Older drivers won't 'legally be allowed to drive' if they don't follow little-known rule

Older drivers "won’t be legally allowed to drive" on UK roads due a little-known DVLA rule every motorist above the age of 70 has to follow. Road users must renew their driver's licence at 70 to be legally allowed to remain on Britain's roads.

Motorists who aren't aware of the rule, or who simply forget to renew, will no longer have a valid driving licence past their 70th birthday. At this stage, individuals simply "won't be allowed" to drive legally with anyone found behind the wheel without a licence likely to be penalised. Motorists can renew their licence online in just a matter of minutes making it easy and accessible for almost all motorists.

Those without access to the internet can also fill out a physical form and send off to the DVLA, meaning there are no barriers in place,

Age UK said: "The DVLA should send you a D46P application form 90 days before your 70th birthday.

"Don’t forget to apply for any extra categories of vehicle covered on your old licence if you still want to be able to drive them. There might be extra costs for these but if you don’t apply for these extra categories you’ll only be able to drive a car in future.

"If your licence expires and you don't apply for a new one, you won't legally be allowed to drive."

Age UK warns motorists may need to wait up to three weeks for a new photocard driving licence to be posted out.

However, most road users can continue driving while they wait, meaning the renewal process should not be inconvenient.

According to experts, motorists can stay behind the wheel while they drive if they are not currently disqualified from driving, have a valid licence, or not had your licence revoked for medical reasons.

GOV.UK said: "Renewing online is easier and quicker than paper – there’s no fiddling about with forms or postage. If you apply online, your licence should arrive within one week.

"It’s also free! That’s right – there’s no charge to use our ‘Renew at 70’ service on GOV.UK. So avoid any third-party websites that charge premiums for DVLA services.

"These sites charge a fee to pass a driver’s application to DVLA, but they are not affiliated with DVLA and often charge for services which are cheaper or free on GOV.UK."