MCN has ensured no more motorcyclists need lose their licence to DVLA cock-ups by rewriting the government agency’s policy on licence renewals.
DVLA bosses have agreed to immediately implement an MCN proposal that old licences be returned to riders when replacements are issued.
It means that if motorcycle entitlement is missing from the new licence, riders will have the old one to prove it.
We put the proposal forward in August after hearing hundreds of reports of DVLA deleting people’s motorcycle entitlement in a saga which spanned years.
Rider’s who’ve had to take a motorcycle test from scratch include Donington Park chief executive Simon Gillett and a police technician who’d been riding force bikes for over a decade.
Our proposal won the backing of the RAC, AA, MPs and many of you who signed a petition. Because it has been adopted, no-one who has genuinely had a motorcycle licence in the past need ever retake their test.
The DVLA’s decision follows a consultation with motorcycle groups, the police and MCN.
Our original proposal was that old licences be returned with the corner cut off. The DVLA has agreed instead to return them with a hole punched in the photograph.
The agency was concerned some people may try to pass the old licence off as a current one by covering the corner with a finger while showing it to police.
Paper licences will be returned with ‘cancelled’ stamped on them.
The new procedure will apply whenever any licence holders apply for a replacement licence, for example because their address has changed or because their photocard licence has expired.
All they must to do to get the old one back is include a stamped self-addressed envelope with the application and a note asking for it to be returned. The change comes into effect immediately.
DVLA’s decision was announced today by the agency’s corporate affairs director David Evans.
He said: “If you put a stamped address envelope in with your application and ask us to return your old licence, we’ll return it to you with a hole punched through the photograph on it.
"If you send the paper counterpart in, we’ll send that back with ‘cancelled’ stamped on it.”
The stamped self-addressed envelope is needed because old licences are processed at a different DVLA office to the one which issues replacements.
Evans said licence holders who had changed address could alternatively keep their old licence until the new one arrived if they did the application on the agency’s website.
I have a renewal this month for HGV and i was having a few concerns about it knowing what has gone on in the past so reading the leading thread it looks like those worries could be laid to rest we hope.......... Let you now soon
Simple to do a photo copy of the original before sending in! I Always have made a copy of any I.D document sent anywhere, "just in case" it goes missing. Also protects you from this sort of debarcal.
I understand what your saying about a photo copy HULL and i have done it many times but the DVLA would not accept photo copies of license details as proof of entitlement. Even a mechanic and road tester who works for the police and had his details checked every 6 months still had to re-sit his bike test after the DVLA cocked up. Other people have received BIKE,CAR,PSV and HGV entitlements when changing address's and have never taken a test. The only copy that will save you is the one you can get from the DVLA and cost a few pounds, get it before you send your license off and you can then use it as proof if a cock up does happen.
YAY !!! about time!!
Tho I notice its still down to you the license holder to send a S.A.S.E. with a note saying you want your old one back when like Craig says itsa done deal that you get your old passports back.
A bit of an update....MCN has not ended the lost licence chaos. My biking buddy has just received his licence back from the DVLA and his plastic card part of his licence is correct, bike and car parts ok.
But his paper part says he is only a provisional bike and car licence holder. After speaking to the DVLA they said they had no evidence to say he had a full licence and would need a retest. Thankfully he has kept his old paper licence to prove he has entitlement.....the wheels are still in motion at this time to see what the out come will be.
I'd guard that original, as if my life depended on it.
Certainly wouldn't let those incompentant numpties at DVLA get their hands on it. Send 'em copies only.
absolutely unbelievable that this can go on like this! The DVLA bosses should hang their heads in shame,
Not only do you have to retake all your tests, but if you've had a licence for 20 years then you loose that 'experience' towards your insurance costs! Not just the experience but all your NCB will be lost also because the insurance wont except you have X years NCB when you've only had your licence for Y years.
Really shocking and outrageous!
a mate of mine (who used to be on this site) got banned so the court sent his licence off to DVLA.
When his ban was over he re-applied for his licence only to be told by DVLA that they have no records of him EVER having a licence - not even a provisional!
They would not accept the copies that the COURT had taken or their evidence that they had banned him!!
They wouldn't even take the documentary evidence of the HGV tests he'd taken either!
So they are now saying that he has to take all his tests again......however this also means that as they have no record of ANY of his tests, they also have no record of his ban ?
So...where would he then stand re insurance??? the Insurance companies have records (that they share) that he has had insurance before for various vehicles - yet if the DVLA say that he's never had a licence ....?????
Wonder how you'd get on sending a solicitors letter (and costs) to the DVLA ??
They can't be above the law, which seems to be how they're acting
I'm sure MCN would be interested, if the DVLA are not getting their act together.
The cock ups will keep happening because the DVLA are not accountable in their eyes for computer errors and people that don't understand English that well. But putting a side the conspiracy theory, these charming idiots at the DVLA don't understand that the taking away of someone's licence could-can-and has caused people to loose jobs and in some case's their homes. It is total incompetence on behalf of the Government to let a organisation like the DVLA continue blindly deleting documents of such importance and refusing a granted entitlement without looking at information such as photo copies of- insurance details, previous licence's, currant job position etc etc. If this current problem with my mates licence is not resolved favourably he will take this to his MP and then to court to prove entitlement and claim compensation. He currently works in the motor trade but in the army he was a close protection driver !!!! We wait and see.
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