Not renewed your licence? You could be hit with a £1000 fine!

It’s really easy to forget small details on paperwork, especially if you’re in a rush. It’s one of the reasons why we make it simple and hassle free to rent a vehicle with us here at Intack Self Drive, so you can get on the road as soon as possible. The DVLA has recently shed light on a mistake that could be costing a lot of UK drivers a pretty penny…

Here at Intack Self Drive, we like to keep our customers well informed of all the latest driving news, so whether you’re driving your own vehicle, or one you’ve rented through our car hire, van hire or minibus hire services, you won’t get caught off-guard by a potential fine! So, here’s what you need to know

The latest from the DVLA

Nearly 1 million UK drivers could receive a £1,000 fine for not renewing their expired photocard licences. Could you be one of them?

According to the DVLA, the driving licences of over 926,000 British citizens were out of date after the 3rd of September 2022. It’s reported that a small amount of these are cases of people who are no longer driving, but this overall figure still accounts for over 2% of Britain’s driving population. In fairness, it’s only something you need to do once every couple of years, so it’s often easy to forget (or miss a letter). Driving licence photocards need to be renewed every ten years until the age of 70, where you need to renew them every three years to legally be allowed to drive on UK roads. Forgetting can have significant consequences though – if you don’t renew your licence in time, you could be lumped with a hefty £1000 fine.

How can I renew my photocard licence?

Normally, the DVLA will contact you 56 days before your licence is due to expire. From there, you can head over to the DVLA website to get a new photocard. A new card will cost you about £14 and will take about five working days to process. It couldn’t be easier, and you can apply for your new licence a full two months before it’s due to expire. Even when you’ve done the job, it’s worth following up or double-checking to make sure it’s sorted, especially if you don’t hear any official confirmation for a while. Motorists who continue driving with an expired licence run the risk of being hit with a further £5000 fine and prosecution by the police.

Will I be able to rent a vehicle with an expired licence?

In short, no. Before you hire a car, van or minibus from us you’ll need to make sure you have a valid photocard licence. If you have the old paper licence, then you’ll also need a valid photo ID (i.e. a passport or other photo ID) and a valid credit or debit card. You’ll also need at least one proof of address, dated within the last three months. So, now that you're all caught up with the latest news regarding photocard licences, you're ready to take advantage of our fantastic car hire, van hire, or minibus hire deals.

All of our rental vehicles here at Intack Self Drive come with the option to rent through daily hire, or our outstanding Flexi hire service, so wherever your intended destination, we'll have a vehicle that suits your requirements. We've got almost half a century of car and minibus hire experience under our belt here at Intack Self Drive, and we're always here to help. Ready to get started? You can browse the best hire deals, right here on our site, or give us a call on 01254 57811!