Changing to GB licence with points already on it

biketard

Hi all,

Firstly apologies if this is in the wrong place. I didn't know whether to stick it in the Motors forum, the Legal forum, or the UK forum (or somewhere else).

I have a Northern Irish licence, but I'm about to start living in GB. About TWENTY years ago, I stopped on some zigzags in GB and got fined. I also got told that if I ever got a GB driving licence, it would have three points on it (they couldn't stamp my NI one). Now I understand how that all works (virtual licence held on a computer), but my question is if anyone knows if those points expire while on the computer, or if they wait until you get a shiny new UK licence before the clock starts ticking. I can't seem to be able to find any information about it anywhere, and I certainly don't want to ask the GB DVA in case they suddenly start digging for stuff that might otherwise have been forgotten about.

Anyone?

Thanks.

savagethegoat

do you actually need to change ? NI license good in GB surely?

biketard

savagethegoat wrote: »

do you actually need to change ? NI license good in GB surely?

Thanks for posting, savagethegoat.

Yeah, I've looked into that. It's good until it expires, which is a good few years away.

https://www.gov.uk/driving-nongb-licence/y/a-resident-of-great-britain/full-car-and-or-motorcycle/northern-ireland

You can drive in Great Britain on your full, valid driving licence until it expires

However, it's really supposed to have your current address on it (especially for the insurance), so I could probably only get away with it for a few months. Regardless, one day I will have to change to a GB one. This will be a permanent move.

More than anything, I'd like to know one way or the other if it's going to have points on it before committing to an exchange.

biketard

Bumping this as it's been moved to the UK forum. Any comments gratefully received.

afatbollix

They would be on your virtual licence for 3 years and then lapse just like a normal one.

You won't get 3 points when you apply.

biketard

Thanks, afatbollix.

That's definitely what I was hoping, and the most logical option, but I have read something about the points not being activated until the virtual licence becomes a physical one (crazy though that sounds).

Would you mind if I ask where you got your information?

Jawgap

biketard wrote: »

Thanks, afatbollix.

That's definitely what I was hoping, and the most logical option, but I have read something about the points not being activated until the virtual licence becomes a physical one (crazy though that sounds).

Would you mind if I ask where you got your information?

If it helps I had a GB licence a few years ago with 6 points on it when I moved from the country. The points still had about 2 years to run. I swapped my licence for an Irish one (while I was in the States) then about 2 years later ended up moving back to the UK.

Swapped my Irish licence for a GB one and the points weren't reinstated.

BravoMike

I just moved to the UK and I rang the DVLA to see if I needed to change my licence.
The answer was no as my Irish licence was an EU licence and tests passed in Ireland there was no legal obligation to have the licence changed.
I also asked about the address on the licence also and I was told it didn't matter.
Best bet ring the DVLA and go from there

There's a quick guide on the dvla website about exchanging a foreign licence

kelledy

I changed my licence over to a UK one Cz I would be driving a van in my job ... Was never asked too and didn't need too , but went ahead anyway .
Sent off an irish licence with 4 points on it and got back a clean British licence .
No questions asked

VisibleGorilla

I move between UK/IRE regularly and drive in England no problem with Irish licence, why bother to change?

biketard

VisibleGorilla wrote: »

I move between UK/IRE regularly and drive in England no problem with Irish licence, why bother to change?

Well, because it's a permanent move. I will have to exchange it when my current licence runs out regardless, but that's not for a few years yet.

If the points will be there, then I'll probably hold off till I've accumulated a few years of no claims (I'm overseas at the moment and am back to zero no claims years, so my first few years of insurance are going to be pricey enough as it is), but otherwise I'll just change immediately.

Dr_Bill

In my own experience after a period of 6 months of living in the UK or NI your supposed to trade in your foreign license for a UK license, I believe the same applies for the ROI.

DVLA(NI) & DVLA (Swansea) are two separate entities and don't talk to each other.

If you hold a UK DVLA(NI) driving license you cannot be issued points in England/Scotland/Wales strange but true :-). I recently had to exchange my UK DVLA(NI) driving license for a UK DVLA (Swansea) license, there was no charge for this which was nice.

If the offence was 20 years ago it is beyond the statue of limitations so you have nothing to be concerned about. On a side note if they did apply 3 points to your license and due to the minor nature of the offence an insurance company wont load your premium for it anyway. They are far more concerned with multiple SP60's or charged with dangerous driving.

afatbollix

Dr_Bill wrote: »

In my own experience after a period of 6 months of living in the UK or NI your supposed to trade in your foreign license for a UK license, I believe the same applies for the ROI.

Not any more your ROI licence will be ok until it expires. EU law trumps UK law.