Hi i have sent my medical /licence off to be renewed but it expires tommorow 11/01/2012( i know last minute doh)
my question can i still drive or do i need to wait for licence to come back .
Cant get through to dvla been trying allday.
Anybody had this problem.
hook:
i have sent my medical /licence off
When did you send it 
You don’t have to wait for it to come back but you will have to wait until the renewal is on the system at the DVLA. If you drive between the expiry and the renewal being done you will be driving without a licence. Once they tell you it has been renewed you can drive again even though you haven’t received it yet.
From memory of living in the UK… You can’t drive untill your new licence comes back. One of my fellow drivers on my last UK job sent his in a bit late and was put on yard duties untill it came back. You must by law carry your licence with you at all times, if stopped by police or in an accident it is the same as driving without a licence.
Coffeeholic:
You don’t have to wait for it to come back but you will have to wait until the renewal is on the system at the DVLA. If you drive between the expiry and the renewal being done you will be driving without a licence.
Ok ! … so in this IT world the rules have changed a bit, so as long as looking on line can show its valid you are ok.
You may have to had to carry it with you in old days when you had a seperate book(before my time I hasten to add 
),but I’ve never shown my licence when I’ve had a tug.
i know someone who forgot to send their licence back for renewal, they phoned the DVLA and was told that as long as they had sent it to the DVLA, they were ok to carry on driving
Coffeeholic:
You don’t have to wait for it to come back but you will have to wait until the renewal is on the system at the DVLA. If you drive between the expiry and the renewal being done you will be driving without a licence. Once they tell you it has been renewed you can drive again even though you haven’t received it yet.
I let mine expire last time it was due and about a month later I decided to renew it. Sent everything off, waited a day or two and started phoning each day. On the third phone call they told me it had been processed and I could drive trucks again. The licence came a day or two later.
My UK driving licence is valid till 2024 but my HGV 1 has exprired. When I called DVLA in Swansea they told me I can only renew the HGV bit untill I move back to the UK, ot that I need it here.
ShropsBri:
You may have to had to carry it with you in old days when you had a seperate book(before my time I hasten to add
i would imagine that would be quite difficult if you have got one hand leaning against the toilet door 
So its not just me
they said when i get the letter confirming entitlement i can drive
spoke to them first thingthis morning
Pat Hasler:
Coffeeholic:
You don’t have to wait for it to come back but you will have to wait until the renewal is on the system at the DVLA. If you drive between the expiry and the renewal being done you will be driving without a licence.Ok ! … so in this IT world the rules have changed a bit, so as long as looking on line can show its valid you are ok.
Nothing has changed. If you drive before it has been renewed, get stopped and the police do a check it will come back as you not having a truck licence. Same situation but the renewal has been processed by the DVLA then the police check will show you having the correct licence. That was the same years ago as it is now. You are supposed to carry your licence but there are no immediate penalties for not doing so, just a producer. Again something that hasn’t changed for years.
shuttlespanker:
ShropsBri:
You may have to had to carry it with you in old days when you had a seperate book(before my time I hasten to addi would imagine that would be quite difficult if you have got one hand leaning against the toilet door
nothing to say.
hitch:
So its not just me
they said when i get the letter confirming entitlement i can drive
spoke to them first thingthis morning
As long as the renewal is in the system you can drive before receiving the letter. Although you might need the letter to show agencies and companies.
No real rush as theres no work
as long as i get it before Argos cat launch at the end of the month
hitch:
No real rush as theres no work
as long as i get it before Argos cat launch at the end of the month
WOW…and the RSPCA have allowed this?
ShropsBri:
hitch:
No real rush as theres no work
as long as i get it before Argos cat launch at the end of the month
This is turning into a very cat unfriendly board. we even have cat murderers as members. 
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=79387
Coffeeholic:
ShropsBri:
hitch:
No real rush as theres no work
as long as i get it before Argos cat launch at the end of the month
This is turning into a very cat unfriendly board. we even have cat murderers as members.
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=79387
UNCONFIRMED death as of last time i looked. he may have put his foot in his boss’s wife’s ■■■■■ but we don’t know if is dead and stinky yet.
Pat Hasler:
From memory of living in the UK… You can’t drive untill your new licence comes back. One of my fellow drivers on my last UK job sent his in a bit late and was put on yard duties untill it came back. You must by law carry your licence with you at all times, if stopped by police or in an accident it is the same as driving without a licence.
You don’t have to carry your licence with you, thats why they have producers.
My understanding was always that so long as you sent it off at a time such that it would arrive at the DVLA before its expiry, then you can continue to drive unless you have reason to believe they won’t renew it, or unless they tell you not to drive while they decide whether or not to renew (eg for a complicated medical issue). Did you post it first class?
You shouldn’t have to try and guess how long they will take to process it. Your only responsibility is to ensure that you do your part of the renewal process in the required timeframe (before its expiry). On the D2 form it even says something to the effect of “you can continue driving unless…” I won’t accept any different unless someone can find me a source.
Coffeeholic’s situation is different because he actually let his expire before renewing.