Driving In The Uk On An Incorrect Licence

[sinbin]

If someone goes back to the UK for a visit then how do they stand regarding the address on their licence when driving ? The DVLA will not change the address on your licence if you no longer have an address there. I don't have an address, but I wish to drive when visiting. The current fine is 1,000 Pounds for an incorrect address on ones licence. Not wishing to fall foul of the law, how do I remain legal ?

[welsh1]

Do you have a thai driving license?

Then you can drive for up to 1 year on a Thai license

[phaethon]

See [to download PDF leaflet INF1(D)]: http://www.dft.gov.u...lets/INF1D.ashx

Especially:

p. 3: "To be normally resident you must usually live in the United Kingdom for 185 days in each calendar year."

p. 7:"The address on the licence must be a GB home address at which you can be contacted. We do not accept PO box addresses."

And from http://www.direct.go...ence/DG_4022088 under "Keeping your details correct":

"Remember, if you permanently move to another country, you can't register your new address on your British driving licence. You'll need to contact the driving licence authority in your country of residence."

A Thai licence is easy (and cheaper) to obtain if you do not fulfil the residency requirements for a UK licence. How it may be viewed by, say, car rental companies and their insurers in the UK is another matter.

Edited November 14, 2011 by phaethon

[dean999]

i'm wrong

Edited November 14, 2011 by dean999

[Thongkorn]

If you wanted to hire a car from a car hire company.In the UK, and the person was on a Visit Visa They would automatically ring the DVLA, and enquier if a Thai license is valid, and if it is which i don't know for certain, but they may only let the person drive for set amount of time, this is standard practice for Hire company's to ring the DVLA if the persons license is out of the EEC.

Edited November 14, 2011 by Thongkorn

[Rumpole]

I still have the old green folded sheet UK licence (valid until I am 70) which shows an address where I haven't lived for 30 years. I have hired cars and even been stopped by the police a couple of times, on one occasion having to produce documents at a police station. I told the desk sergeant that I was not resident in the UK and had no current connection with the address on the licence. He simply shrugged and said if I ever return to the UK I would have to update the address.

In this case, the licence was still valid, even though the address was not (and I could not update it due to being non-resident), so I do not believe any offence had been committed. Not too sure that I would want to have to put that to the test before a Bench of Magistrates though. There is also the possibility that the hire-company's insurers would try to use that as an excuse to avoid liability in the event of an accident.

You could try checking with the DLVC or get a solicitor to find out for you (most of them are not very conversant with the Road Traffic laws in my experience, except for the few which specialize in that area).

Edited November 14, 2011 by Rumpole

[Boater]

Do you have a thai driving license?

Then you can drive for up to 1 year on a Thai license

i have both a Thai and UK licence, in this case of a thai licence, could i use that in case, say i got a speeding ticket?

[Thongkorn]

Do you have a Thai driving license?

Then you can drive for up to 1 year on a Thai license

i have both a Thai and UK license, in this case of a Thai license, could i use that in case, say i got a speeding ticket?

why would you pay your fine with Baht if on a Thai license, is it cheaper

[Thongkorn]

I still have the old green folded sheet UK licence (valid until I am 70) which shows an address where I haven't lived for 30 years. I have hired cars and even been stopped by the police a couple of times, on one occasion having to produce documents at a police station. I told the desk sergeant that I was not resident in the UK and had no current connection with the address on the licence. He simply shrugged and said if I ever return to the UK I would have to update the address.

In this case, the licence was still valid, even though the address was not (and I could not update it due to being non-resident), so I do not believe any offence had been committed. Not too sure that I would want to have to put that to the test before a Bench of Magistrates though. There is also the possibility that the hire-company's insurers would try to use that as an excuse to avoid liability in the event of an accident.

You could try checking with the DLVC or get a solicitor to find out for you (most of them are not very conversant with the Road Traffic laws in my experience, except for the few which specialize in that area).

Your licence is illegal , because you have to have a two part licence now , One paper and they other a plastic card. also it says on the back of a licence that you must inform the DVLA as soon as posible of change of address, If it went to a court of law you would lose.

Edited November 14, 2011 by Thongkorn

[phaethon]

The licence itself is not invalid, but there is a requirement to notify DVLA of any change of address. However if you move abroad this requirement no-longer applies.

http://www.direct.go...ing/DG_10023103

Moving to another country

If you move to another country, you should check with the driving licence authorities there for information about driving and exchange of licences. You don't need to notify DVLA of a change of address when moving to live abroad.

Returning to GB

If you return to GB from a non-EC/EEA country and are not in possession of a GB licence, you may:

drive for up to 12 months on your foreign licence

apply for a duplicate of your GB licence on payment of a fee

I am quite happy to return to the UK, temporarily, as my UK 'home' address will be the same as on the licence. Ambiguity arises when someone returns to the UK and stays, say, in a hotel. I don't think the above applies to a return visit of a few days or weeks.

Do you change your address to that of the hotel? Seems impractical. So long as you remain technically resident abroad you are not required to notify DVLA, but you are, equally technically, not 'in possession of a GB licence' i.e. one bearing a current UK address...

Now, how insurance companies view this is a different fettle of kish.

[Rumpole]

Your licence is illegal , because you have to have a two part licence now , One paper and they other a plastic card. also it says on the back of a licence that you must inform the DVLA as soon as posible of change of address, If it went to a court of law you would lose.

I accept that the two part licence is now a legal requirement (it wasn't last time I drove on my UK licence - I have 3 licences from other countries so the issue is purely academic in my case), however I am not convinced your point about the address is quite so clear cut. From the document posted above:

"Remember, if you permanently move to another country, you can't register your new address on your British driving licence."

p. 7:"The address on the licence must be a GB home address at which you can be contacted."

If one does not maintain a UK address while living overseas, and the DVLC will not enter a foreign address on the licence, does this mean the licence of an expatriate is invalid even though it has not expired? I am pretty sure this is NOT the case, though am quite willing to be proved wrong if you have links to specific legislation (primary or delegated) and/or reports of convictions by the courts. There are hundreds of thousands of Brits living or working overseas for periods of anywhere between a few weeks to a few years and I am sure not all of them keep a permanent address in the UK.

EDIT: Thanks phaethon for the definitive answer (posted at the same time I did).

Edited November 14, 2011 by Rumpole

[briley]

Just a few comments,

If you present a Thai licence when speeding etc you can not get a fixed penalty nor points, instead you go to court and pay a bit more. But often the police can't be bothered with the hassle of prosecuting 'foreign' drivers.

The old, one part licence is valid, but if you change anything, address, entitlement etc you have to get a 2 part licence and renew the photo bit every 10 years.

If not resident you can use any address in the UK through which you can be contacted, c/o addresses are OK.

Never had a problem hiring a car on a Thai licence, even when only in Thai! And no check was made with DVLA.

[chiang mai]

If you return to the UK for say a holiday and you have a UK license, you must use it even if you have a Thai license also, regardless of whether you are resident or not, to do otherwise is illegal - I confirmed this point with Dorset Police in July this year when I got a ticket

You can rent a car at say Heathrow using your Thai license, as long as you also have a return ticket - I've done this a couple of times and DVLA is not contacted first - I've confirmed this point with National and Hertz rentacar at Heathrow although I've never actually done it.

If you get a ticket in the UK whilst driving using your Thai license you will be processed differently from if you are using a UK license, you may well be asked to pay the fine on the spot, so I've read.

[sinbin]

Interesting read. Thanks to all posters responding to my problem.

[rak sa_ngop]

One problem I can forsee that I don't think has been covered above is that a hire company (from what I remember) will probably ask you to confirm that the address on your UK license is your current/ contactable address.

I assume that if you reply yes and you are no longer at this address you may invalidate the insurance etc.

If you reply no you will probably not get the car.

[chiang mai]

One problem I can forsee that I don't think has been covered above is that a hire company (from what I remember) will probably ask you to confirm that the address on your UK license is your current/ contactable address.

I assume that if you reply yes and you are no longer at this address you may invalidate the insurance etc.

If you reply no you will probably not get the car.

Yes indeed that is a potential problem since most UK hire companies now run automated checks to ensure the home address is valid and that the name on the license is the same as the householders name.

The answer is to find out in advance what the requirements are of individual car rental companies since they all tend to vary a little bit. Most will tell you that as long as you have a UK debit/credit card, a valid UK license and proof of your home address (where ever that may be) then all is fine - such proof will need to include things like a utility bill or bank statement (all in English) PLUS your return airline ticket.

I rent a car in the UK a couple of times each year but I use a rental company that knows me and my rental is always classed as a business rental so they don't bother to check my home address, even though they know I live in Thailand. But I have had an email discussion with Thrifty rent a a car in London and even though it took some getting there (it seems that nobody had asked them the question before) they assured me that as long as I had adequate ID and a valid license they would rent to me.

So, the short answer is, take lots and lots of ID with you.

[beano2274]

If you wanted to hire a car from a car hire company.In the UK, and the person was on a Visit Visa They would automatically ring the DVLA, and enquier if a Thai license is valid, and if it is which i don't know for certain, but they may only let the person drive for set amount of time, this is standard practice for Hire company's to ring the DVLA if the persons license is out of the EEC.

My wife had the old Thai paper one with no English on it, it was still accepted, but she was the alternative Driver. She paid with her Credit card.

[beano2274]

Just thinking if you returned to the UK to apply for a new DL, but really were traveling back to Thailand, then your details for that address are on the Main computer, so now whoever actually lives at that place will get a bill for poll tax under your name, if they then refuse to pay stating you do not live there, then is the DL automatically cancelled by the DVLA??????

[chiang mai]

Just thinking if you returned to the UK to apply for a new DL, but really were traveling back to Thailand, then your details for that address are on the Main computer, so now whoever actually lives at that place will get a bill for poll tax under your name, if they then refuse to pay stating you do not live there, then is the DL automatically cancelled by the DVLA??????

Community Charge taxes are recorded on individual local authority computers whereas drivers license info is held centrally, and never the two shall meet!

But I just realized that we've not answered the OP's question!

OP, because you live overseas the last address that you have on your license remains acceptable. My UK license shows an address I left ten years ago and in July this year I got a ticket whilst driving on that license. The police were quite happy with my explanation and I subsequently sent off my license and the paper copy for processing - it came back without comment but plus three points.

Edited November 15, 2011 by chiang mai

[phaethon]

Two years ago I returned to the UK and wanted to hire a car from Thrifty at Heathrow, booking online the email confirmation said I would need to bring:

"2 additional forms of ID to confirm home address (eg. utilities bill, bank statement, must have been issued to driver within 8 weeks of date of hire)"

I wrote to them:

I shall be returning from an extended trip abroad and will not have any recent bills with me. All my bank and Credit card accounts are now paper-free, I

could print out any number of statements. Please advise if self-printed online statements would be acceptable or of any alternative solution.

To which they replied:

In this case we will be able to accept a passport and flight information,along with your credit card.

Regards

Heathrow Reservations

Scot Group Ltd t/a Thrifty Car Rental

Direct Dial +44 (0) 208 897 6261

Visit us at www.thrifty.co.uk

And they did.

YMMV.

Edited November 15, 2011 by phaethon

[beano2274]

Just thinking if you returned to the UK to apply for a new DL, but really were traveling back to Thailand, then your details for that address are on the Main computer, so now whoever actually lives at that place will get a bill for poll tax under your name, if they then refuse to pay stating you do not live there, then is the DL automatically cancelled by the DVLA??????

Community Charge taxes are recorded on individual local authority computers whereas drivers license info is held centrally, and never the two shall meet!

So how do the local authorities prove if someone lives there or not? Is it held on the Local election database or what? I would think that all the Government offices are linked, and interaction between local and national authorities would exist!!

I had to give mine up when I applied for a German DL, which I still have, I have not lived in Germany for over 7 years now, and no address appears on it.

Edited November 15, 2011 by beano2274

[chiang mai]

Just thinking if you returned to the UK to apply for a new DL, but really were traveling back to Thailand, then your details for that address are on the Main computer, so now whoever actually lives at that place will get a bill for poll tax under your name, if they then refuse to pay stating you do not live there, then is the DL automatically cancelled by the DVLA??????

Community Charge taxes are recorded on individual local authority computers whereas drivers license info is held centrally, and never the two shall meet!

So how do the local authorities prove if someone lives there or not? Is it held on the Local election database or what? I would think that all the Government offices are linked, and interaction between local and national authorities would exist!!

I had to give mine up when I applied for a German DL, which I still have, I have not lived in Germany for over 7 years now, and no address appears on it.

I'm guessing that you had to surrender your UK license when you got your German one since it would be illegal to hold two EU licenses?

As for linking of computers: yes, the electoral roll determines Community Charge eligibility, almost certainly there is some linking between systems nationally but I seriously doubt that DVLA links to all local authority computer systems, dunno.

[MartinL]

As mentioned in Post 3, " .... The address on the licence must be a GB home address at which you can be contacted .... " so, to comply with that requirement. the address on my UK licence is my mum's address - it's a home address through which I can be contacted but not MY home address. Can't see that I'm doing anything illegal that way. So long as you can be contacted through the address, aren't you fulfilling the DVLA's conditions? A friend's address might do just as well. There's no mention of you having to be physically available at that address.

Just a reminder to be aware of the licence expiry date at 4b on the front of the photocard licence - it isn't valid until you're 70 but only until this date; mine is up for renewal next year when I'll be 58.

Also, if you hold both UK & Thai (or any other nationality) driving licences, you MUST use your UK licence to drive there.

Edited November 15, 2011 by MartinL

[scorecard]

Do you have a Thai driving license?

Then you can drive for up to 1 year on a Thai license

i have both a Thai and UK license, in this case of a Thai license, could i use that in case, say i got a speeding ticket?

why would you pay your fine with Baht if on a Thai license, is it cheaper

Could the UK police read the details on a Thai drivers license? Would they actually be convinced it is a drivers license?

[steve187]

UK photocard driving licences are valid for 10 years, they have been in use for around 10 years now, so a lot will be expiring soon, dvla will write to the address on the licence informing you of the expiry. Regarding old paper licence valid until 70 years old,pink or green, they are still valid, and will only be changed, on change of address etc. to the new photo licence.

If you obtain a speeding fine whilst using Thai licence, a court appearence will be required, and points will be placed on your driving record at Swansea, if you have no driving record a record will be created.

A Thai licence is valid in the Uk, for one year. but if you hold a Thai and UK licence you should use the UK licence.

[welsh1]

Do you have a Thai driving license?

Then you can drive for up to 1 year on a Thai license

i have both a Thai and UK license, in this case of a Thai license, could i use that in case, say i got a speeding ticket?

why would you pay your fine with Baht if on a Thai license, is it cheaper

Think the OP has been caught speeding and is asking to weather he can put is points on his thai drving licence

Edited November 15, 2011 by welsh1

[chickenslegs]

Do you have a Thai driving license?

Then you can drive for up to 1 year on a Thai license

i have both a Thai and UK license, in this case of a Thai license, could i use that in case, say i got a speeding ticket?

why would you pay your fine with Baht if on a Thai license, is it cheaper

Think the OP has been caught speeding and is asking to weather he can put is points on his thai drving licence

If you use your Thai licence in the UK you must follow Thai procedures - pay the fine in cash, directly to the officer and give him a wai - no points involved.

[Thongkorn]

In reply to" How do they know where you live", where your driving license says, have you heard of a PNC check. Police Name check .The police can get one in seconds in the UK. also My wife works, her place of work got raided by the boarder Agency , They knew in less than a minute that she had all the correct visa papers and Her correct Address of abode.All by giving her name and Address. Big Brother is alive and well in the UK . just like George Orwell predicted.

Edited November 15, 2011 by Thongkorn