When was the last time you checked your licence properly? Have you applied for a replacement due to a change of name or address? Have you checked the back of your licence to check that the DVLA haven’t mistakenly added full motorcycle entitlement and removed your car entitlement? Or if you’re a motorcyclist, has your entitlement been removed for no apparent reason?
BBC’s Watchdog (which aired on 27th April 2009) broadcast a feature in which several members of the public pointed out that these things had actually happened to them. “The DVLA know where we live, when we got our licence and most importantly they know what we’re entitled to drive – or do they?”
One of the people featured on the programme, Jon Jones, has been riding motorbikes for over 30 years and has clocked up over 100,000 miles, having passed his motorcycle test in 1981. Nevertheless, when Jon sent his licence back to the DVLA to update his personal details, it was returned to him without his motorcycle entitlement. And when he phoned up to query it, he was advised that they had no record of him ever taking the motorcycle test, and unless he could indeed prove that he had done so, he would have to pass another bike test before entitlement would be granted.
It was a similar story for Jan Shepperd, who sent her licence in to have her surname updated after she married. Her motorcycle entitlement was also stripped, and she too was advised that unless she could prove she had passed the test by producing her pass certificate, she would also have to re-take the bike test. Of course, in order to gain entitlement in the first instance, she would have had to send her original pass certificate to the DVLA.
The DVLA agreed that she had passed her motorcycle test in 1998, but they insisted that she’d never had a licence, because she didn’t apply for it within 2 years of passing the test. Jan said, “I feel disgusted really. I’m saying one thing and they’re saying I’m lying. How do you fight a government agency when I’m just one person on my own?”
Even stranger than the above two cases, Watchdog also revealed that the DVLA doesn’t just lose motorbike licence entitlements from their records, sometimes it even invents them. Oliver Dunn, who relied on his car to run his business noticed that when he sent his licence to the DVLA to update his address, they removed his entitlement to drive a car, and instead replaced it with the category A motorcycle entitlement.
Oliver told Watchdog that, despite never having ever sat on a motorbike, “according to the DVLA he’d had a bike licence for 15 years.”
When Watchdog contacted the DVLA it said: “It is vital that the DVLA protects the safety of road users and pedestrians by ensuring that only people who can prove they have passed the relevant driving test are allowed to drive on our roads.
“Errors are extremely rare – a recent check of 1,000 motorcyclists licence transactions showed that 100 per cent were completed correctly – but we thoroughly investigate all cases reported to us and do everything we can to resolve them.”
Tags: BBC, Driving licence, DVLA, Licence categories, Motorcyle News, Watchdog
We returned my Wife’s driving licence valid from 27.03.09 to 26.3.09 to DVLA on 30th March last – still awaiting correct licence. Have now asked MP to help. Keep up your good work, Francis Lee
I’m waiting for a court date after i was done for driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence and having no valid insurance as when i was stopped during a routine check the DVLA reckoned i only have a provisional licence. I’ve called every day for 2 months to try and speak to some sort of supervisor but i’m getting nowhere and facing a massive fine and points when (as i surely will) get convicted.
dvla dont know when you passed your test in certain circumstances.when they took over from vosa and the dsa a lot of information went missing.
i passed my test about 33 years ago and have a paper licence
i was told i need to send for a photo id licence is this true
and if i send my old one in will i see it again
Why is it that you need a new photo licence Steve? Have you had your licence endorsed, had it lost or stolen or updated your personal details (such as your address)? If not, there’s no need to update your licence – just keep the one you have.
If you do need a new licence, I would take a photocopy of your current one before sending it off to them – however, it does appear that the glitches with DVLA losing licence details has now been resolved, so you should be okay.
Steve,
Like Ged said, you only need a photocard licence, if you need to change you details, or you have points to add.
With the licence issue, unfortunately I’ve heard from a few people who have lost entitlements on their licence. It’s very worrying when these sort of things happen.
Rob
Well, DVLA deffo make mistakes. I’ve been fighting them for 10 months now, regarding my full licence entitlement which I’ve held for 13 years. Yet, according to them, when I applied to replace my lost old full paper licence with one of the photo things, I was provisional only. Well, you can imagine the situation since then. Apparently they hold no full entitlement for me. To add insult to injury, when I continued to press them on the situation, they actually suspended my suposedly correct provisional licence altogether. It’s definately a case of David and Goliath. And I’m no David when it comes to a government agency with the ‘power of god’. But the machinaries clank on. Where to with it all next…ummm….
You may wish to contact “motorcycle News” as they have been running a campaign to make the DVLA own up to mistakes and correct them. It is totally wrong that an agency paid for by the taxpayer can get something badly wrong and expect the same taxpayer to put it right at their own expense! According to MCN the latest episode consists of the DVLA accusing people who have photocopied their licences to highlight mistakes of FRAUD.
I recently changed my address and following the request of my employer had been asked to produce my licence as diving is essential. Having lost my documents in the move I duly contacted the DVLA to request a new one only to be informed that I apparently do not hold a full driving licence, despite them having a record of when I sat and indeed passed my exam over 6 years ago now.
I like many others previously held a licence and now stand to lose everything including my home as a result of some system error???? I have contacted them several times and been given different information. I have emailed them and am completely at my wits end here!
I recently have had a motor accident had to take all my all my details to the police station could not find my licence cause i had just moved (I have held my full licence since 2003)and the police did a DL check come back i have no Licence on DVLA’s system.( i found out my ex destroyed my Driving licence)
Due to go to court for the offences and contacted DVLA via letter and telephone and at first they said yes u had a full licence and now they are denying that fact now and say no i have never had a licence and i was still on a provicion backing into 2003 witch was registered to a address of 7 years ago i really dont know what to do they said if i can prove i passed my test and show all documents witch i cant then it was tough and its not Dvla problem they lost my details i find them very rude and offensive towards my custom. Any clues any1?!?!?!?!?