Photostat copy of licence

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

can you just take a photostat copy of your licence whilst driving abroad due to having to send mine off for renewal

2

IMO - that would not be acceptable.
A UK cop would not accept such from a UK or non UK driver

3

can you still get the international ones from RAC in Dover ■■

4

neil46:
can you just take a photostat copy of your licence whilst driving abroad due to having to send mine off for renewal

I’ve taken just a photocopy with me a few times over the years when I didn’t have my licence due to change of address or renewal and it wasn’t a problem when it was checked on a couple of occasions. I just explained the situation and the officer was happy enough, but I guess it really does depend on the particular officer. In your case it will be easy to confirm why you have had to send it off by looking at the photocopy for the expiry date.

I’ll be sending mine off for a change of address in the next few weeks and again for renewal in March and I’ll be going over the water with just a photocopy then.

5

I’m just about to do the same on 2 counts, expired photo and LGV renewal, one on the 8th Nov the other on the 21st.
Phoned Swansea to ask about how I was covered whilst my licence was in the system of being renewed (liked this bit of info that they gave me :smiley: they said that I could send both renewals together on one form and only pay 1 fee (£20) :smiley: :smiley: Anything to save money from .Gov.UK ) :exclamation: :exclamation: They said that I should keep a copy of the renewal form with a copy of card and paper licence ( plus copy of medical for my LGV renewal). As long as all was in order, there should be no problem.
What I’m actually thinking of doing to be really safe, is keep my actual licence and on the renewal, declare that my old licence has been lost and that I need a replacement too.

6

neil46:
can you just take a photostat copy of your licence whilst driving abroad due to having to send mine off for renewal

AFAIK no. There is legal requirement in most countries to carry your documents with you and their don’t care about some internal customs of British Livensing System. But you can be let off on courtesy of the policeman.

7

“there should be no problem.”
Be very aware of statements containing this phrase or"hopefully" or"I think"!!!When I am told this I answer,“can you give me a DEFINITE answer please”.
If you are stopped abroad and the Gendarme says the photostat is unacceptable you are bo****ed, don’t matter if he is wrong or not,at the time what he says goes!!!

8

Gendarmes dont like photocopies,depends if he got his leg over the night before,just smile and dont answer back,as they are all fluent in most languages.

9

when i first moved to italy i got stopped my plod in verona. i explained to him that i was exchanging licences and only had a photocopy. he actually called the licence office in rome and bollocked them and it was on my doorstrp within 3 days. :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

10

only last month i had to update my photo on my licence,advice from swansea was to get my employer to write me a letter explaining the situation. coming back from spain got stopped on the forest road by the gendarmes, thought moment of truth with this letter! when he asked for licence i explained and handed him letter.he said no problem at all and after a few other checks i was on my way. my employer pays all fines so was not to worried anyway. :smiley:

11

I have been running the past two weeks on photo copies and was stopped in Belgium ,it was a big problem at first but i had copied the renewal forms as well as my old licence, and after a digicard check and a all clear, i was sent on my way.
As always it depends on your attitude and politeness and if legal, off you go :slight_smile:

12

Could always say “Spit” the dog chewed it up,or left in the trousers in the washing machine.Strange how hauliers would have a fire in the shed where they stored the tacho records.

13

toowise:
can you still get the international ones from RAC in Dover ■■

Always thought it was the AA, but I stand to be corrected.
Its useful to have an international licence, just in case of loss/damage to the normal licence. They’re easily obtained from main Post Offices.

14

No. All documents need to be originals but if you colour photocopy both sides of your licence onto the same sheet, who’s to know?

15

Considering that all those posting on here are professionals the lack of general knowledge is astounding.
Provision is made in all countries for the period where a licence has to be renewed.
Fotocopy of licence both sides
Fotocopy of all pages of application form
Send application by registered post and carry the receipt with you

and you will not have a problem

16

gb1:

toowise:
can you still get the international ones from RAC in Dover ■■

Always thought it was the AA, but I stand to be corrected.
Its useful to have an international licence, just in case of loss/damage to the normal licence. They’re easily obtained from main Post Offices.

you could be right gb1 its nearly 10 years since i last went over the water and the old memory aint what it used to be :unamused: . I knew it was from a motoring organisation I just picked one at random .

17

Vascoingles:
Considering that all those posting on here are professionals the lack of general knowledge is astounding.
Provision is made in all countries for the period where a licence has to be renewed.
Fotocopy of licence both sides
Fotocopy of all pages of application form
Send application by registered post and carry the receipt with you

and you will not have a problem

I am sorry, but you are wrong.

I can say for sure for Poland only but I bet there are other countries working like that. In Poland legal requirement is to carry original of your driving license, registration paper and proof of at least third party insurance valid in Poland. It’s in Road Traffic act, chapter 5, subchapter 1, article 38:

Art. 38.

Kierujący pojazdem jest obowiązany mieć przy sobie i okazywać na żądanie uprawnionego organu wymagane dla danego rodzaju pojazdu lub kierującego:

  1. dokument stwierdzajÄ…cy uprawnienie do kierowania pojazdem;
  2. dokument stwierdzajÄ…cy dopuszczenie pojazdu do ruchu;
  3. dokument stwierdzający zawarcie umowy obowiązkowego ubezpieczenia odpowiedzialności cywilnej posiadacza pojazdu lub stwierdzający opłacenie składki tego ubezpieczenia;
  4. zaświadczenie, o którym mowa w art. 95a ust. 1 pkt 2;
  5. inne dokumenty, jeżeli obowiązek taki wynika z odrębnej ustawy.

What stays for:
The driver is obliged to have with him and to provide it if required by entitled power required for this particular kind of vehicle or driver:
1. Document confirming his license to drive vehicle
2. Document confirming that vehicle is legal to drive on public road
3. Document confirming reaching the agreement about third party insurance of the vehicle’s owner or confirming that payments towards that insurance have been made
4. ///this apply to emergency vehicles only///
5. Other documents if required by other legal act.

All the time with only one exception: if you are member of some diplomatic or consular staff.

So if you are stopped by police and you can’t show them your driving license, your car will be secured unless someone can deliver your license in reasonable amount of time or you will find other person to drive your car. If you forget car’s or insurance papers, your car might be even towed away.

It’s all clearly shown in Polish Road Traffic Act, Art. 128, section 2.8:

  1. Policjant (…) jest uprawniony do:
    (…)
  2. uniemożliwienia:
    (…),
  3. korzystania z pojazdu, jeżeli kierujący nim nie okazał dokumentu stwierdzającego zawarcie umowy obowiązkowego ubezpieczenia odpowiedzialności cywilnej posiadacza pojazdu lub stwierdzającego opłacenie składki tego ubezpieczenia,
  4. kierowania pojazdem przez osobę nieposiadającą wymaganych dokumentów uprawniających do kierowania lub używania pojazdu;

What stays for:
The Police officer (…) is entitled to:
(…)
8. to prevent
(…)
3. using of vehicle, if driver wasn’t able to provide document confirming reaching of agreement for third party insurance of car’s owner or confirming that payment have been made
4. driving vehicle by person who don’t have required documents entitling him or her to drive or use the vehicle.

I know, you said that “provision is made to all the countries”, but this is British wishfull thinking only. No country can force other country to follow their rules. So as Poles in Britain has to follow British law, Britons in Poland has to follow Polish. If you sent your license somewhere, it’s your problem, not the problem of Polish policemans and it’s their right to ask you to provide it on the spot. It’s no matter that you have some application forms or letters - after all they aren’t even in Polish and AFAIK English is not an official language in Poland yet. So if you can’t provide your driving license valid in Poland (and all EC licenses are valid in Poland, so that’s not a problem), you are ■■■■■■. Off course it’s a policeman right to demand your driving license, not his duty, so he can let you go if he wants to. But if he don’t, his fully right to do so.

What about renevals then?
In Poland to renew your driving license you don’t need to send it over, you are sending application only, so you have your old one to the last moment, then when you recieve information that your new one is ready, you are going to the local “DVLA”* office and swap it for a new one instantly. Therefore the Polish law does not recognise need to send the driver’s license away. So, as I said, driving with no driving license on you is illegal with no exceptions, unless you are a diplomat.

Saying that, I still would say, that you can be left in peace on the police officer’s discretion. I was in Poland with my British car without registration papers, as they were few weeks late - I only obtained a letter from DVLA explaining the situation and came along with fingers crossed. Luckily, I wasn’t stopped, as I can’t be sure if they would let me go in this situation or not. But the risk was very thin, so I took it.

So if question is

neil46:
can you just take a photostat copy of your licence whilst driving abroad due to having to send mine off for renewal

the answer is:
Depends where you are going as in some countries it’s illegal.

  • I put it in comas, as in Poland driving licenses are issued by transport departament of local council.