Martin Lewis has issued a warning to British drivers, urging them to check a specific part of their driving licence that could affect more than 2 million people this year. The Money Saving Expert highlighted that many drivers may overlook the expiry date on their photo licence, which is only valid for 10 years.
Check Section 4B on your licence
In his latest newsletter, Lewis advised drivers to examine Section 4B of their licence, which contains the photo licence's expiry date. "Get your driving licence out, and check section 4b," he warned. "While your driving licence itself is valid for many decades, the photo licence that you get is only valid for 10 years," he added. "And 2.7 million of them are expiring this year."
Lewis took to social media to explain how drivers with a specific Section 4B licence will need to renew their photo licence. Section 4B is the best way to check if yours is going to run out soon, as a driver's licence is only valid for 10 years.
Risk of a £1,000 fine
If you miss the expiry date and are found to be driving with an invalid licence, then you could be issued with a £1,000 fine. "Ultimately, if you're driving with an expired licence and you get stopped by the police, if you continue to not do what they tell you, you could be fined up to a £1,000," Lewis warned.
However, he reassured drivers that renewing is straightforward. "But if your licence has expired, don't panic. All you need to do is go online and renew it. It costs £14 if you do it online," he said. Lewis noted that drivers do receive reminders, but "lots of people ignore then or miss them or just don't do it."
Different rules for over-70s
Lewis also pointed out that the rules are different for older drivers. If you are aged 70 or above, you need to renew your licence more frequently. "Technically, the over-70s renewal is different," he said. "That isn't about your photo (which needn't be renewed every 3 years, it can be kept). It's a medical declaration and eyesight confirmation, I believe. In practice, though, yes, it's every three years."
He concluded: "So I hope this is a waste of time and yours is in date without any problems. But just in case it isn't, have a look at the 4B on your licence."
