lot of latitude to do so during what might be a periodic (once a year?) trip back to the U.S. just for general purposes. Of the various DL renewals I've done over the years, just one needed to be in person, and 3 or 4 others were all able to be done online/via mail in my state.

 

[scubascuba3]

You must have a UK address, right?

A few years back i was travelling around the UK and abroad a fair bit, i emailed DVLA about what addresss to use as i keep changing (hassle for them also if you keep changing address and notifying them), they said just provide a UK contact address, so i changed it to a family member, which was fine

[Mattd]

2 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

34 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

You must have a UK address, right?

A few years back i was travelling around the UK and abroad a fair bit, i emailed DVLA about what addresss to use as i keep changing (hassle for them also if you keep changing address and notifying them), they said just provide a UK contact address, so i changed it to a family member, which was fine

This is what most do when in our situation, however, I am not so sure about the legality of this, as mentioned earlier in the thread, technically you are meant to live at the address and be resident in the UK, police stops nowadays can invoke a check on this if they suspect anything wrong, a lot of hire companies also run a check on address.

At the end of the day it is up to the individual and if they are comfortable with this and the possibility that they are breaking the law.

[Pib]

I had to let my Hawaii DL expire...couldn't renew it because I couldn't meet their "legal residence" requirements that they tightened up approx 3 years ago.  I had renewed it before by mail but couldn't this time around due to tougher legal residence requirements.   

 

Different states have different renewal/legal residence requirements...some you can renew in person, mail, or online....others in person or by mail only....and usually for older folks at around age 70 to 72 they may require renewal only in person and only renew for 2 years at a time versus 4 to 8 years depending on your state. 

 

But even when renewing in person you will still need to meet the state's legal residence requirements....like I couldn't fly back to Hawaii...go to a DMV to renew my license because I would not be able to provide at least 2 docs to prove my legal residence in the state...there are around 20 or so docs you could show to prove legal residence but I could only produce one.   If I actually still lived in Hawaii it would have been easy to produce a half dozen or so different and acceptable docs to prove legal residence.  Plus, for Hawaii you can only renew by mail twice if you can meet the legal residence requirements...after that you have to physically visit DMV to renew. Yeap, getting tougher to renew DL if you are an expat...requirements varies from state to state.

 

I have opened one US bank account (via online) since my license expired and to open that account I did needed to produce ID of either a U.S. passport, state drivers license/state ID card, or Military ID card.  I provided the US passport...account opened. 

 

 

Edited May 24, 2018 by Pib

[DrPhibes]

1 hour ago, pgrahmm said:

Ran into a catch 22 on the last visit.....

The Thai license was good for rental cars, but we keep a car & an RV stored there....

I was forced to renew my expired licence because I could not find insurance without a CDL to be able to drive my vehicles....It was like being persona non-grata.....I used a buddy's address & got the license renewed....

Without the license I would have had to use car rentals + purchase their insurance for the 3 months there - along with the costly inconvenience of hotels & restaurant dining.....The cost of hotel rooms in the SF area has gone insane at a minimum $200 per night for a regular, plain room.....

 

Be careful, CA uses drivers license as a proof of residence and could come after you for income taxes.  Having that exact issue with a client who has been living overseas for 6 years.  Suddenly MI is sending him tax notices due to his MI drivers license using his Mom's MI address.  Does not matter that he has proved he has been out of the country (except for a few weeks) over the 6 years, owns no property in MI, and sent in a signed statement saying he will probably move to FL once he comes back to the US.  They are hanging him on the drivers license and the "probably", it is all about intent.

[scubascuba3]

This is what most do when in our situation, however, I am not so sure about the legality of this, as mentioned earlier in the thread, technically you are meant to live at the address and be resident in the UK, police stops nowadays can invoke a check on this if they suspect anything wrong, a lot of hire companies also run a check on address.

At the end of the day it is up to the individual and if they are comfortable with this and the possibility that they are breaking the law.

In the unlikely event of being stopped by UK police get out your Thai driving licence, if that doesn't go down too well resort to the UK one and see what happens, i predict, nothing

 

[Mattd]

3 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

In the unlikely event of being stopped by UK police get out your Thai driving licence, if that doesn't go down too well resort to the UK one and see what happens, i predict, nothing

 

This would depend on a number of things, why the police stopped you in the first place being the most important, if it was just a routine stop, then probably OK, remembering though that they are getting very strict on being able to trace the driver to an address now and if it is a hire car you should show the license that was used to hire it initially, as this is the one registered for insurance purposes, the other being, in the event of an accident, things could go horribly wrong, the technology available to the police in car is truly amazing, hence for example, why no tax discs need to be shown now, they can get all this info in seconds.

[James2020]

I researched this topic quite a bit before moving to Thailand from the US nine months ago.  DL's are issued by your state, and mine (HI) required that I maintain a residence there, which I didn't want to do (to keep things simple, for tax reasons, less expensive, etc.), and required that I notify them of an address change within 30 days (which I did).  I checked with my usual car rental company about renting a car and driving with a Thai DL in the US, and was told there is no problem.  I changed my US based credit cards and bank accounts to a Thailand address, and there have been no issues, except some merchants can't (or won't) accept a US based credit card with a foreign address.  My wife (a Thai citizen) has an ATM bank account that I transfer living expenses into once or twice a year, and I have no bank account in Thailand.  I have BCBS health insurance through a US based employer that works at Bumrungrad and Samitivej for routine care.  I see no reason to jump through hoops (and potentially lie) to maintain a US address.  If I ever move back to the US, I'll just change my address again.

[Cereal]

I left Canada in 2005 and have never been back. My only connection to that festering dung heap of a frozen wasteland is a passport which I would gladly trade for a USA passport or one of a few European countries. I'll never set foot on Canadian soil again. Laos, man. Forever.

[canopy]

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

I think that's bad advice (letting US DL go)

 

Not everyone could support what you are saying. Here are my observations:

 

• Banking. I've never been asked for a US DL to open a bank account in Thailand.
• Driving. I find a Thai DL best for driving in Thailand. And when driving in the US, my Thai DL is totally legal and gets the same insurance coverage as a US DL. Not to mention a Thai DL is an extremely useful ID to have in Thailand for all sorts of things. A US DL would simply not work in most common situations.
• Millions of Americans of driving age do not have a DL and it's declining. Hence, whatever one needs to do can be done without one.
• I've never used a US DL since becoming an expat nor can I think of one single thing I would want one for in the future. And every year that goes by further galvanizes the correctness of this assertion for my situation.

 

[JimmyJ]

2 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

 

I've been here a fair number of years now, and I can't count the number of different bank accounts I've had to close and new accounts I've had to open during those  years for various reasons, so opening new accounts periodically has been a very important, and financially rewarding, element.

 

Plus, you can typically renew/extend a DL during a wide period of time, not just right at the expiration point. So that gives you a lot of latitude to do so during what might be a periodic (once a year?) trip back to the U.S. just for general purposes. Of the various DL renewals I've done over the years, just one needed to be in person, and 3 or 4 others were all able to be done online/via mail in my state.

 

 

"Plus, you can typically renew/extend a DL during a wide period of time, not just right at the expiration point."

 

Unfortunately, if it is possible to do a renewal far in advance, this is state dependent.

I checked with my state and a neighboring state. With both of them, there's a set period of time - perhaps 4 or 6 weeks or so before expiration, I don't recall exactly - when one can do the renewal.

 

Before that, it simply would give a copy of the same DL with the same expiration dates.

 

 

Your state has favorable rules if they only require one out of 4 or 5 renewals to be in person.

Mine, as mentioned, is every other 4 year renewal.

They also told me that beginning at age 70 for the online renewals, one has to also have a doctor's physical test and an eye test.

 

 

 

My main concern is what you mentioned - opening new financial accounts.

 

I thought if I had to fly back to renew, I would also get a full range of medical exams at that time which insurance would cover.

But the time frame is bad between my planned move and the next renewal - not that much time in between but long enough that I wouldn't want to stay in the US waiting for the renewal period.

 

Edited May 24, 2018 by JimmyJ

[malt25]

4 hours ago, JimHuaHin said:

I renewed my Queensland licence online last last year - no problems.

Ditto.