UK Driving Licence Renewal

[steve73]

Hi, Not sure where the best place is to post this, but thought I'd try here...(mods - feel free to move it if appropriate)

I've been living in outside the UK (mainly Thailand) for over 7 years, and in this time my UK photocard licence has expired (actually in 2011, but only just noticed ), and I'm going back in a week or so and want to hire a car for a few days..(I should be OK to use my Thailand DL to hire a care if all else fails.)

Also, the address is incorrect - it still shows whare I was living before I left, (but have been unable to update that as I've been permanantly out of the UK, and I no longer have ANY UK address.).

It seems that you are unable to renew the photocard UNLESS you have a permanant UK address...

A recent change in the law indicates that you can be fined upto 1000 GBP for failing to renew your photocard - but how can you update it without having a valid address.

I may be able to use my brothers address (since this is where I'll be staying for my 2 week vacation), but it's not permanant (and strictly speaking is not allowed).

So does anyone here have any experience of how to renew it?

Thanks...

[stevenl]

Do a search here, this question has come up fairly frequent.

Yes, you need a UK address, and yes, your brother's address would be fine, and yes, that would strictly speaking be against the law.

And finally, yes, you can use your Thai license since you don't have a UK license anymore and your UK one has simply expired and not been made invalid by the government. For use of the Thai DL in UK, I think it has to be a permanent (so 5-year) license, but also about that have been some discussions recently.

Edited April 26, 2014 by stevenl

[steve73]

Thanks for the speedy reply.. I'll search for other discussions tomorrow.

[JoePai]

Renewed mine over the internet - also my brothers address - without problem.

[steve73]

Thanks - I'll try doing it on-line using my brother's address, since I only renewed my passport a few months ago (whilst in Thailand, as it had been stolen) but haven't been back to the UK since.... I hope this dosen't ring any red flags since they sent my new PP to my address here?

I still find it strange that you cannot update either your address or photocard UNLESS you have a UK address, and yet you can be fined if you don't update your PhotoCard... Seems a bit draconian - oh, I forgot, it's the UK, and that's why I left...

Better to try to do it on-line as it dosen't involve sending the counterfoil in, (and if they did refuse to accept my proposed UK address, then they'd probably keep the whole thing)...!

Edited April 27, 2014 by steve73