Afternoon. Was just wondering if its not only me, but last 2 times i have had to send licence away to renew after medical they have mucked up! No big drama, you explain where they have gone wrong and its corrected, but even still a 3 week wait turns into 2 months, maybe longer without your licence!!
Anyone else?
Ive never had my licence back under 2 months, so far this year they have had my licence since 27th Nov. Now i deal with Coleraine in N.I, and really is no point ringing them. I will say no more on that!
gov.uk/government/uploads/s … 221014.pdf
There is a provision in law under Section 88 of The Road Traf c Act (RTA) 1988 that may allow you to drive while DVLA processes your application.
In practice, this means that when you send your application to DVLA to be renewed and your licence expires (runs out) while we are processing your application, you may be able to continue driving.
To take advantage of this law, you must meet the following criteria:
n You must be con dent that your application will not be refused due to any medical condition you declared. If you are unsure, please seek advice from your doctor. You
can also look up your condition in the ‘At a Glance’ guide, which can be found at www.gov.uk/government/publications/at-a-glance
to see whether you meet the medical standards for driving. As this guide is intended for health care professionals, you may wish to discuss with your doctor
n You must have held a valid driving licence* and only drive vehicles you are quali ed to drive
n You must meet any conditions speci ed on your previous licence, for example, if your licence says you must wear glasses to drive, then you must continue to wear them
n You sent your fully completed application to DVLA within the last 12 months
n Your last licence must not have been revoked or refused for medical reasons
n You must not be currently disquali ed by a court
n You must not have been disquali ed as a high risk offender on or after 1 June 2013. A high risk offender is a driver convicted of a serious drink drive offence.
*this licence can be: a full GB licence, a GB provisional licence, a community licence, a Northern Ireland licence, a British external/British Forces licence or an exchangeable licence.
DVLA cannot tell you if this section in the law applies to you. This is because we cannot con rm whether or not your medical condition meets the criteria in the rst bullet point on page 2, until we complete our investigations. You, or your doctor, are in the best position to make this decision. If you contact us while you wait for your licence, all the adviser can do is explain the Section 88 criteria.
Section 88 of The RTA 1988 is valid until any of the following apply:
n You receive your new driving licence, as this now covers you to drive
n You receive a letter from DVLA explaining that your application has been refused or that your licence has been revoked
n Your application is more than a year old
n You have been disquali ed from driving since
your application has been sent to DVLA
I know this is a little off thread but I have just done an address change and the new one turned up in 48 hrs 
Used the government gateway facility - all done online, all ya gotta do is cut yer old one in half and post it back to them.
But medical stuff?
Can be like emptying a bath with a fork, as they say.
Socketset:
I know this is a little off thread but I have just done an address change and the new one turned up in 48 hrsUsed the government gateway facility - all done online, all ya gotta do is cut yer old one in half and post it back to them.
But medical stuff?
Can be like emptying a bath with a fork, as they say.
Lucky you!!!
What about when you do your 5 yearly medical then? That aint 2 days!! Ha ha. On a serious note, 2 days is great. I did no you could do it online. Spot on.
In answer to the OP’s post, five months…and I have to renew mine every year due to medical reasons ! soon be time to start booking a medical and collecting forms to fill 
I have to renew my license every year due to medical reasons and generally it takes four months. They don’t seem to understand without a physical license in your hand it’s viewed as expired by most potential employers. Why they don’t issue an 18 month license and renew it after 12 months is beyond my logic.
Mine takes between six weeks, this time, and either weeks last time, after 5 year medical mine has to go to the medical section.
Makes sense to go online and order the medical and renewal forms about three months before you’re due, get the ball rolling early then.
If you’re struggling for work and finding (particularly some agency customers) some reluctance from employers, they will send out a letter you can show to transport depts authorising you to drive until the decision is made, always found the vocational section staff at Swansea to be helpful and understanding of our predicament, being polite on the phone to them helps just as with any conversation.
Who cares how long it takes,last year it took 11 weeks and I thought when it did arrive it would be about time to start again but NO,
the licence started just a few days before it was sent so I am not renewing annually but about every 15months.Just photocopy your card
both sides and your paper bit if you still have it and get on with it,hell1 even the French accept the photocopy without any hassle.
What about not returning your old licence and just ticking the box to say it’s lost?
Armagedon:
Who cares how long it takes,last year it took 11 weeks and I thought when it did arrive it would be about time to start again but NO,
the licence started just a few days before it was sent so I am not renewing annually but about every 15months.Just photocopy your card
both sides and your paper bit if you still have it and get on with it,hell1 even the French accept the photocopy without any hassle.
Nice answer, cheers. Thanks for caring to reply. Bet your the life and soul of the party!
So the french wont mind if i show them a photo copy that shiws my licence has run out?? Cool.
axletramp:
What about not returning your old licence and just ticking the box to say it’s lost?
I likey!!
Juddian:
Mine takes between six weeks, this time, and either weeks last time, after 5 year medical mine has to go to the medical section.Makes sense to go online and order the medical and renewal forms about three months before you’re due, get the ball rolling early then.
If you’re struggling for work and finding (particularly some agency customers) some reluctance from employers, they will send out a letter you can show to transport depts authorising you to drive until the decision is made, always found the vocational section staff at Swansea to be helpful and understanding of our predicament, being polite on the phone to them helps just as with any conversation.
Awesome, nail on head re employers or potential employers. Had an interview once, had to physically take in licence on day. 2 infront if me got sent home without interview, in and out, as they stated no points on licence. As soon as he waljed in they ask for licence, he produced and there was points, low and behold no interview. Was thinking to myself, and fir the naysayers, just in my head, what if i wanted to change jobs now, no physical licence, what chances have i got? Walk in to interview, hi guys now!! I no i have licence, they dont, i explain, they have to check, yes we all no its there once checked, but are they going to bother? All hypothetical of course.
Great replies cheers lads.
Rutty,those are the concerns I had last year right up until I was stopped near St Brieuc in a French Ministry inspection,and yes I was surprised
he accepted the photocopy and a copy of the first page of the renewal form,never batted an eyelid and in two weeks I will be in the same
situation,and Rutty I am a cheery wee soul at the party but you wouldn’t be invited your tooo depressing.
Armagedon:
Rutty,those are the concerns I had last year right up until I was stopped near St Brieuc in a French Ministry inspection,and yes I was surprised
he accepted the photocopy and a copy of the first page of the renewal form,never batted an eyelid and in two weeks I will be in the same
situation,and Rutty I am a cheery wee soul at the party but you wouldn’t be invited your tooo depressing.
Ahhh you didnt mention the first page of renewal. Silly me.
Here if you say your a cheery wee soul, i believe ya.
I have just had the medical but the doctor was not able to do the eyesight test so I had to get that bit done the next day.
Once the D4 was complete I sent it off with the renewal form,
posted it Friday 22nd Jan at about midday and got the licence back yesterday.
No fee and the licence back in five days 
might buy a lottery ticket tomorrow.
my renewal last year took 6 months,had letter from dvla and company were ok for me to drive till my licence came back.
Blimey, its real hit and miss stuff by the sounds of it. Cheers
It normally takes between 4-6 mth even though I go to my own GP for medical
Im in the 10th Week now 
Just pray you never have your licence revoked on medical grounds. I did, but rightly so at the time due to some serious head injuries.
Fortunately at the end of September 2014 i was given the all clear from my neuro consultant and deemed fit to return to driving cars and wagons. 3 weeks later the mysterious DVLA Medical Panel overruled the neuro consultants decision and revoked my licences again 
I’ve been fighting the Medical Panel ever since, the biggest most incompetent shower of ■■■■ i have ever had the mispleasure of dealing with in my life. Had my latest appeal knocked back 2 weeks ago 