UK driving license renewals

[StevePIraq]

Just a quickie mildly connected to the subject of paper Vs plaggy licences...I've been hanging back from getting a plastic card due to reservations about losing my entitlement to drive 7.5 ton trucks..which my paper licence states I can do..anybody else 'switched over' & had this worry..?? Would I still keep this 'bonus' entitlement that I picked up on passing my car test all them years ago..???

I changed my paper for plastic while I was overseas, when it was reissued it retained all of the previous categories from A right through to D1E,

[HHTel]

I was in the UK just over four years ago. I raised this question -'Do I have to change to a photo licence?'. No was the reply. It's totally voluntary. The paper licence is valid until you are 70 years old and that cannot be changed. Not even the government can change the validity of a legal document. They may wish to phase out paper licences in 2015 but they cannot cancel licences that people hold if they are still below the age of 70 in 2015. Check it out!

[STEVE G]

I was in the UK just over four years ago. I raised this question -'Do I have to change to a photo licence?'. No was the reply. It's totally voluntary. The paper licence is valid until you are 70 years old and that cannot be changed. Not even the government can change the validity of a legal document. They may wish to phase out paper licences in 2015 but they cannot cancel licences that people hold if they are still below the age of 70 in 2015. Check it out!

I changed mine because I was having problems while driving in other countries convincing people that a piece of A4 paper without any photo on it was actually a driving licence.
I've since found that the plastic licence comes in handy for other uses as well as it's generally accepted as an official ID card that stops me having to carry a passport all the time.

[chopsticks]

For some purposes (eg.car hire) the photo id card version is not accepted without producing the accompanying paper part showing up any endorsements (penalties) etc. So it's not that useful unless you need it to use as a substitute id card.
You also have the inconvenience and additional cost of renewals that the older paper version (or even older red book) didn't have. A £5 initial fee then valid for 53 years !! If only passports were the same
http://www.avis.co.uk/blog/hiring-car-p ... g-licence/

[STEVE G]

For some purposes (eg.car hire) the photo id card version is not accepted without producing the accompanying paper part showing up any endorsements (penalties) etc.

That only happens in the UK, in the rest of the world they don't even know that the paper part exists so they'll happily rent you a car on the plastic bit alone.

[margaretcarnes]

I was in the UK just over four years ago. I raised this question -'Do I have to change to a photo licence?'. No was the reply. It's totally voluntary. The paper licence is valid until you are 70 years old and that cannot be changed. Not even the government can change the validity of a legal document. They may wish to phase out paper licences in 2015 but they cannot cancel licences that people hold if they are still below the age of 70 in 2015. Check it out!

Is that on their website Tel? It's just that I'm not too sure - the old licence may well be a legal document, but they Government can still change the law. The present lot have already passed a bill which takes away certain other 'indefinite' rights re benefits and I don't trust them as far as I can throw them.