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Could you get fined £1,000 for an invalid driving licence?

More than 2.6million motorists have failed to update their driving licence with their current address and run the risk of a £1,000 fine if they are stopped by the police, according to research by Direct Line Car Insurance.

It found seven per cent of drivers have out of date information on their licences, putting them at danger of a hefty fine from the DVLA.

With that number of motorists holding out-of-date details, the DVLA could rake in £2.6billion worth of penalties for something which is free for drivers to change. 

Expired licences: Millions of drivers run the risk of a heft fine for simply not updating their details

DVLA usually charge £20 to renew a driving licence – but it is free to update a change of name or address and motorists should ensure they take this simple step to avoid a hefty fine.

The Direct Line research also found that three per cent of married women still have their maiden name on their driving licence while two per cent of motorists admit they should have informed the DVLA about a notifiable medical condition, such as physical disability or visual impairment, since their current licence was issued.

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Many motorists also run the risk of a fine for not updating their photograph on their licence. This needs to be done every ten years at a cost of £20, as set out by the DVLA.

Holding an out-of-date or otherwise invalid licence does not remove your entitlement to drive but  further action, including the possibility of a fine, can come about if you need to show your licence to a policeman, hire a car or commit a driving offence abroad.

Last year, research by Sainsbury’s estimated over the next five years, 13million drivers must renew their photograph to abide by the law.

 

According to the statistics, 41 per cent of drivers are not fully aware of the consequences of having an expired photograph on their licence.

Failure to update your photograph can carry a maximum £1,000 fine and can be enforced by the police under Section 99 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

The Direct Line research found that 7.5million – or 20 per cent - of British driving licence holders still only have a paper driving licence.

Research found less than one in three of drivers with an expired licence are aware that it has expired – while a further 10million people do not know when their licence expires.

HOW TO UPDATE YOUR DETAILS

You can change your driving licence address online -although you’ll need a Government Gateway ID, an account which you can use to log-in to a range of online government services that need authorisation.

You can also change by the post – the details of which can be found here

The DVLA estimates two million motorists already have an out-of-date licence – a potential £2billion worth of fines.

Rob Miles, head of motor at Direct Line, said: ‘British motorists have a duty to update the DVLA of any change of name or address or of any medical condition that could affect their ability to drive, but it seems that many motorists simply don’t realise they are breaking the terms of their licence.’

'Millions of drivers have an old name or address on their driving licence, and while this won’t affect their car insurance cover, having incorrect information on their licence puts them at risk of a large fine if their licence is ever checked by the police.

'We urge motorists to ensure their licence information is up to date and that their licence is current.'

A spokesman for the DVLA, said: 'Licences expire every ten years until the age of 70. It is important they are kept up to date to ensure the details are correct, the photograph is a current likeness and that licences in circulation contain the latest security features to protect against fraud.

'Appearances can change and it is important that the Police and other enforcement agencies have the best possible photograph to help correctly identify drivers. This helps prevent driving licence impersonation - stopping disqualified and perhaps dangerous drivers taking to our roads.'

Correction: Originally in the article Direct Line incorrectly said that by 2015, paper driving licences will be phased out and all new drivers will be issued with photo-card licences. The DVLA has since contacted This is Money to clarify that existing paper licences will continue to be valid after 2015, with new drivers issued with photo-card licences.

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