Renewal of Driving Licence - questions?

soupdrinker

Hi all

My DL is due for renewal at the end of the month. If I send my application etc off to my local county council tomorrow, how long does it take to get my new licence issued and posted to me?

Also, as your supposed to have your current DL with you in the car, but you need to send it off with your application, if you were stopped by the guards would they be leniant if you had a copy of your DL with you?

Also, presumably, if I don't get my new licence by the time my old one expires, I can't drive until I get my new licence?

Thanks in advance

Miscreant

The driving licence takes a few days to arrive back to you. I went to the Motor Tax office on Tuesday morning first thing to renew mine and it arrived this morning in the post.
I would imagine that a guard would ask you to produce the licence when it arrives but would not be too sure.
Get it renewed and you won't have to worry about driving with an expired one. If you are worried then go to a Motor Tax office like I did and you will get a receipt as proof that a new one is on the way.

**Timbuk2**

Renew your licence before it expires. They take the old licence off you, but you'll have a receipt/note to say that a new one is on the way, and you can drive using this. A garda may ask you to produce your licence in your local station once it arrives, or they may just accept the receipt.

You cannot, however, drive on an expired licence. Once your full licence expires, if you haven't applied for a new one, you cannot drive until you apply for the new one.

You can renew a drivers licence if it will expire within 3 months, or if it expired up to 10 years ago.

If you don't have time to queue in the MTO, you can apply for a form by post: https://secure.citizensinformation.ie/form_request/form_request_dev.py?formid=AD401 (or get the form from the MTO, or garda station).

You'll need
2 passport photos, signed at back.
Your current, or most recently issued, full drivers licence.
€25 fee, assuming you are applying for a 10 year licence (if applying by post, this has to be cheque/postal order/bank draft - if applying in person, it can also be cash).

How long it will take to arrive depends on which MTO you apply to, but generally within 10 working days is the norm, so it should be here before your licence expires!

Mr E

Mine is up in a few weeks, so that's really useful. Cheers.

Just to note, I sent mine off 4 weeks before it expired (end of October 2011), and carried a photocopy with me. The new one didn't arrive until 10 days after the old one expired. I guess it depends on your local office and if you're bringing it in personally or posting it.