Is your Driving Licence valid?

Thousands of British motorists are facing fines of upto £1000.00 because they are unintentionally driving without a valid licence.

Photocard driving licences expire after automatically after 10 years even though the holder is licenced to drive until the age of 70. The problem has come to light since the first licences (issued in July 1998) have expired.

Motoring organisations say the Government has failed to publicise sufficiently the fact that the licences expire and have to be renewed. There is also a charge for renewal (currently £17.50) which critics have condemned  as a ’stealth tax’ which will earn the treasury an estimated £437 million in the next 25 years.

Figures from the DVLA show that jst over 4500 licences that expired in the summer of 2008 haven’t been renewed by their owners and the number is expected to soar over the coming year as licences expire while their owners are unaware of the fact.

The date you need to look at on your licence is just below the driver name on the FRONT of the photocard which is number 4b. This gives the date your licence will expire – check now to make sure you are not in breach of the law and risking a fine.