Photo driving licences came out about 14 years ago. By law, you MUST renew the photo every 10 years. Apparently, they don't send out reminders. (

) Failing to update your photograph carries a £1,000 fine, but according to Sainsbury's insurance over 40% of drivers don't have a clue.

Anyone put their hands up?

Did mine last year.

Received a reminder and completed the process with zero hassle.

I fell foul of this last year, only when I went to try and hire a car was it brought to my attention. It seems a bit hit and miss as to wether people get reminders.

I had mine registered to my old address for 6 years, so I've got until 2016 to use this one

There is a clue on the photo licence

Right next to your mugshot there are valid from and to dates.

Aye, daft lad, and how often do you look at that, then? My licence lives in a tin box in the spare room though and never sees the light of day. If I had seen that when I got it (and probably I will have done) then I will have assumed I would have got a reminder in a decade. and still put it in the tin box. I would assume that somewhere between 0% - 2% of the population would put a reminder in their perennial diary system just in case.

Seems to me a recipe for millions not renewing it and that seems to be borne out by Sainsbury's figures. But if you are more anal in such matters than everyone else then good for you

So if you've had a licence more than 14 years you must only be required to have a photo licence when obliged to change it for some reason. As far as I'm aware paper licences are still legal.

Indeed, very few do (including me, I got lucky with a reminder last year).
But the fact that the licence bears an expiry date makes it one's own responsibility, so we can't claim it's not our fault for not renewing.

Yes we can, as it is obviously not reasonable to expect millions of people all to diary forward something 10 years in the future, the majority of whom will never use or ever have used any sort of reminder or diary system.

The driving licence is the "real" licence. The "photo ID" licence is an additional requirement, but does not replace, and cannot be used "instead of" the paper licence.

Just checked and I've got a year left on mine. I'm sure I'd have missed the renewal date and I've only got as long as I have because I changed it last time I moved house. You would think that reminders would be sent out though.

Did mine Dec 29th at the Post Office in their little booth specifically for the purpose - and they did send a warning letter about 1 month before it expired.

I know it would be my problem, but was the fact that photo licences have an expiry date ever publicised? I don't remember seeing it, and my licence as a licence runs to 2036 anyway

Not hard to forget really is it? Though I carry mine with me.

Thats how I understood it. My mum still has the original paper license that she had when she moved into her house in 1976 and she's never had reason to change it. Thats the one she produces for ID and has never had a problem.

Me too ... just to prove I'm over 18 when I'm in the pub.

I have a paper one and I have never had a plastic one with a photo which might scare the horses under my bonnet.
I'll get one when someone writes to me or I commit a misdemeanor and have to have it endorsed and only then if they tell me to.

Who cares?
What's a grand to a rich lad like me?
I'd plead senility and get off with a slapped wrist anyway.








I clearly didn't realise I needed a plastic one as well, I just thought they would wait and let us old 'uns die off and the problem would sort itself.

It is, mine needs to be renewed every 3 years as I'm a T1 Diabetic.
Mine needs to be done in November.

I still have my green paper one only. Never had a photo one. Left when they must have been brought out. When I go back, I hire a car with my aussie licence.

I would have thought that's easier for you as it's different to standard and you're more than likely well aware? Even if you can't always remember the exact date or year, you'd have a rough idea, so simply check it every so often (that applies to anyone really).

That's my 2p worth on it anyway.

I have my pink licence (I think it was the first year they changed from the green). From a personal point of view I'm glad to hear its still valid, but having a licence which expires every now and then is a good thing IMO - especially if it enforces even a casual eyesight test.

What do you need for ID generally now in the UK? In Australia having a photo ID licence is actually a positive IMO, as its by far the most accepted form of identification (e.g. for opening a bank account etc). IIRC in England if photo ID was needed I'd have to dig out my passport. I've really never understood the hysteria in England about photo IDs.

That and my company checks our licences every six months and we get reminders for stuff like this.

Me neither.

My photo needs replacing in June. Considering it took them nearly 5 months to change my address on it, i best get moving.

No, I've never understood it either. But then from working in shop, I never understood people who were really offended when you IDed them either.

I use my photo driving license as ID to pick mail up from the post office and buy foreign currency where some form of ID is required. Those are the two I can think of off the top of my head that occur fairly frequently where ID is required but it does nit need to be a passport. I am sure there are other day to day things we do where ID is asked for and the driving license works fine for those as well.