Driving Licence Renewal

I have recently received a reminder that my 3 year medical driving licence will shortly be expiring. No problem there, fill the forms in and post it back, but on the form it states that by law I have to complete the enclosed Photo Renewal form (D797) - it wasn't enclosed.
Google returned nothing, so I emailed DVLA to get a reply stating

I would advise that you will not be required to submit the form D797 with your application.

I can confirm that there was an error when issuing your renewal reminder.

Thanks for the heads up, I'm expecting the renewal later on this year.

How often would they expect you to renew your photo, I would say maybe 10 years, nless you have dramatically changed........

I also received my renewal a few weeks ago and like you the photo form wasn't there so I called them and they told me it was a mistake and to ignore it, also if you send you're licence away and you're unfortunate to be stopped by the police you quote under section 88 of road traffic etc let's them know it's with dvla

I've just received my envelope from DVLA, full of forms, for renewing my licence. I'm not anti having to do this, but I do feel DVLA could sharpen up their act, when posting out this request. Fortunately I still have all my marbles, and I rate myself as intelligent. However, it literally was an envelope of jumbled up forms. No covering letter; no particular order to the inserts - hence the first form I read intimated that I had cateracts , and needed to be completed by my optomotrist...gave me a shock...then as I progressed down the pile, this was one form which I didn't need.
I would be interested to know what proportion of renewals have to be returned due to missing information - quite high, I suspect, and could easily be avoided.
I had the form for renewing my photo ID, so they have obviously sorted that issue.
Just my grump for the day, but if anyone works for the DVLA, please pass my comments on

Just to let you know - and not many people know this - the photo on a photo licence MUST be renewed every 10 years - it is invalid if the photo is more than 10 years old, and so if the photo is over 10 years old, and you renew due to having to do so due to the 3 year rule your licence is still invalid and technically you commit the offence of 'driving not in accordance with you licence' as the licence is invalid.

The DVLA have not taken the step of reminding those whose photo is due to expire or is already out of date, they feel it is down to the holder to sort out. There are many many people in the UK now driving with an invalid licence as the photo licence has been available for over 10 years now and this minor detail is not widely know about, or is ignored.

There are ways to tell - on the licence, whether the photo is less than 10 years old, however, most police officers do not know either, but most traffic officers do know - if you get stopped by them have your excuses ready but don't expect them to be believed.

I was given the info by an officer I know - he wouldn't tell me how to check, the only info I can find re this is to look at section 4b on the plastic card bit and it will say when the photo/licence expires, this is fine for most people, except for us 3 year holders it doesn't help at all.

The DVLA web site just states that for short term licence holders we will be told, but I wasn't.

Yes, another 3 years has gone by, and the renewal of my licence is now due, and the envelope from DVLA arrived on Saturday. Only 3 forms to complete this time, but once again, a jumbled mess of papers within the envelope. No photo to provide this time, phew! I'm never happy sending off my current licence.......

Karl said:
I have recently received a reminder that my 3 year medical driving licence will shortly be expiring. No problem there, fill the forms in and post it back, but on the form it states that by law I have to complete the enclosed Photo Renewal form (D797) - it wasn't enclosed.
Google returned nothing, so I emailed DVLA to get a reply stating

I would advise that you will not be required to submit the form D797 with your application.

I can confirm that there was an error when issuing your renewal reminder.

Just a warning if anybody else gets one.