UK Driving license update pink one

[MRToMRT]

I have an old pink paper UK driving license with an old out of date address on it (by about 30 years!) and read that the Pol would fine me if I got stopped in UK driving with wrong address on license.

I have lived in Thailand for eons and don't have an address, bank account or anything in UK but still have a sister who lives there and I visit her, so could use her address.

 

I tried online by Gov>Uk verification is an issue for me not have anything to show.

Anyone any advice how to change the address (which requires the update to the credit card type license) - anyone used the mail in system successfully or any advice on Gov.UK verification. Any tips on how to do this without any real UK ties anymore.

 

Cheers

 

[dirtybirty]

I have an old pink paper UK driving license with an old out of date address on it (by about 30 years!) and read that the Pol would fine me if I got stopped in UK driving with wrong address on license.

I have lived in Thailand for eons and don't have an address, bank account or anything in UK but still have a sister who lives there and I visit her, so could use her address.
 
I tried online by Gov>Uk verification is an issue for me not have anything to show.

Anyone any advice how to change the address (which requires the update to the credit card type license) - anyone used the mail in system successfully or any advice on Gov.UK verification. Any tips on how to do this without any real UK ties anymore.
 
Cheers
 

Yes you will get fined £1000 If caught. Do you have a Thai licence as you can drive I think for 6 months in the UK on that. Anyway I was in same position as you 3 years ago it's easy do it by post when in UK and use your sisters address. It should cost £25 to change from paper to plastic 1 but as I was changing my address as well they sent the cheque back took about 5 days. Ps I used my parents address also not sure about the length of expiry as my old paper 1 was still valid

Sent from my SM-A510F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[MRToMRT]

11 minutes ago, dirtybirty said:

Yes you will get fined £1000 If caught. Do you have a Thai licence as you can drive I think for 6 months in the UK on that. Anyway I was in same position as you 3 years ago it's easy do it by post when in UK and use your sisters address. It should cost £25 to change from paper to plastic 1 but as I was changing my address as well they sent the cheque back took about 5 days. Ps I used my parents address also not sure about the length of expiry as my old paper 1 was still valid

Sent from my SM-A510F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Cheers, any checks done? I am thinking of doing the postal one and sending it to her to mail in for me.

 

Alternatively I can do when I am visiting her next year.

[johng]

One thing to remember is that the pink paper licence expires when you reach 70

but  a plastic one although your entitlement to drive is still till 70   you must "renew" ( + new photo)

the plastic every 10 years,

once you go plastic you can not go back to paper, plastic licence is excepted as ID and  can help get a new passport

(or maybe the other way round done mine at the same time 2 years ago so a bit fuzzy remembering now)

[Colabamumbai]

If you have a license now Thai or otherwise you can buy an international drivers license on line. I just got a 10 year license valid in 50 countries. Most only offer 1 to 3 years. $65. U. S. plus shipping simple and fast. 

[Chris Ubon]

17 hours ago, johng said:

One thing to remember is that the pink paper licence expires when you reach 70

but  a plastic one although your entitlement to drive is still till 70   you must "renew" ( + new photo)

the plastic every 10 years,

once you go plastic you can not go back to paper, plastic licence is excepted as ID and  can help get a new passport

(or maybe the other way round done mine at the same time 2 years ago so a bit fuzzy remembering now)

After renewing the UK plastic licence at 70, you must renew it every 3 years thereafter. Paper licences, issued for decades in addition to the plastic card,  ceased several years ago.

[alanrchase]

Technically, your new licence would be just as invalid as your old one so why bother?

[alanrchase]

1 hour ago, Colabamumbai said:

If you have a license now Thai or otherwise you can buy an international drivers license on line. I just got a 10 year license valid in 50 countries. Most only offer 1 to 3 years. $65. U. S. plus shipping simple and fast. 

If you read the small print they at least have the honesty to tell you the IDL is an unofficial document.

 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.international-license.com/&ved=2ahUKEwisra7e7u_kAhWBr48KHaEECDYQFjATegQIBRAB&usg=AOvVaw1sWAey5JKn5S77jfhbOzzg

[Mattd]

20 hours ago, dirtybirty said:

Do you have a Thai licence as you can drive I think for 6 months in the UK on that

When I asked DVLA about this, they told me that you are allowed to use the Thai DL for a maximum of 1 year if you are living in the UK again.

Technically you are supposed to be resident in the UK for 3 years before DVLA will issue a new UK DL, in reality this doesn't appear to be the case, I know of two people who moved back to the UK from Thailand and obtained a new UK DL within the first two weeks of being back, both applied online using their photo kept by the passport office.

It is illegal to drive in the UK using a UK DL that has an address on it that you no longer have a connection to, the police do have the means to carry out checks on this, quite how I do not know, likely some form of access to the public version of the electoral role.

I imagine the need for this is connected to driving offences that fixed penalties cannot be applied and a summons for a court appearance needs sending out.

Quite how this is dealt with when anybody is using a foreign license is anybody's guess.

[fredob43]

I use my daughters address for sorting my licence. That has to be updated every 3 years if your over 70 years old, but every 10 years or 3rd time you change it you have to supply a new snap of yourself. It's a free service.

As long as you have a usable address in the UK you will be fine. 

 

My licence stays at my Daughter house and I only use it if and when I'm in the UK. Not that often now. If I want to rent a car on arrival in the UK I use my Thai one.

[DannyCarlton]

22 minutes ago, fredob43 said:

I use my daughters address for sorting my licence. That has to be updated every 3 years if your over 70 years old, but every 10 years or 3rd time you change it you have to supply a new snap of yourself. It's a free service.

As long as you have a usable address in the UK you will be fine. 

 

My licence stays at my Daughter house and I only use it if and when I'm in the UK. Not that often now. If I want to rent a car on arrival in the UK I use my Thai one.

I'm not sure that's legal. I think if you have a current UK licence you must use that ahead of your Thai licence.

 

I had an old green UK paper licence. Land and Transport office would not accept it when I applied for a Thai licence. Had to take the full test.

 

However, I have since lost my UK licence and would like a new one. I have no details of my old licence. Any ideas how I can obtain a new one. I do have a UK address but I'm not on the Electoral Register. However, bank accounts, state pension, company pension, GP etc. are all registered at that address.

[wgdanson]

5 hours ago, Colabamumbai said:

If you have a license now Thai or otherwise you can buy an international drivers license on line. I just got a 10 year license valid in 50 countries. Most only offer 1 to 3 years. $65. U. S. plus shipping simple and fast. 

No such thing as an International Driving Licence.

[fredob43]

16 minutes ago, DannyCarlton said:

I'm not sure that's legal. I think if you have a current UK licence you must use that ahead of your Thai licence.

 

I had an old green UK paper licence. Land and Transport office would not accept it when I applied for a Thai licence. Had to take the full test.

 

However, I have since lost my UK licence and would like a new one. I have no details of my old licence. Any ideas how I can obtain a new one. I do have a UK address but I'm not on the Electoral Register. However, bank accounts, state pension, company pension, GP etc. are all registered at that address.

I only use my Thai one when I enter the UK as I don't have my UK one with me never a problem.

 

You don't have to be on the electoral register to use a postal address. In fact you don't have to be on the E/R at all. Before I used my mothers address sadly now passed, so I use my daughters address. For UK ATM cards and D/L. Has worked for me for well over 20 years. My UK bank send any new ATM cards direct to my Thailand address.

 

As long as you have a UK address you'll be fine.

 

Only one small problem is that my UK ATM's and Licence stay's in the UK till I pick them up. But I have my UK bank D/D can use that when hiring a car at airport. 

[Phulublub]

1 hour ago, fredob43 said:

As long as you have a UK address you'll be fine.

Wrong.  You should not give false, misleading or illegal information.  If you are not resident in the Uk you are not entitled to hold a UK licence.  Always agood idea to try and go to the source Government website for accurate information:

 

https://www.gov.uk/change-address-driving-licence?step-by-step-nav=c1f13d41-ed7f-44a3-be11-fd95525ddf40

 

You need, among others things "to be a resident of Great Britain - there's a different process in Northern Ireland"

 

Yes, it is possible to obtain a UK Licence using an address of a relative.  But it is not a valid document and you can be fined if stopped by trh Police and you use it to show eleigibility to drive.

 

As a holder of a Thai Licence you can legally drive a car in the UK for up to 12 months:

 

https://www.gov.uk/driving-nongb-licence/y/a-visitor-to-great-britain/any-other-country

 

 

 

 

[DannyCarlton]

1 hour ago, fredob43 said:

I only use my Thai one when I enter the UK as I don't have my UK one with me never a problem.

 

You don't have to be on the electoral register to use a postal address. In fact you don't have to be on the E/R at all. Before I used my mothers address sadly now passed, so I use my daughters address. For UK ATM cards and D/L. Has worked for me for well over 20 years. My UK bank send any new ATM cards direct to my Thailand address.

 

As long as you have a UK address you'll be fine.

 

Only one small problem is that my UK ATM's and Licence stay's in the UK till I pick them up. But I have my UK bank D/D can use that when hiring a car at airport. 

I like to keep my UK licence in the UK. I'm on my son's car insurance so like to keep it simple.

 

Just applied for a new licence online. 2 step process. Retrieve my licence details. Had to guess the address on my old licence but seem to have guessed right. That gave me my DL number, expiry date etc.

 

Then applied for new licence online. Needed old and new address, NI number and a few security questions. Also needed photo. As I don't have a licence with a photo, gave me the option of allowing them to retrieve my photo from my passport records. Renewed 18 months ago, so not a problem. Need NI number for both processes. £20 paid on UK CC and application accepted. 2 weeks to recieve my new licence at my UK address. Simples!

[Macthehat]

Use your Thai license of visiting the U.K .  If you use your uk license and not residing at that address then your insurance is not valid also , this also is illegal and avoids your insurance . 

[Mattd]

2 hours ago, DannyCarlton said:

I'm not sure that's legal. I think if you have a current UK licence you must use that ahead of your Thai licence.

It is actually the opposite, you MUST use the Thai license if your UK license has a none current address on it, this is via DVLA and rental companies.

[DannyCarlton]

1 minute ago, Macthehat said:

Use your Thai license of visiting the U.K .  If you use your uk license and not residing at that address then your insurance is not valid also , this also is illegal and avoids your insurance . 

I do reside at the address on my DL, when in the UK.

[Neilly]

23 hours ago, MRToMRT said:

Anyone any advice how to change the address (which requires the update to the credit card type license) - anyone used the mail in system successfully or any advice on Gov.UK verification. Any tips on how to do this without any real UK ties anymore.

I did this two months ago...I had an old pink paper licence with an address which was 20yr out of date. I did it on line (www.gov.uk/browse/driving), just needed my UK passport details and NI number...I used my parents address and had the new licence in my hand 5 days later (at no cost).

[DannyCarlton]

2 minutes ago, Neilly said:

I did this two months ago...I had an old pink paper licence with an address which was 20yr out of date. I did it on line (www.gov.uk/browse/driving), just needed my UK passport details and NI number...I used my parents address and had the new licence in my hand 5 days later (at no cost).

Just cost me £20 because I had to declare it lost, which it was. You are asked for a serial number which appears on your licence, if you don't have the licence then you need to declare it lost/stolen etc. Free if you are just changing address.

[Neilly]

10 minutes ago, DannyCarlton said:

You are asked for a serial number which appears on your licence

True, luckily I still had my old paper one

[Caine]

With that license I suggest you contact the Antiques Road Show for advice ????????????

[wgdanson]

1 hour ago, Macthehat said:

Use your Thai license of visiting the U.K .  If you use your uk license and not residing at that address then your insurance is not valid also , this also is illegal and avoids your insurance . 

Although this is the Law, I wonder how many people get a new UK DL when they change homes/address. 

[MRToMRT]

8 hours ago, DannyCarlton said:

NI number

Is there a way to find that out? I have no idea what mine would have been.

[Neilly]

10 minutes ago, MRToMRT said:

Is there a way to find that out? I have no idea what mine would have been.

I nearly had to do this a couple of years ago...but then I found it so never had to

 

https://www.gov.uk/lost-national-insurance-number

[DannyCarlton]

13 minutes ago, MRToMRT said:

Is there a way to find that out? I have no idea what mine would have been.

Mine's burned into my brain, I've no idea why, I can rhyme it off on demand.

[brianthainess]

On 9/27/2019 at 6:53 AM, Colabamumbai said:

If you have a license now Thai or otherwise you can buy an international drivers license on line. I just got a 10 year license valid in 50 countries. Most only offer 1 to 3 years. $65. U. S. plus shipping simple and fast. 

Link please.

[DannyCarlton]

16 hours ago, wgdanson said:

Although this is the Law, I wonder how many people get a new UK DL when they change homes/address. 

Guilty. The last time I changed the address was 30 years ago. Was given a "producer" by the police. Cop in the station noticed my address was different on my licence to my insurance. Just told me to get it changed. It's a really minor offence.

 

My Thai DL currently has the wrong address on it. I'll probably wait until I need a new licence (3 years) to change it.

 

 

[wgdanson]

3 minutes ago, DannyCarlton said:

Guilty. The last time I changed the address was 30 years ago. Was given a "producer" by the police. Cop in the station noticed my address was different on my licence to my insurance. Just told me to get it changed. It's a really minor offence.

But COULD incur a hefty fine if they wanted to.

 

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk › money › cars › article-4803254 › Incorrect...

[DannyCarlton]

1 minute ago, wgdanson said:

But COULD incur a hefty fine if they wanted to.

I'm not sure that's true. Cop seemed not to want to take it any furthe because it wasn't worth him doing the paperwork. I'm pretty sure it's not endorsable.