Almost a million Brit drivers at risk of £1,000 fine if they forget crucial detail – will you be affected?

ALMOST a million Brits are at risk of being slapped with a £1,000 fine if they forget one crucial detail.

Thousands of motorists could face the penalty fee after failing to renew photocard licences which expired in the past year, an investigation found.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) figures show 926,000 people entitled to drive in Britain held cards on September 3 2022 which became out of date in the 12 months to the end of August.

A small proportion of the 926,000 are likely to have stopped driving without notifying the DVLA.

Some 2.5 million drivers renewed their photocard after it had expired or within 56 days of the expiry date in the past year, data supplied to PA Media show.

Driving entitlement normally remains until someone reaches 70, after which they must renew their licence every three years to stay on the road.

But photocards must be renewed every 10 years to ensure the image is a true likeness of the driver.

Expiry dates are displayed in section 4b on the front of cards.

Failing to return an expired licence to the DVLA is an offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988 and can be punished with a fine of up to £1,000.

The DVLA says it writes to people 56 days before their licence ends to remind them to renew, but many drivers miss the letters as they do not update the agency when their address changes.

Renewing late does not lead to a fine being issued.

However, if a licence expires while the DVLA is processing a renewal application, the person can continue to drive as long as they meet criteria such as following the rules of their previous licence.

After a photocard is surrendered, someone who drives without renewing their licence could be prosecuted for driving otherwise in accordance with a licence.

Philip Gomm of the RAC Foundation said: "There are good reasons to keep licences up to date, beyond the basic legal requirement.

"They are also a widely accepted form of ID and will certainly be required if you are ever stopped by police.

"Renewal also provides an opportunity for people to assess whether they are still fit to drive, and we think there is an argument for linking a compulsory eye test to the process to make sure we all remain safe on the road, though Government should help keep costs as low as possible for motorists.

"When you do renew, beware of private web sites which offer to help with the application but charge an extra fee for doing so."

The DVLA advises people to renew on its official website because it is the quickest and cheapest method.

Applications cost £14 and are usually processed within five days.

And third party websites charge additional fees.

Postal renewals cost £17, while doing it at a Post Office has a £21.50 fee.