Dvla Reviews 1,713

70+ LICENCE RENEWAL IS A JOKE.
I tried to renew my driving licence online but after just over an hour gave up and posted the form off.

To come across what should be a simple administrative procedure that's as complicated and long winded as this one is rare.

The instructions are a nonsense and whoever wrote them should be found other employment.

I can only assume that, having devised this farcical system, whoever did so failed to follow the normal routine of testing it before they declared it fit for purpose. Had they done so, I'm confident that they would have been told, in no uncertain terms, what a load of rubbish it is.

In my 20 years with IBM I designed admin procedures from time to time and I would have been given a day to remember if I had produced a piece of work such as this online renewal procedure.

I totally agree with other comments. My wife wasted over 2 hours trying to renew her Over 70 driving licence online (Windows PC). They wanted lots of details, asked her to create a GOV.UK-One account and then asked for her credit card information (why, there's no charge!). They then wanted to install a separate APP on her mobile phone to check her photograph (why, it's a renewal!). It turns out that the APP only works on Android 10 and above so my wife's Android 9 mobile refused to work. She gave up in total frustration and decided to renew by post. I found out that the DVLA website still lets you do it online so that's what she did. Driver number and Passport number was all that was required - painless and easy.
The GOV.UK site for online over 70 licence renewal is an absolute disaster and NOT recommended.

TRYING TO CHANGE YOUR HOME ADDRESS ON GOV.UK ONLINE IS A COMPLETE FARSE GOES ROUND IN CIRCLES, AND AFTER 1/2 HOUR FINALLY FILLING IN FORM IT DOES NOT HAVE RECORD OF LICENSE AFTER DRIVING FOR OVER 50 YEARS
MORE STRESS GIVING THAN HELP

What a joke, after holding a driving license for motocycles and cars continously from 1963, DVLA has now decided they can't confirm my identity.
Have just been all through the process online and at the end I get the message they can't confirm who I am, despite me photographing both sides of my current photo ID license and my face.
Had no problem with renewal when I moved three years ago

Never received my license, when chased they wanted me to pay £20 for a replacement as it had been lost in the post.

So... DVLA lose my photo ID card which is already concerning, and then they ask me to pay for replacing it.

Traded my vehicle in on 31st October 2025. Since then 3 further direct debits have been taken from my bank account totallying £200 even though the status of the cars tax correctly states untaxed from 1st Nov.
Webchatted with an agent who was helpful enough and has escalated for the direct debit to be cancelled (I didn't do this myself as all the advivce online is to not cancel the direct debit) and then informed me that it will take up to 6 weeks to receive a refund. LOL. If it was the other way around and I owed 3 months road tax I'm pretty sure I couldn't get away with saying "I'll pay you in up top 6 weeks".

Have wasted hours trying to renew my wife's 70+ license. The new on line process is a joke. It has innumerable glitches and requires a level of tech know-how extremely rare in over 70s. The previous process , which I used in September to renew my license,worked okay. If it ain't broke don't fix it. Presumably a case of cart leading the horse to justify the IT budget. Now will have to renew by post,which is exactly what an on line process is supposed to reduce.No wonder government department productivity is so dire.

No stars from me

I spoke to some one dvla they been charging me for 4 month in the row road tax after car was sold
I give all information and they told me is not me
Is so unfair and sick how they deal with people
I gave all the information they needed

dvla has lost its way.Reasonable service last time licence needing renewing.This time 10 weeks after receiving my application still stuck in medical dept with no changes in health.My wifes renewal was rejected as she stated she had no symptoms because of modern 24 electronic monitoring for low sugar.Time for a rethink in how the medical dept is working.

WOULD NOT EVEN GIVE ONE STAR!
THE DVLA ARE BY FAR THE MOST USELESS AND STRESSFULL SERVICE I HAVE EXPERIENCED.

THEY ARE ABSOULTLEY USELESS AND NO POINT OF HAVING A CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE,

WHY DOES IT TAKE 4-6 WEEKS TO PROCESS A SIMPLE LETTER!

SOMETHING SO SIMPLE COULD HAVE EASLIY BEEN RESOLVED HAS NOW ESCLATED TO A FINE.

DISGUSTING SERVICE FROM THE SERVICE ADVISOR.

WORST EXPERIENCE.

I lost wallet. I paid the £20 fee for replacement. I get loads of forms for medical. I send back. I get more. I send back. OMG. I have no medical problems. Yet DVLA insist I have a medical problems. DVLA listed to 3rd party they never contacted my GP who will tell them I have NO medical problems. I paid for a replacement yet stupid DVLA insist I have a medical problems that they don't even know what it is my boss has read reviews now because DVLA decided post lies I have no job as it was a driving job. Thanks DVLA.for your lies. Wankers

Applied to renew 70s licence in May 25, after several failed attempts for reasons that weren't relevant to my application I was told to reapply enclosing a cheque and photo, this was in September. The cheque was cashed in October its now December and nothing, was told to wait. I've made a complaint that states it should be dealt with in 8 to 10 days ,guess what that's been and gone. May to December with no sign of licence, what a shambles.

Unbelievably rude. The woman I was talking to spoke with such a sarcastic tone and gave me awful attitude when I was confused and asking questions. I have a brain injury and am disabled. All I needed was some information from someone who was calm and kind. This is no way to speak to people who have a history of mental illness. She needs to not be working for DVLA. I am horrified and disgusted.

I applied to renew my licence in Mid October which expired a week ago. I rung them to see what the delay was at the beginning of November, to be told I had a reportable eye condition and yet the website says completely opposite. It isn’t reportable. I was advised to fill in a form and email to them, which I did. Come the end of November, I call them again and ask what’s happening? They say we haven’t received the form, telling me a week earlier they had the form. Infuriating isn’t the word, this time I sent the form via 2 of my different email addresses and in the post recorded delivery. They finally received that, I’ve now got no photocard, that was what had expired not my licence itself. Still waiting, can’t get through to medical team. Tried there callback service and it’s failed to call back 4 times now. Very disappointed. It’s not the staff fault, it’s down to management.

I tried renewing online it was easy BUT my renewal was unsuccessful. SO I opted to fill in the renwal form they sent me by post, my problem is that the questions on the form were exactly the same as online! So why was it not enough?
I suspect that they are so busy that they delay to try and catch up, by the ratings on trust pilot I expect many feel the same way.

Despite having a driving licence card, which was updated in 2024, I have spent an ENTIRE afternoon trying to change my address on the DVLA GOV. UK website, because the DVLA website doesn't recognise its own details on a driving licence it issued. It is beyond pathetic that a licence issued in 2024 isn't recognised by the DVLA. Because I don't have a passport at the moment, I have been sent from pillar to post, but I do have a disabled badge, and am registered to vote. Apparently, the DVLA uses EXPERIAN, the credit reference agency, to check each application out. GIVE ME STRENGTH. No wonder so many licences are incorrect when police pull people over. Another government failure. I wouldn't give the site 1 star, if I could get away with it.

Would give minus score if possible.

Painfully outdated processes making what should be able to be done quickly and easily online an ordeal needing to get to a post office, pay by old fashioned means (cheque or postal order) with no digital option. Who has time for that? Their processes are awful and need to be brought in line with modern methods that have the end user in mind. Currently using entirely unsuitable methods causing unnecessary stress.

Cannot find an available spots to retake my test as they are all instantly taken by bots.

I refuse to pay £200 to some bot.

Hopeless. For some reason, the V5 certificate received when purchasing a vehicle wasn't accepted by DVLA. So I follow their procedure to get a new V5, only to be told that they can't process it and it'll cost £25 to get a new one. Dealing with DVLA is infuriating; the system is not fit for purpose. It's like they've devised a system to be as unhelpful and difficult as possible.

I received a standard reminder to renew my licence online, which they assured me is "quicker and easier" than by post. I had to create an account first, which involved a lot of personal info & code numbers sent to my phone. Ready to log in, another code number to my phone. I then went through the whole renewal process to be told at the end my passport was refused as ID, even though it's only 4 years old. Kicked out. I then went through the whole process again & opted to answer questions to prove my identity. They kicked me out again as I hadn't answered the questions correctly, but they never actually asked me any questions! I then tried using my driving licence to prove my identity. The dates on my photo licence were "invalid", despite being what was clearly on my licence. Kicked out again. I tried calling, stuck in a queue which was too long, & I was advised to go back to the website.