My wife’s driving licence is due for renewal in June 2021. The last time it was up for renewal the DVLA notified her.
A few questions:
I received a letter a couple of months before my licence expired (in Dec 2020). At that point the Covid situation meant that there was an automatic 11 month extension but I think this no longer applies. I applied online at the beginning of December and received a letter acknowledging my application in which they said that they were expecting a delay due to Covid but that I could continue to drive under Section 88 of the Road Traffic Act whilst my application was being processd as long as I met the criteria (which is basically that you consultant is still happy that you are fit to drive).
Hope this helps
Clare
Hi Davech as Singing-Gardener said there could possibly some delay due to Covid. Your wife’s licence is not due till June 2021 so DVLA still has time to contact her, but if they have not contacted her by May, you could contact them and inform them of the situation as to why your are contacting them. But usually they do get in touch before your wife’s licence is due for renewal. My driving licence is on the same three year licence, so things should be sorted. Hope this helps
Sheila
My licence is due for renewal in April and I received the forms from the DVLA about 2 weeks ago .So if you base your wife’s on this, then DVLA should be in contact in April.
My licence expires in June as well and was expecting to hear from DVLA in April. I will be 70 next year so I will need to re-new my licence next year as well. I am not sure whether they might put both processes together. I do not know what the 70 renewal involves so might need to investigate!
Marigold
My husband lost his licence due to parkinsons but they still sent him a reminder before it would have been due for renewal personally would not rely on the DVLA, it took about 4 months for them to decide he couldn’t drive anymore but you are allowed to continue driving until they tell you that you can not.
Hi Everyone
If you have previously notified the DVLA that you have PD then they will notify you ,also they will send you a form to fill in about your health,you should get the form .in plenty of time for them to contact your consultant
On a personal note it did take a little longer last year, as they are working from home due to covid. And in my case I had fallen down stairs had a bleed on the brain and had been made to stop driving, this meant they had to contact 2 quite separate consultants. My license was due in July and I finally got the go ahead in September. I think that taking everything in to account wasn’t bad.
George
My licence is due for renewal in April and I got sent the notice in February and chose to apply on line. They do say in the literature that you are covered to drive while the application goes through. In the past, when my neurologist has been slow to sign off, I have had a notification from the DVLA to that effect so I phoned his secretary and asked her to jog his memory.
I was due to renew in June last year but had to go for a driving test in December and I only got a renewed for three years.The test involved driving in town and checked on my reflexes and decision making it was all delayed due to covid.
More questions I’m afraid
I’m dealing with DVLA again on behalf of my wife. They really are a most difficult and unhelpful organisation that is if you can ever get them to answer the phone
My wife has received her form to renew her short term medical driving notice and we have some questions
2 Elsewhere I’ve read but cannot find that DVLA will remind you when the photo has expired? is this correct.
if she submits a hard copy renewal application the paperwork says no photo is required. is this correct?
When making an hard copy application does she need to surrender her driving licence to DVLA
Thanks in anticipation for your help
Not bad at all I have now been waiting 12 months after being told they would contact me I have filled questionnaire as has my gp
That is not on, I know they are working from home and that slows everything down but that is to much.
Have you contacted your consultants Secretary, to check the query has been,sent back if so the only course left is to have a go at the DVLA .
best of luck
George
After14 months and filling in I don’t know how many questionnaires I have been sent to a DVLA approved doctor for a full medical Doc.said about 6 weeks for a decision,you could not make it up,!!! Keith 1
I went on-line and used the gov.uk site. As someone with PD I am apparently allowed to renew a short term medical licence on-line. I ended up using the new Verify System which will eventually hold information used by several government system - passport, driving licence, tax office. I had to do a selfie so assume this will be used on the licence. Taking a selfie that looks OK was a challenge. I was able to fill in all the forms on line and send it off and got a confirmation of receipt. So I am in the system.
I got the usual information through the post several days later which I was able to ignore as I’d already submitted on-line. I think I will advise my GP and Consultant that they might be asked to do a report. I just hope all goes OK.
Marigold
This is another query about the sticky issue of driving licences so apologies for any repetition.
My driving licence is up for review in January 2022 and I am unsure how this is going to work in terms of medical evidence when nobody has actually seen me either face-to-face or by means of a much dreaded video call for over 2 years.
I have managed to cling onto some services so have had a phone consultation with a neurologist though I am new on his caseload and he has never met me. I can’t go to see my own GP because it is impossible to get an appointment of any sort with my GP practice and the specialist nursing service is under extreme pressure and I dare not contact them with anything other than an emergency situation or urgent need for a medication review.
Will my my neurologist be able to give medical evidence about my fitness to drive based on a phone consultation only? If I’m going to need to try and see somebody face to face before December then I am going to need to start working on this right now.
I know that sooner or later I will need to give up my licence but I don’t feel that I’m at that point yet and I wish to be able to drive for as long as I can but I am aware that I am as capable as the next person of over-estimating my capabilities and being able to talk to somebody who knows me and has met me in person has previously provided a safety net. I don’t know how this works now 
.
DVLA are experiencing a massive backlog in processing licence renewals due to Covid and industrial action. they should write to you before your licence is due for renewal but if the situation remains the same you will be allowed to drive pending them making a decision on your ability to drive (they will refer to your doctor or neurologist) under the auspices of the 1988 Road Traffic Act so long as you can prove that your doctor or neurologist feels you are able to do so. my wife’s licence should have been renewed in June but she is continuing to drive under these arrangements. Hope this helps. if you want more information just ask
Thank you so much for replying to my query. It’s reassuring to know that there is a mechanism for allowing people to continue to drive while waiting for a licence review but I can’t find any information about how this works so could I just ask if there is a process that I need to go through in order to continue to drive while my licence application is caught in the backlog (which I have to assume it will be).
I haven’t seen a medical professional face-to-face or via video for the best part of 2 years and I don’t think there are any plans to contact me by any means other tha phone for the foreseeable (or longer term) future - I’m just grateful for any contact at all right now!
Apart from the fact that I would prefer not to use public transport at the moment, I am also trying to support my elderly parents which necessitates having a car. I hope I will know when it is time to give up driving but it’s definitely not time yet.
Thanks again for getting back to me.
Jx
Just watching the One Show and they are advising that DVLA have a backlog of 1.4m renewal applications!!!
Under normal circumstances they would write to you 6 weeks before the expiry of your current licence asking you to renew and complete a questionnaire after which they will liaise with your GP or neurologist if you have one and will to them so as to establish whether they believe you are fit to drive.
i would strongly advise you arrange a face to face or video call with your GP or neurologist to ensure they are comfortable with you to drive as their opinion will hold great sway with the DVLA.
I will try and find the info regarding being able to continue to drive pending DVLA’s final decision
ill get back to you
Right try going to the DVLA web site
if when you are due to renew they still have a backlog DVLA will write to you with the details that can be found in the hyperlink
Hope this helps. Would suggest phoning DVLA but i don’t think you would get though
Hi I can see exactly where you are coming from as I was in the same boat a little while ago, I was a new patient with my neurologist only ever having had a video consultation before but I needn’t have worried he set up an appointment with an occupational therapist she came to see me at home bringing a large book of instructions and various bits and pieces, I can’t for the life of me remember what it is called but there is a specific test to judge your competence to drive I passed with flying colours that is not a boast as the average 7 year old could have done just as well. So when the DVLA contact your chappy this is one path he could take I shouldn’t worry to much, you know we each think our situation is unique but the professionals have no doubt seen it all before chin up George
