All drivers born before 1954 are being told they need to take action – or potentially be arrested. Everyone over the age of 70 has to renew their licence every three years.
In a new warning today the DVLA took to X, formerly Twitter, to say: ”After you turn 70, you need to renew your licence every 3 years. It’s easy, quick and secure to do it online.”
If people do not renew their licence but carry on driving, they would not have a valid driving licence and so your motor insurance would not be valid. They would be committing a serious offence which carries stringent penalties, which could include a heavy fine and having your car seized by the police.
People do need to declare any new medical conditions – and also make a promise on their eyesight. The RAC says it’s important to be honest about the state of your health when you apply to renew your licence. It’s an offence not to declare a condition or disability that might affect your fitness to drive and you could be fined up to £1,000.
Conditions you must disclose include:
Dementia
Diabetes requiring insulin treatment
Parkinson’s disease
Epilepsy
Sleep apnoea
Any physical disabilities or visual impairments
On the issue of eyesight the RAC says: “When you fill in the form to renew your licence, you’ll be asked to declare that you meet the minimum eyesight standard for driving. It’s illegal to drive if you can’t read a standard number plate from a distance of 20 metres, either with or without glasses. You also need to have an adequate field of vision and visual acuity must be at least decimal 0.5 on the Snellen scale (this is the opticians’ test where you read rows of letters from big to small).
“To make sure you meet the eyesight standard for driving, it’s recommended you have an eye test at least every two years. Any condition that affects your eyes, apart from long and short sightedness and colour blindness, should be reported to the DVLA.”
For more advice on renewing your licence, the RAC advice can be seen here. The DVLA offers an online renewal service for speed which can be found here. Your new licence should arrive within a week if you apply online. Postal applications may take up to three weeks to process.
