Renew your driving licence 2026

What it really costs

How you renew	Cost	How long
Online at GOV.UK (gov.uk/renew-driving-licence)	£14	About 1 week
By post (D1 pack → DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1DH, with a passport-type photo)	£17 cheque/postal order	Around 3 weeks
At a participating Post Office (take your reminder letter + photocard)	£21.50	Around 3 weeks
Aged 70 or over — every 3 years (online or D46P form)	FREE	About 1 week online
Medical short-period licence	FREE	Can take longer (medical checks)

The copycat-website trap Third-party "licence renewal services" pay to appear above GOV.UK in search results and charge £40–£90 to submit the same application — sometimes adding nothing but their fee. Always type gov.uk directly into your browser. If you've already paid one, you may be able to get the extra fee back — try your card provider, and check our am-I-being-ripped-off guide.

How to renew — the official way

Online (cheapest and fastest): go to gov.uk/renew-driving-licence, sign in (or create sign-in details), prove your identity if asked — usually with a passport — and pay £14 by card. Your new licence is valid from the date the application is approved.
At a Post Office: take the reminder letter DVLA sends you, plus your photocard, to a Post Office that handles DVLA renewals. They take your photo there. £21.50.
By post: get a D1 pack from a participating Post Office, include a recent passport-type photo (don't sign the back), your current photocard, and a £17 cheque or postal order payable to DVLA. Send to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1DH.

Changed your name? You can't renew online or at the Post Office if your name or title has changed — you must apply by post with identity documents. Changing the address on your licence is different: free, online, any time — and you can be fined up to £1,000 for not keeping it up to date.

Renewing at 70 and over

Your licence stops being valid at 70 — but renewing is free, and then it's free every 3 years after.
DVLA posts you a D46P reminder form shortly before your 70th birthday, or renew online at gov.uk/renew-driving-licence-at-70.
There's no driving test and no medical exam — you self-declare that you meet the eyesight standard (reading a number plate from 20 metres, with glasses if needed) and declare any notifiable medical conditions.
Be honest on the medical declaration: driving with an undeclared notifiable condition can invalidate insurance and lead to a fine.

Can you keep driving while you wait?

Usually, yes. GOV.UK confirms you can continue driving while your renewal is processed, provided you've sent a valid application, you haven't been told by a doctor or optician not to drive, you meet any conditions on your previous licence, and you're not disqualified. Online renewals arrive in about a week; postal and Post Office applications take around 3 weeks — longer if medical or personal details need checking. When the new photocard arrives, send the old one back to the address DVLA gives you.

Do this now

Check section 4b of your photocard — that's the expiry date most people have never looked at. If it's within a few months, renew today at gov.uk/renew-driving-licence (£14) — typed directly, never via an ad.

Moved house since you got it? Update the address free at GOV.UK — it takes minutes and avoids a fine of up to £1,000.

Northern Ireland

DVLA covers Great Britain only. In Northern Ireland, driving licences are issued and renewed by the DVA (Driver & Vehicle Agency) — renew through nidirect.gov.uk. The 10-year photocard cycle and the at-70 rules work similarly, but check nidirect for NI fees and forms.

Source verification Primary source: GOV.UK — Renew your driving licence (read directly, page updated 21 May 2026) · gov.uk/renew-driving-licence. Last verified 10 June 2026. Confidence: High — fees and process read from the live GOV.UK page. Key facts: £14 online · £17 post · £21.50 Post Office · free at 70+ and medical short-period · ~1 week online, ~3 weeks post. Scope: Great Britain (DVLA); Northern Ireland uses the DVA via nidirect.

Driving licence renewal — common questions

How much does renewal cost?

£14 online at GOV.UK, £17 by post, £21.50 at a Post Office — free if you're 70 or over or have a medical short-period licence. Anything more is a third-party site's added fee.

How do I renew at 70?

It's free, every 3 years. DVLA sends a D46P form before your 70th birthday, or renew online at gov.uk/renew-driving-licence-at-70. No test — you self-declare eyesight and medical conditions.

Can I drive while I wait for the new licence?

Usually yes — GOV.UK confirms you can keep driving while a valid renewal is processed, if a doctor hasn't told you to stop and you're not disqualified.

How often does the photocard need renewing?

Every 10 years (check the date in section 4b), then every 3 years from age 70. Bus and lorry entitlements renew every 5 years separately.

What about moving house or changing my name?

Address changes are free and online — required, with fines up to £1,000 for not updating. Name changes must be done by post with identity documents.

Sources: Renew your driving licence · GOV.UK (read directly 10 Jun 2026 — £14 online, £17 post, £21.50 Post Office, ~1 week online / ~3 weeks post, keep-driving-while-you-wait, name-change-by-post rule). Renew at 70 · GOV.UK renew-driving-licence-at-70 (free, every 3 years, D46P). Address changes · GOV.UK change-address-driving-licence (free; fine up to £1,000 for not updating). Northern Ireland · nidirect (DVA). SortedUK is not DVLA and this is general information, not advice. Last reviewed: 10 June 2026.

Renew your driving licence — £14, not £90.