Learners often move for university or work while their provisional licence sits in a drawer, and new drivers change names on marriage or by deed poll. The law expects DVLA to be told. This article summarises three GOV.UK pages: “Legal obligations of drivers and riders”, “Change the address on your driving licence” and “Change the name or gender on your driving licence”. The processes described are for Great Britain; GOV.UK says there is a different process in Northern Ireland, which is not covered here. The fees quoted are those shown on the GOV.UK pages at the time of writing and can change. This is general information, not legal advice.
What the law requires
GOV.UK’s obligations page says a driver or rider must tell DVLA if they change their name or gender, change their address, make any alterations to their vehicle, sell their vehicle, or have or develop a medical condition. It adds that a person must tell DVLA about any driving convictions. It says these are legal requirements that apply to everyone and that failing to meet them can lead to court or a fine. On a change of name, it says the change must be made on both the driving licence and the vehicle log book (V5C). The site’s guide to medical conditions and learning to drive covers the medical duty in more detail.
Changing the address on a licence
GOV.UK says the address can be changed on either a full or a provisional driving licence, that it does not cost anything to change the address with DVLA, and that the person can keep driving while waiting for the new licence. It says a person can be fined up to £1,000 if they do not tell DVLA when their address changes. The service is online, requires the licence holder to be a resident of Great Britain and not banned from driving, and asks for the driving licence. The page says a new licence should arrive within a week if the application is made online.
An address change is not only about the licence. GOV.UK says a person must also change the address on the vehicle log book (V5C), update the vehicle tax Direct Debit if that is how they pay, and change the address on a personalised registration number document (V750 or V778) if they have one. A registered keeper who moves should therefore plan for several updates, not just one. Anyone changing address abroad is told that a British licence cannot have a new overseas address registered on it and that they should contact the driving licence authority in the new country; the site’s article on converting a foreign driving licence covers the reverse situation.
Photo changes
If the holder wants to change the photo at the same time as the address, GOV.UK says the online cost is £14, with no fee for people over 70 or those with a medical short period licence. For fees on a first provisional licence, see the site’s article on provisional licence fees and DVLA processing times. A name change cannot be combined with the online address service: GOV.UK says that anyone who wants to change their name at the same time must apply by post.
Changing the name or gender on a licence
For a name or gender change, GOV.UK says the holder should send DVLA the old licence with the right form and supporting documents. The form is D1 “Application for a driving licence” for a car or motorbike licence, or D2 for a lorry or bus licence; both are available from most Post Offices. Original documents confirming the new name or gender are needed, not photocopies or laminated certificates. A holder of a paper licence must send a recent printed passport-type photo.
The page says the same process applies to a change of title, such as Ms to Dr, and that evidence is not needed unless it is a hereditary title. It says there is no charge to change a name or gender on a driving licence and that the person can keep driving while waiting for the new licence. If the holder wants a new photo at the same time, GOV.UK says to send a photo and a cheque or postal order for £17 payable to DVLA. If the old licence has been lost, stolen or destroyed, an application can still be made, saying what happened to it, with a cheque or postal order for £20. Postal applications for a car or motorbike licence go to DVLA in Swansea at the address given on the page.
Showing documents to the police
GOV.UK says that if a police officer asks, a driver must be able to show their driving licence, a valid insurance certificate and a valid MOT certificate if the vehicle needs one. If the documents are not with them at the time, they may be asked to take them to a police station within 7 days.
Common questions
Can I keep driving while DVLA processes the change?
Yes. GOV.UK says this for both address and name changes.
Does moving house mean updating the V5C too?
GOV.UK says yes: the log book address must be changed, and a name change must be recorded on both the licence and the V5C.
Is there a fee for changing an address?
GOV.UK says there is no cost to change the address, although a photo change alongside it costs £14 online.
The bottom line
For drivers in Great Britain, GOV.UK is clear that a change of address or name must be reported to DVLA, that the licence can still be used while the new one is produced, and that neglecting an address change can bring a fine of up to £1,000. The log book and tax records need updating too, and police can ask for documents to be produced within 7 days.
Sources
- GOV.UK, “Legal obligations of drivers and riders”
- GOV.UK, “Change the address on your driving licence”
- GOV.UK, “Change the name or gender on your driving licence”