Motorists need to renew their photocard driving licence every 10 years. However, according to a recent survey, only 35% of respondents knew that you could renew your driving licence online.
I’ve been a Service Designer on the ‘Renew your licence’ online service for 2 years and over that time have seen it grow in popularity. Our ‘Renew your licence’ online service was used over 3.7 million times in 2021 – if you are wondering what’s in it for you then here’s what you need to know.
1. It’s quicker than applying by paper application
The online driving licence renewal service can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on GOV.UK. The user-friendly service has been designed to guide customers through the application and takes only minutes to complete.
Once your online application has been submitted, your new licence should be issued within a week. This is substantially quicker than applying by paper. You will also save money by applying online. There’s a service to renew a photocard driving licence and a service to renew your licence at 70 and over.
2. It’s easy to use our online service
DVLA’s online services have been specifically designed and tested to ensure that each customer’s journey is smooth and hassle-free. Customers are guided through the application through the simple steps and are informed of all the requirements before the application is started.
In a recent survey, when asked to rank how easy or difficult it is to use DVLA’s online services, 94% of respondents answered “easy” to “very easy”, with over 97% of users stating they would use the online services again in the future.
3. GOV.UK is safe and secure
Insight gathered by our Customer Insight team showed that some customers may feel hesitant or less confident transacting online. 20% of customers stated they would prefer to speak to someone which suggests there may be a lack of trust, either in themselves or the service itself. When using the official GOV.UK website, you can be assured that you are using the official DVLA website, and your details are safe and secure.
DVLA regularly remind customers to always look for GOV.UK when searching for our services online to avoid third-party websites which may charge a premium for using their services. The cost of renewing your photocard driving licence online is only £14 so customers are reminded to remain vigilant of other websites which charge more. Renewing your driving licence at age 70+ is free and you will never be charged for this service on GOV.UK.
90% of those who use our online services don’t go back to using paper applications. So, if your driving licence is about to expire, why not give the simple and secure online service a try?
You can also try our other services which are also available online: