At present, there is no law stating that you must stop driving once you reach a certain age. Although, once you reach the age of 70, you must apply to DVLA to renew your licence every 3 years. Choosing to surrender your licence is a decision that you must make when you no longer wish to drive or are unable to do so comfortably and safely.
This is unless you develop a medical condition, or a pre-existing condition worsens which impacts your driving in a way that you can no longer meet the medical standards of fitness to drive.
If you would like to learn more about the connection between medical conditions and driving, feel free to visit our webpage below:
Surrendering your licence
If you are worried about your ability to drive, it is recommended that you discuss your concerns with your GP. They will be best suited to advise you on your personal situation and how best to proceed with any conditions you may have.
If you decide to or are advised by a doctor to stop driving, you can voluntarily surrender your licence.
This is done by completing a ‘declaration of voluntary surrender’ form, which you send to the DVLA alongside your driving licence.
This form can be found on the government website below.
Recovering your licence
If your licence was revoked on a medical basis, you can only reapply once your GP confirms that you meet the medical standards for driving.
You need to fit the criteria of s.88 of the Road Traffic Act if you are waiting for DVLA to send your licence out to you. This is explained further in this DVLA leaflet.
We have also produced a calculator you may wish to use to establish whether s.88 of the Road Traffic Act applies to your circumstances which would mean you are legal to drive even if you are awaiting your physical licence from DVLA.
https://www.motoroffence.co.uk/dvla-licence-renewal-calculator/
The s.88 criteria may apply if you surrendered your licence voluntarily, you can recover your licence and drive whilst it is being renewed so long as the following conditions apply:
- You have the support of your GP to continue driving
- You had a valid licence
- You only drive under the conditions of the previous licence
- Your application is less than a year old
- Your last licence wasn’t revoked or refused for medical reasons
- You are not currently disqualified
- You were not disqualified as a high-risk offender on or after 1 June 2013
To conclude, unless you are advised by your GP not to drive due to a medical condition, surrendering your licence is a personal choice. There are organisations that assist with testing your driving skills if you are concerned about your capabilities and, should you decide to surrender your licence, the process is a simple one to follow.
Tools to help you if you are trying to appeal a licence revocation decision
Unfortunately, we do not offer a service to assist with DVLA enquiries or advise you in relation to your own case circumstances. However, we outline below some articles on our website and the DVLA site that may assist you.
https://www.motoroffence.co.uk/updating-the-dvla-your-questions-answered/
What can I do to get DVLA to reply to me?
Other than wait for DVLA to get in touch, you can raise a complaint to DVLA via their complaints procedure : https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/driver-and-vehicle-licensing-agency/about/complaints-procedure
We are also aware of cases where the support of a local MP can prompt DVLA into progressing applications and so you may wish to involve your MP.
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