Driving licence renewal.

[mrswaffle]

Four weeks ago, DVLA sent me forms to renew my licence. They wanted a new photo and they asked me to complete a form with various details about my eye condition. I paid for special delivery so I know they got my forms on 6th March. Does anyone else have any idea how long the waiting time is for a response from DVLA? Obviously, I am quite keen to avoid having to drive 20+ miles and have a visual field test in an unfamiliar optician’s! Thanks.

[muddledme]

Hello mrswaffle,

Did you know about the DVLA special e mail for glaucoma patients ?

[e-mail] .

Best wishes

[mrswaffle in reply to muddledme]

yes, thank you! I didn’t want to pester them before I had given them a reasonable time to reply!

[NewCardinal]

They send the letter to you 3 months before your licence expires. I got my reminder on time mid-November. I turned it around within 24 hours and posted it straight back. I phoned them up after 3 weeks and asked what was happening as it usually only takes them 2 weeks. I got a letter mid-December telling me to get the appointment. However, before I received that letter I booked my appointment at Specsavers as DVLA say to get the appointment within 2 weeks of receiving their letter. Specsavers couldn't fit me in until mid-January and they wanted a DVLA reference number that comes with the 'go-ahead' letter. I persuaded them to book me in and let me get back to them with the reference once I received the letter as my licence expired beginning of Feb. Overall the whole process took longer than usual but in my case not too long. Thankfully I was renewed. Hope all goes well for you.

[mrswaffle in reply to NewCardinal]

Thank you for your reply and good wishes. I was trying not to bother them, but maybe I’ll have to. ☹️

[Dumyat26]

My advice, based on 10+ years of glaucoma would be to just sit tight and wait for their response. I know this can be a stressful time, but DVLA are notorious for long delays and you would be very lucky to get any response to your queries!

If you look on their website you can find a leaflet - INF188/6 Can I Drive while my Application is with DVLA?" The important part states "Section 88 of The Road Traffic Act 1988 may allow you to continue driving even though you do not hold a current driving licence. In practice, this will be when you have applied to the DVLA to renew your licence, but the licence expires (runs out) while we are processing the application."

I have often had to wait months after expiry due to strikes, Covid restrictions, DVLA staff work from home, etc and so keep a printout of this form along with a copy of my license application in the car.

My license is only renewed annually and last year the entire process took more than 6 months.

[mrswaffle in reply to Dumyat26]

thank you! I’m sorry you’ve had such problems and sympathise with you having to go through this boring rigmarole every year.

[Dorsetjohn]

I would contact the glaucoma website now I sent documents to support my appeal and had a reply saying they hadn't received the correct documents and I mustn't drive, as soon as I emailed the glaucoma people they got straight back to me and said the dvla had got the documents and I got my licence back in 5 days.

[mrswaffle in reply to Dorsetjohn]

thanks! I may do that if I don’t hear in the next couple of weeks. I know they’ve received the forms so I’ll give them a bit longer!

[PeterRabbit62]

Hi I know how you feel about having to go to a Specsavers which is 20 miles away and not your local opticians, I too live a considerable away from my nearest Specsavers about 30 miles in each direction, I was lucky to get my licence back with no restrictions when I was diagnosed 10 years ago, and was lucky to be able to visit my local opticians to do the DVLA field test, thank goodness because I too get nervous doing that test, I don't like the ordinary field of vision test either, hope everything goes alright for you and things sort themselves out best wishes

[mrswaffle in reply to PeterRabbit62]

thanks! The irritating thing about Specsavers is that there is a branch in our town, which is walking distance from my home! But of course (well, three years ago anyway!) they didn’t have the correct machine. I don’t mind the VF test, but it seems wrong to judge someone’s driving ability on the evidence of their performance in a computer game. My specialist says my eyes are driving standard, but no. DVLA: We’ll send you to an unfamiliar environment, make you do a test utterly unrelated to driving and the end result will probably be assessed by AI! Thank god I’ve got a great sense of humour and steady hands and eyes with their poxy test!!

[Beecalmed]

There is a Facebook page that deals with DVLA medical licence issues if you search for it in Facebook. It has contacts for people in the DVLA medical department who are brilliant at getting things sorted. I haven’t needed to use it as I do my applications online and this seems to get quicker responses. Worth checking out the Facebook page if you’re desperate.

[mrswaffle in reply to Beecalmed]

thank you! I’ll have a look! It’s been a month and I imagine that’s not long in terms of DVLA 🤭

[madalinaapan]

Renewing a driving licence can be quite a task, especially with the photo requirements. I had to renew mine recently and found that getting the right photo was surprisingly tricky. Then I came across this online service photogov.com/documents/ which made the whole process a lot easier. You can take a photo right from your phone and the service ensures it meets all the necessary criteria for a driving licence photo. It's a great way to make sure everything is in order without any last-minute hassles.