Driving licence problem

[tendom]

My friend passed her test about 10 years ago. She sent it back (paper version) to the DVLA a couple of years ago so that it could be replaced for the photo card. For some reason she never chased it up. She did note the number.

Now she has contacted the DVLA about it and there is no record at all of the number or her ever having a licence! She used one of their envelopes but did not record it.

Does anyone have any idea what she could do? Thanks

[Rob S]

I'm assuming she never received her licence back at the time she sent off her photocard. It's possible that she might have written the number down wrong and supplied DVLA with an incorrect number. When they have searched the system on the number supplied it would come back as not known. I would suggest she contacts them again and asks them to check the system using her name and date of birth. They should be able to find her details that way. Her licence should still be showing up as valid (assuming she has not reached the age of 70 within the last couple of years).

[StormWarrior]

A few years ago a large number of licence details 'vanished' from the DVLA computers. Everyone had to take thier tests again.:o

You only need to remember the last 3 digits of your Driver number, as the rest is made up from your name and DOB.

[tendom]

Thanks for your replies guys.

[Kal_357]

There is a related problem in the Bike community at the moment.

Licences sent in the DVLA are 'losing' their Bike entitlement, some of the riders affected have been riding for decades.

The current thinking is to photocopy the licence before sending it to the DVLA, however there have been reports that the DVLA arent accepting them - and are infact denying that the Riders ever had the Bike catagory on their licence. A situation which means experienced riders are having to retake their test if they wish to carry on riding.

[Rob S]

I understand DVLA won't accept any protests if it is more than 4-6 weeks after they made a change to their licence. With the DVLA track record it is imperative to check your licence when you get it back to make sure it shows all the categories that it should. If it doesn't then contact them straight away.

[dave]

I had group 'e' removed, which I believe gave me the right to ride a 50cc motorcycle without L plates.

I was told - not by the DVLA - that this is correct and that if you send your licence to them for anything at all, like change of address, then it will come back without this on it.

[Rob S]

Group E I seem to recall was the old grouping for a moped before all the groups were changed to fall in line with the EU. It used to be group A for cars and E for motorcycles.

If you have a full car licence issued before 1st February 2001 then you can still ride a 50cc moped restricted to 30mph without having to take a test or CBT and without L plates. If you passed your car test after the 1st February 2001 then you have to complete CBT to validate the moped part of your licence, but having completed the CBT once you can then ride a moped without L plates.

The problems that people have been having stem from DVLA removing full licence categories for which people have actually passed a test for. DVLA have refused to amend their mistakes and the only way to get round it is for people to have to retake their tests again.

[dave]

That is outrageous.

Mind you a friend of mine used this to his advantage (not that I condone such action), he was banned for riding a motorcycle that he didn't have entitlement to ride some years ago - he actually drove into a police car!

When his ban was up and his licence was returned to him it quite rightly didn't have motorcycle entitlement - he wrote to the DVLA and demanded to know why it wasn't on there (????!!) - they wrote back and sent him a form to complete and sign saying that it used to be on there and they then 're'instated his entitlement!

They really are incompetent.

[Kal_357]

Statutory Instrument 1987 No. 1378
The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1987 - continued

Effect of changes in classification of vehicles by reason of changed definition of "moped"
30.—(1) In licences (whether full or provisional) issued before 1st August 1977—

• (a) any reference to motor vehicles of group E shall be construed as a reference to motor vehicles of new group E;

• (b) any reference to motor vehicles of group L shall be construed as reference to motor vehicles of new group L;

• (c) any reference to motor vehicles of any other group the constitution of which was affected by the amendments made by the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations 1976[23] shall be construed as references to motor vehicles of the group in question as so amended in constitution; and

• (d) any reference to a moped shall be construed by reference to the revised definition of "moped".

(2) In relation to an application for the grant of a licence by a person who—

• (a) before 1st August 1977 held a licence granted under Part III of the 1972 Act, or under any enactment which that Part replaced, or under a relevant external law (as defined in section 85(1) of the 1972 Act) to drive motor vehicles of a class included in old group E; or

• (b) before that date passed a test to drive motor vehicles of a class included in old group E or a test which by virtue of regulation 20(6) is regarded as a test to drive such motor vehicles,

and in relation to any licence issued in pursuance of such applications, the licence which he held, or the test which he passed, before that date shall for the purposes of section 85(1) and (4) of the 1972 Act (restrictions on grant of licences etc.) be regarded as a licence or test (as the case may be) to drive vehicles of a class included in new group E.

(3) A person whose entitlement to the grant of a licence to drive vehicles of new group E is preserved by this regulation may, not withstanding anything in section 84(1) and (2) of the 1972 Act (drivers of motor vehicles to have driving licences), at any time pending the grant of such a licence to him drive, and be employed in driving, such vehicles if—

• (a) his application in accordance with section 88(1)(a) of the 1972 Act (provisions as to grant of licences), together with the fee prescribed under that section, for the grant of such a licence has been received by the Secretary of State;

• (b) he satisfies the requirements of subsection (1)(b) and (c) of that section;

• (c) he is not disqualified by reason of age or otherwise for obtaining the licence;

• (d) he is not a person to whom the Secretary of State is required by section 87(2) of the 1972 Act (requirements as to physical fitness of drivers) to refuse to grant the licence;

• (e) in the case of a person on whom notice under subsection (4) of that section, or any enactment which that provision replaced, has been served, the vehicles are of the particular construction and design specified in the notice; and

• (f) he complies, in relation to that driving, with such of the conditions specified in regulation 8(1) as will apply to the driving of those vehicles by him under the authority of that licence, when granted.

(4) In this regulation, references to "old group" and "new group" followed by a letter are references respectively to the group in question as constituted before and after the coming into operation of the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations 1976, and the reference to the revised definition of "moped" is a reference to the definition of that word in regulation 3(1), which was inserted in regulation 3(1) of the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1976[24] by the said amendment Regulations.

[chubbas dad]

my licence has been sent away twice ,the first time i lost my motercycle entitlement.i sent it back to them and they reinstated it hooorah .but i lost my 12 ton lorry entitlement,there is no way im retaking my test (money wont allow it)i will send it back and ask to have it reinstated,if they wont, i will more than likely become unemployed.as my livelyhood depends on me being able to drive these vehicles at work.any ideas on my next step anyone?



thanx.

[oshilling]

Originally Posted by tendom

My friend passed her test about 10 years ago. She sent it back (paper version) to the DVLA a couple of years ago so that it could be replaced for the photo card. For some reason she never chased it up. She did note the number.

Now she has contacted the DVLA about it and there is no record at all of the number or her ever having a licence! She used one of their envelopes but did not record it.

Does anyone have any idea what she could do? Thanks

This happened to me about 15 years ago - I sent mine off for change of address and it came back provisional across the board.

I fought the DVLA tooth and nail for years about it but they were adamant I had never passed my test.

I ended up resitting my driving test.

No, they won't believe any of your arguments and no they won't accept a photocopy. When we moved last year we had our conveyancing solicitor notarise a copy of both licences (Cat A bike on there now as well - no WAY I'd be resitting THAT one!)