Re applying for liscense

[DDGIRL]

Hi. I got a 1 year license back in April just wondering do have to re apply exactly like before? And when would be the best time to do this? Tyia

 

[Tower82]

Hi. I got a 1 year license back in April just wondering do have to re apply exactly like before? And when would be the best time to do this? Tyia

Hi DDGIRL. Renewing/reapplying is likely to be the same process/requirement as before. Hence, completing the dr1 form and send, then dvla will write back stating what they require from you ( given your circumstances/history ).
Also bare in mind, dvla advice is to reapply 8 weeks before your current licence expires. However, you can drive under sec 88 while your application is being processed.
It is worth knowing that you sec 88 become active upon dvla receiving your form and not when you current licence expires. So it is not always a better idea to apply too early.

 

[Xeronema]

It is worth knowing that you sec 88 become active upon dvla receiving your form and not when you current licence expires. So it is not always a better idea to apply too early.

Did the DVLA tell you that?

I was told, by a DVLA call handler, that you're covered under section 88 at the moment your licence expires, as long as the renewal process has started (once the DVLA have received the completed and signed D1/D46 from the applicant).

Logically it makes no sense for someone to be driving under Section 88 if they have a valid/active driving licence, however I'm not sure the DVLA always apply logic so I wouldn't be surprised if that information was correct.

I mean realistically it shouldn't matter too much anyway, given that insurance companies aren't allowed to refuse a policy to a person driving under Section 88 (at least I'm sure I read that on this forum, somewhere).

 

[Xeronema]

Also, it's nice to see you back DDGIRL.

 

[Xeronema]

Ah ok, I see the sub-notes.

"Section 88 is applicable for a year from the time your application gets accepted by DVLA, that is, the date they have sent an acknowledgement of your application via SMS, email, or post." - so yeah, if you applied early and it took them ages to reissue another licence then you'd only get 12 months from the point of application.

I guess you'd just have to put in another D1 before the end of the 12 months.

Yeah, ignore my previous post regarding that.

 

[Tower82]

Did the DVLA tell you that?

I was told, by a DVLA call handler, that you're covered under section 88 at the moment your licence expires, as long as the renewal process has started (once the DVLA have received the completed and signed D1/D46 from the applicant).

Logically it makes no sense for someone to be driving under Section 88 if they have a valid/active driving licence, however I'm not sure the DVLA always apply logic so I wouldn't be surprised if that information was correct.

I mean realistically it shouldn't matter too much anyway, given that insurance companies aren't allowed to refuse a policy to a person driving under Section 88 (at least I'm sure I read that on this forum, somewhere).

Hi Xeronema.

Yes this information is directly from dvla to me in June 2024. The point I was making is what you've said ‘ that you're covered under section 88 at the moment your licence expires, as long as the renewal process has started (once the DVLA have received the completed and signed D1/D46 from the applicant).

Hence why the answer to the question asked about when to reapply is 8 weeks before the current licence expires, ( again information said to me by dvla ).

And to further agree with your logic and also confirmed by dvla, a valid licence and section 88 can not run concurrently.
Least we forget dvla snail posting and slow ‘scanning into the system’ protocols

 

[Xeronema]

Hi Xeronema.

Yes this information is directly from dvla to me in June 2024. The point I was making is what you've said ‘ that you're covered under section 88 at the moment your licence expires, as long as the renewal process has started (once the DVLA have received the completed and signed D1/D46 from the applicant).

Hence why the answer to the question asked about when to reapply is 8 weeks before the current licence expires, ( again information said to me by dvla ).

And to further agree with your logic and also confirmed by dvla, a valid licence and section 88 can not run concurrently.

Yeah, agreed.

I'm a little annoyed that the call handler didn't specifically tell me that. Technically what they told me was true about being covered by Section 88 after my licence expired, however they completely failed to tell me that fairly crucial information.

I'd be interested to know if CJ got a reminder to reapply for a further 12 months, before or at the 12 month point, when he was driving under Section 88 for over 12 months.

I suspect it would be easy to look at the expiry of your licence and then think, "oh that's ok, I don't need to put in another application until the same month, next year". If you'd put your application in 2 months early and then wasn't reminded, it would be fairly easy to forget and be driving around illegally, under the impression that you're still covered under Section 88.

I appreciate you making a point of that mate because I really hadn't thought about it at all.

 

[DDGIRL]

Thank you both