Renewal of learner permit

kalipix

Hi I was wondering if someone could advise me. I was informed last Friday that my new permit was 'in the post' The prob is..my current license runs out today and new license not here yet. What should i do while i’m waiting for my new card? I’m worried about being stopped by the guards and if I'm asked to produce my licence? Will I be in trouble? Gah, I wish I'd applied sooner.:(

hasdanta

Most decent guards will allow you to present the permit at your local garda station within 10 days (granted you are accompanied) if you don't have the license on you.

Then again, you could get a guard that isn't so nice and not accept the excuse of it being in the post and iirc, you aren't insured to drive when your license is 'in the post', so drive at your own risk.

cantdecide

hasdanta wrote: »

you aren't insured to drive when your license is 'in the post', so drive at your own risk.

You're not their insurance company (as far as I can make out) so you can't tell them they're not insured. The OP is not banned from driving so holds the entitlement to a learner permit. (on the assumption their application can be approved and not delayed by any errors or omissions - which it must not be if it was approved and sent for posting).

Any driver in the position above can provide their expired permit as well as the NDLS receipt. They can also confirm with the NDLS that the permit has been approved and in the post which the OP has done). The risk the OP takes is that in the event their permit is lost in the post, they're going to have a lot of explaining to do if the replacement is not reissued within the 10 day period but that's still a lot of ifs regarding a learner permit application that the NDLS processed, approved and posted.

The reality is that thousands of drivers are waiting for permits and licences today just like the OP and I have personally never heard of a Guard not accepting the application receipt in lieu of a permit or licence for an otherwise legal driver.

kalipix

Thank you. A very informed and well written response. A weight off my mind!:)

hasdanta

cantdecide wrote: »

You're not their insurance company (as far as I can make out) so you can't tell them they're not insured. The OP is not banned from driving so holds the entitlement to a learner permit. (on the assumption their application can be approved and not delayed by any errors or omissions - which it must not be if it was approved and sent for posting).

Any driver in the position above can provide their expired permit as well as the NDLS receipt. They can also confirm with the NDLS that the permit has been approved and in the post which the OP has done). The risk the OP takes is that in the event their permit is lost in the post, they're going to have a lot of explaining to do if the replacement is not reissued within the 10 day period but that's still a lot of ifs regarding a learner permit application that the NDLS processed, approved and posted.

The reality is that thousands of drivers are waiting for permits and licences today just like the OP and I have personally never heard of a Guard not accepting the application receipt in lieu of a permit or licence for an otherwise legal driver.

It literally says on the receipt "this cannot be used in place of a learner permit / driver license", therefore OP would be driving without a license, which is illegal.

cantdecide

hasdanta wrote: »

It literally says on the receipt "this cannot be used in place of a learner permit / driver license", therefore OP would be driving without a license, which is illegal.

The strictest rule of the law being applied would mean every single driver in the OPs position (thousands, every single day) that were stopped at checkpoint would be prosecuted, just as any driver who had left their licence in their other jacket.

The evidence is clear that the strictest application of the law has never been applied to drivers like the OP and the Guards are clearly using the discretion they're empowered to.

Wishbone Ash

hasdanta wrote: »

.... you aren't insured to drive when your license is 'in the post', so drive at your own risk.

What makes you think that a driver would be uninsured?

There's a huge difference between those who never had a driving licence/learner permit and those who may have inadvertently let it lapse. Anytime I've read about someone appearing in court for driving without a licence, it's always people who have never ever held a licence or have been previously banned from driving. It's never people who have an out of date licence/permit.

You are only required to retake a driving test if you let it lapse by more than 10 years.

As regarding it being 'in the post', how do you think people managed during the 6 month postal strike in 1979? Or even during the recent snow when some postal services were delayed by a week?

hasdanta

cantdecide wrote: »

The strictest rule of the law being applied would mean every single driver in the OPs position (thousands, every single day) that were stopped at checkpoint would be prosecuted, just as any driver who had left their licence in their other jacket.

The evidence is clear that the strictest application of the law has never been applied to drivers like the OP and the Guards are clearly using the discretion they're empowered to.

If you read my answer properly I said you'd have to get a fairly scabby guard to prosecute you over it, I was just preparing the OP for worst case scenario if she was stopped.

hasdanta

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

What makes you think that a driver would be uninsured?

There's a huge difference between those who never had a driving licence/learner permit and those who may have inadvertently let it lapse. Anytime I've read about someone appearing in court for driving without a licence, it's always people who have never ever held a licence or have been previously banned from driving. It's never people who have an out of date licence/permit.

You are only required to retake a driving test if you let it lapse by more than 10 years.

As regarding it being 'in the post', how do you think people managed during the 6 month postal strike in 1979? Or even during the recent snow when some postal services were delayed by a week?

Insurance companies will find any way not to pay out. I was simply making her aware of what could happen in the worse case.