DVLA change of address: how to do it – and why
Letting the DVLA know when you’ve moved house is a necessary step to avoid fines and other complications. We share how...
Moving house is often a stressful time, filled with transporting and rearranging furniture, booking utilities and registering with local health services. Of course, you’ll also need to give organisations, such as your workplace, bank and insurance provider, your new address.
The same is true with the DVLA. It’s important that you inform the organisation of your new address as soon as possible so that a number of documents about you and your vehicle are kept up to date. These include.
- Your driving licence
- Your vehicle’s log book (V5C)
- Your vehicle tax Direct Debit (if that’s how you pay)
- Your personal registration number document (if you have one)
- Your trailer registration certificate (if you have one)
To avoid the risk of fines and other complications, here, we share how to change the address on your driving licence – either online or by post – and answer some common questions about the process.
How do I change the address on my driving licence?
It’s possible to register a driving licence change of address with the DVLA either online or by post, with both options being free of charge. To change the address of your driving licence online, you’ll need to have your current driving licence, National Insurance number and (if you have one) your UK passport number to hand and follow these steps:
- Go to the DVLA’s ‘Change the address on your driving licence’ page
- Set up a ‘Driver and Vehicles’ account (using photo ID, current home address and former home address)
- Provide your basic details (such as your name, date of birth and gender)
- Share your new address (including how long you’ve lived there) and any other addresses you’ve lived at for the past three years
- Enter your 16-digit driver number (found below the expiry date on your driving licence), the two-digit driving licence issue number and the 10 or 12-digit code found in the bottom right corner of the back of your photocard driving licence
- Provide your National Insurance number and, if you have one, your UK Passport number
- Select whether you want to renew your driving licence (this isn’t necessary to update the address on your current licence) and whether you want to be added to the NHS Organ Donor Register
- Enter your email address
- Carefully check that the information you’ve submitted is correct before you submit
You can also update the address on your driving licence via post by doing the following:
- Find the D741 form that came with your driving licence or get a new D1 form online or from the Post Office
- Fill out the form in block capitals, including your name, new address, licence details and medical conditions
- Send the form and your current driving licence to:
DVLA
Swansea
SA99 1BN
How long does the DVLA take to update a driving licence?
After registering a change of address with the DVLA, you’ll receive an updated driving licence with your new address through the post. If you change your address online, your new licence will likely arrive within two weeks. You can track your driving licence application by logging into your ‘Driver and Vehicles’ account or by entering either your 14-digit application reference number or 12-digit reference number beginning with ‘FP’.
Once you receive your new driving licence through the post, you’ll need to send the old licence back to the DVLA.
Changing your driving licence address address with the DVLA via post is a slower process, meaning it can take as long as three weeks before you receive your new driving licence. If you’ve not received anything after this time, you should contact the DVLA via their email or webchat service, by calling 0300 790 6801 or by writing to:
Drivers Customer Services
Correspondence Team
DVLA
Swansea
SA6 7JL
In either case, so long as your current licence is valid and you’ve not been disqualified, you can continue to drive until you receive your new licence.
Will the DVLA fine me for changing my address late?
Keeping the DVLA informed about any changes to your address is a legal requirement and should be done as soon as possible after moving. If you fail to let the DVLA know about your new address, you could receive a fine of up to £1000.
By not updating your address in time, there’s also the potential that you’ll miss letters from the DVLA, such as tax reminders and fines for motoring offences. As a result, you might face even larger consequences if you fail to respond in time.
Do students need to change the address on their licence?
While all drivers who have permanently moved to a new address are legally required to inform the DVLA, motorists who are only temporarily moving to a new address and can still be contacted at their permanent address don’t have to update their licence.
For instance, many university students who are living away from home won’t need to change the address on their licence so long as they can still access mail sent to their permanent address.
What Car? says…
Changing the address on your driving licence is vital because, if the DVLA can’t contact you, you’ll likely miss out on any letters the organisation sends. As a result, you run the risk of forgetting to tax your car, failing to provide required medical information or not paying fines in time, all of which can land you in hot water.
Of course, the DVLA isn’t the only organisation you’ll need to inform when you move house, either. You must also let your car insurance provider know your new address as soon as possible, else they might not pay out if you need to make a claim and could even invalidate your policy.
As such, while the address that’s printed on your driving licence and vehicle log book may seem insignificant, keeping it up to date can give you considerable peace of mind against future complications.
