DVLA warning as millions of driving licences could become invalid

Millions of drivers of a certain age could see their licences become invalid if they fail to renew them every three years. And there could also be other penalties if you fail to renew when needed.

Once a licenceholder turns 70, they need to renew more regularly. According to recent estimates, there are almost six million drivers in the UK aged 70 or aove.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) recently issued a reminder on X, formerly Twitter, advising: "If you're 70 or over, you need to renew your driving licence every 3 years. Do it online - you'll get your new licence within a week!

"Get started by going to gov.uk/renewat70". Continuing to drive without renewing one's licence is a serious offence.

If you're caught without a current, valid licence, you could be fined up to £1,000, not to mention you'll have voided your insurance, and could see your vehicle seized.

To renew your licence at 70, you can fill out a D46P form sent by the DVLA 90 days before your birthday, or collect one from a local post office.

You can apply to renew your licence online by logging onto the DVLA website here. If you're a new user you'll need to register, and to do so you will need an email address, the addresses of anywhere you have lived over the last three years, and your National Insurance number.

You'll also need a valid UK passport number if you want to change the photo on your licence.

You can still drive while your licence is being renewed as long as you only do so under the conditions of the previous licence, and you have the support of your doctor to continue driving. This is also only the case if your application is under a year old, if you are not currently disqualified from driving, have not been disqualified as a high risk offender on or after June 1, 2013, and your last licence wasn't revoked or refused for medical reasons.