Dvla Reviews 1.698

I applied to renew my driving licence on 30 October. It is now March, and I am still waiting.
In this time I have contacted DVLA repeatedly – email, phone, webchat, letters and even through my MP. Nothing has moved forward.
Because I cannot upload a valid licence to the work app I use, I have lost my job. DVLA’s delays have literally taken away my ability to work.
On 20 January DVLA wrote to say they were waiting for a response from my doctor. When I checked with my GP surgery, they confirmed that the medical form from DVLA only arrived there on 22 January.
So what happened during the almost three months between 30 October and 22 January before the form was even sent?
Since then, nearly two more months have passed and my licence is still nowhere.
When I contacted DVLA again today via webchat, they simply told me my application is with the Medical Department — something I was already told back in November. The only advice they give is to call the Medical Department, where the waiting time is at least 90 minutes just to speak to someone.
Nearly five months to renew a driving licence is unacceptable, especially when people rely on it for their livelihood.
This delay has caused serious financial stress and completely disrupted my life.
If you depend on your licence for work, be aware: DVLA delays can leave you without income for months.
Extremely poor service.

Contacted to ask why my MOT date was earlier than the registration date and was told “that’s how it is sometimes “ . No explanation and I felt I was bothering them to find out,still don’t know why.

Terrible experience. I have tried five days in a row to get an answer from someone and just talk to a person to get my query answered. I am working on behalf of an elderly person who is getting extremely anxious about not being able to obtain their licence progress. I am now on hold again for 45 minutes. No one seems to be answering. I am also accessing the chat, but no luck there either. No wonder we are all suffering from mental health issues. It is so hard to get anything done in this country!!!!! Not acceptable to be on hold for anything more than 10 minutes. Can the Government please put a customer charter together for all private and public services to deal with customers in a respectful and efficient way, within certain timescales?

Possibly the worst government employees in the country. Put in an application for a driving lisence, followed their guidance exactly. Sent back the application late and did not action, requiring me to fill out sections - that when I telephoned to clarify were not required!

Victim of identity fraud. Someone changed my photo and address on my official driving licence record. DVLA have not responded in over a week despite my MP writing to them, an ICO complaint being active and multiple phone calls. Two recorded calls where their own agents admit they've never seen this happen before. Avoid expecting any urgent help from this organisation if you're a fraud victim. Absolutely disgraceful response to a serious crime.

Absolute slopey shouldered waste of space

Why should I bother to keep my cars within the law when there are plenty out there that don`t bother. Perhaps I should do the same, clearly nobody there gives a shit.

Impossible to get a driving test booked even with new changes coming in, will make no change. Have let Third party systems destroy their system, nothing to do with a back log.

3 hours and still waiting for my call back. Terrible.

Applied for my provisional quick and easy still to receive it but simply easy process just a waiting game witch isn’t to long really at least u have time to prepare well happy with the services

I am extremely frustrated with DVLA specifically the process of applying for my Sons provisional licence which has been passed to the 'medical department'.
As part of the application process you have to answer some very broad questions regarding your medical history. My Son was in hospital for a head injury 12 years ago and signed off 10 years ago however there was nowhere we could informe DVLA of this. We felt obligated to answer yes to the question as it stated not answering correctly could lead to being fined or worse.
We have contacted DVLA as they have had the application since before Christmas. The lady simply answered that the DVLA doesnt give timescales.

We are now in the position where his 17th birthday is looming and DVLA refuse to give him an update on when he will get his licence.
This is a joke - its simply not good enough.

Such an old dated way of dealing with things.
Refund? We will send you a cheque in the post like it's 1982.

Just to get replacement cheques sent I have been asked by the DVLA for the following information,

Driving Licence Numbers.
Driving Test Reference Numbers.
Time, date and locations (for both theory and practical)
The name, address and post code of the person who the cheques were issued to.
The date the original cheque was issued.

Why do you need my test location and date? My driving test was 2007, am I expected to have this information at hand? Some where in West Wickham with a man called Jerry. It was a Toyota Corolla diesel in silver. . .
Absolute joke of a system.
Cheque?? Really.

7 months now after my Driving Lis application - I have applied multiple times and they can't find it ever... I don't understand

Absolute nightmare Tried several times to renew my over 70 driving licence Had to download app Was sent code after code some didn't even come through Finally got as far as the photo which failed to send Started again only told an error occured Never known such a bad online service as this one Had to resort to paper application and post .Now probably a long wait to get it back !!

Absolutely disgusting. I rang, nearly 50 times, over a 2 month period, and sent numerous emails, trying to find out if I was allowed to drive or not.
This was due to a small head injury, which my GP told me I had to inform DVLA about.
Despite explaining that I am starting cancer treatment at the end of March, and was desperate to know, I received one call back, in November, saying "we'll mark your case as urgent".
I heard absolutely nothing after that.
As a result, I had to have some counselling sessions, as my stress was going through the roof.
I don't know what these people do during their shift, if anything.

I was having a nightmare taxing my car, all of my documents were at dvla and my car tax had expired 2 days ago. I rang and spoke to a young lad at dvla and I've got to say he was so helpful, he sorted it for me. I was able to tax my car, he sent me an email to prove it was taxed in case I got stopped, and explained how to apply for the 50% disabled tax when my documents came, and also how to apply for a refund.

Just spent the last 30 mins trying to apply for a replacement driving licence. I was sent to various sections where I had to complete sign ins , register for accounts and then eventually had to take a photo of my passport, which the app refused to allow: "move fingers, avoid white backgrounds etc where there were no fingers or white backgrounds. Eventually I gave up. It's a disgrace.

What is is with government departments - they accept no responsibility if they make a mistake. If they were in the private sector they would have been binned off. My daughter has a brand new car which she has been unable to drive since receipt (beginning February) due to some idiot at DVLA ticking the wrong box. They are so slow in sending out the forms which she needs to get it sorted as it is a government department and sooooo protected that they don't have to do what they should be doing. The car has sat on the drive and she is having to get Ubers to jobs that she cannot get to by public transport. She was given advice to get taxed at post office who have told her she cannot as she is not the registered owner of this brand new car due to the DVLA mistake. I hate the idea that my tax pays the salaries of these idiots :(

Absolute shite total wasted time trying to get this to work ,usual government piece of crap .Very very disappointed .Will have to go to post office now and just pay the extra .Absolute con to the British people.

The DVLA still suffers from rank incompetence and appears to be staffed by a hoard of disinterested individuals who have no interest in their work and no knowledge of the massive Classic Car world. Utterly, utterly useless

They are absolutely useless pathetic accuse for a government department when contacted give you no information just rubbish