Renew your driving licence at 70 plus
You must apply to renew your licence when it is due to expire. Check the date of expiry of your licence at section 4b of your plastic photocard licence.
Licence period
Driving licences sent to applicants aged 70 years or over will normally be valid for up to three years. If you wish to continue driving, you must renew your licence.
No charge
There is no fee if your application is made no more than two months before the expiry of your present licence, or if you're applying to renew an expired licence. ('Expiry' and 'expired' means when the date at 4b on the plastic card part of your driving licence has passed.)
You'll get a renewal notice
About two months before your present licence expires, the DVA will send you a renewal notice.
Renew online
Once you've got your renewal notice, you can apply to renew your car, motorcycle and tractor driving licence online at the link below. During the process you'll be asked to give a digital photo of yourself. By following the digital photo guidelines at the link below, you'll avoid your application being delayed:
The benefit of renewing online is that you'll get your driving licence much sooner than if you renew by post.
Be alert to unofficial websites offering online driver licensing.
If you don't receive a renewal notice
The DVA send out reminders to renew your driving licence as a courtesy but are not obliged to let you know that your licence is due to expire.
If, for any reason, you don’t receive the renewal notice from the DVA, you can apply online:
Renewing your C1 or D1 licence categories
If you wish to renew your C1 or D1 licence categories, you cannot renew your licence online and must send the filled in reminder form by post. You must also include the 'medical examination report' (DLM1 form) filled in by a doctor, in support of your application. This applies whether you previously held full, restricted or voluntary entitlement.
C1 and D1 licence categories explained:
DLM1 forms are available from the DVA by calling driver licensing.
Your doctor may charge you a fee for filling in the DLM1 medical report.
Medical conditions
You must tell DVA if you’ve ever had, or presently suffer from, a medical condition that may affect your driving:
When to expect your licence
The DVA aims to process your licence within 10 working days of receiving a fully filled in application. This may take longer if your health or personal details have to be checked. Allow at least four weeks for your driving licence to arrive before contacting the DVA.
If your driving licence has not arrived six weeks after you made your application, contact DVA Driver Licensing.
If you do not tell the DVA within eight weeks that your licence has not arrived, you must apply for a duplicate licence and pay the relevant fee.
Driving before new licence arrives
Once the DVA has received your valid application you can drive before you receive your new driving licence as long as you:
- have held a Northern Ireland or Great Britain licence issued since 1 January 1976 or another exchangeable licence - explained at the following links: GBR, Jersey, Guernsey, IOM, Gibraltar driving licences and Exchanging your foreign driving licence
- have made a qualifying application for a licence
- aren't disqualified from driving
- haven't been refused a licence for medical reasons or for failing to follow the DVA medical enquiries
- wouldn't be refused a licence for medical reasons (if in doubt, check with your doctor)
- keep to any special conditions which apply to the licence
Deciding to stop driving
There’s no legal age at which you must stop driving. You can decide when to stop, as long as you don’t have any medical conditions that affect your driving. Find out how changes to your health can affect your driving and how to give up your licence at the link below: