Updating Your Driving Licence: Name, Photo, Address & Endorsements (2026)

Your driving licence isn't a "get it and forget it" document. Change your name, move house, hit the 10-year photo renewal, or collect penalty points, and the DVLA needs to know — in several cases it's a legal requirement, not a nice-to-have. This guide covers every update that needs a new licence: what triggers it, how to do it, what it costs, and how long it takes.

Change of address: free, and legally required

If you move house, you must tell the DVLA — driving with the wrong address on your licence risks a fine of up to £1,000. The update is free:

• Online at gov.uk/change-address-driving-licence — new licence in about 1–2 weeks. You'll need your licence number, National Insurance number and new address.
• By post — complete the change-of-address section of the D741 form (or a D1 from a Post Office) and send it with your photocard to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BN. Allow 3–4 weeks.

Note: changing your address online and changing your name at the same time can't be done in one online transaction — name changes must go by post with original documents. Our dedicated change-of-address guide covers this in full, including what counts as "moving" for students and second homes.

Change of name: by post, with original documents

Marriage, divorce, deed poll — whatever the reason, a name change needs:

1. A completed D1 form (from a Post Office or gov.uk/dvlaforms).
2. Your current photocard licence.
3. Original supporting documents — marriage certificate, civil partnership certificate, decree absolute or enrolled deed poll. Not copies.
4. Everything sent to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BN — use Royal Mail Special Delivery for originals.

There's no fee for the name change itself on the licence, but if you're also renewing your photo at the same time the usual photo-renewal fee applies. If you need to change name and address together, do it in the single postal application — the online address service can't process a simultaneous name change. See our DVLA addresses guide for the right postal addresses.

Photo renewal: every 10 years, £14 online

The photograph on your photocard expires every 10 years, even though your driving entitlement continues. Let it lapse and you're driving on an expired photocard — which carries a potential £1,000 fine.

• Online: £14 via GOV.UK, new licence in about a week. If your passport is current and your licence isn't due to expire within 2 years, the DVLA can usually reuse your passport photo with your permission.
• By post: the D1 route; slower and costs more in practice once photos and postage are counted.
• Free if you're 70 or over, or you hold a short-period medical licence.

The DVLA sends a reminder before expiry, but reminders go to the address on your licence — one more reason to keep it current.

Replacing a lost, stolen or damaged licence: £20

A lost or damaged photocard doesn't affect your entitlement to drive — only the card is gone. Replace it online for £20 (about a week) or by post (3+ weeks). You can lawfully keep driving while you wait, provided your entitlement is valid — but if you're asked to produce your licence, the clock starts. Our lost licence guide covers the fraud-protection steps too. If you find the old card after a replacement is issued, don't destroy it — return it to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AB with a note.

Passed your test? Getting your full licence

Passing your practical test is also a licence update — the upgrade from a provisional licence to a full licence — and in most cases you do not have to apply for it at all.

The automatic route: let the examiner arrange it

Straight after a pass, the examiner will usually:

1. Take your provisional photocard driving licence.
2. Give you your driving test pass certificate.
3. Arrange for the DVLA to send you your full licence.

Your full licence is then posted to the address on your provisional licence. You can start driving as soon as you have passed — you do not have to wait for the full licence to arrive — and you can use your pass certificate as proof that you passed while you wait.

The upgrade itself is free.

When you need to apply for a full driving licence yourself

You only need to apply yourself if:

• You did not give your provisional photocard to the examiner after the test — for example because you need it as ID.
• You have changed your name or address, so it no longer matches the name or address on your provisional licence.
• You hold an old-style provisional licence (one issued before 1998).

To apply by post, you need to:

• Sign the declaration on your driving test pass certificate.
• Fill in form D1, "application for a driving licence" — you can get one from a Post Office that offers DVLA services.
• Include original documents confirming your identity.
• Include a passport photograph, but only if you have a paper provisional licence.
• Include your provisional licence.

Send everything to: DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BN.

The 2-year deadline — do not miss it

If you are applying by post, you must send your documents to the DVLA within 2 years of passing your test, or you will have to take the test again. Put the pass certificate somewhere safe the day you pass, and deal with the application promptly if the automatic route did not apply to you — this is the one licence deadline that costs you your pass if you miss it.

Endorsements and disqualifications

Penalty points don't require you to apply for a new licence — the DVLA updates your record automatically when a court or fixed-penalty office notifies them. But you should:

• Check your record after any conviction using the free check-code service (share code, 21 days, single use).
• Tell your insurer immediately — undeclared points can void your policy.
• Know that most points stay on your licence for 4 years (longer for serious offences), and new drivers face revocation at 6 points within two years of passing.

Medical conditions and updates

Certain medical conditions must be reported to the DVLA — and some require you to stop driving until cleared. This is separate from the admin updates above and genuinely safety-critical: the DVLA's medical team, not a web form, handles these. If in doubt, the GOV.UK "driving with a medical condition" pages are the authority. Never guess on this one.

What updates cost: the quick table

Update	Online	By post
Change of address	Free	Free
Change of name	— (post only)	Free
Photo renewal (10-yearly)	£14	£14 + costs
Lost/stolen/damaged replacement	£20	£20
First provisional	£34	£43

For the full breakdown, see first provisional licence costs and every other DVLA fee in one table.

Common scenarios (and the right move)

• "I'm getting married and changing my name." D1 form + marriage certificate (original) + current photocard, posted to SA99 1BN. You can change address in the same application if you've also moved.
• "I'm a student living away in term time." Your licence address should be where you can be contacted reliably — usually your permanent home address. You don't need to update it for a term-time address you'll leave in June.
• "My photocard expired during lockdown/illness/life." Renew online now (£14). Driving on an expired photocard is technically an offence; insurers also take a dim view. If the expiry was recent and you've already applied, keep the confirmation email.
• "I have points I didn't know about." Generate a check code and view your actual record — then tell your insurer before they find out at renewal.
• "I've been disqualified." Your licence is typically returned automatically at the end of most bans, but for drink/drug and long bans you must reapply (and sometimes retest). The court's paperwork tells you which; if it doesn't, phone the DVLA on 0300 790 6801 rather than guessing.

What updating does not do

Updating your licence doesn't update anything else automatically. Changing your address with the DVLA does not change your V5C logbook address, your vehicle tax records, your insurance, or the electoral roll — each is a separate job. Moving house means a small admin bundle; our DVLA address guide lists the postal routes for the vehicle side too.

The rules referenced here are explained for learners in the complete Highway Code guide.

Frequently asked questions

How long does updating a driving licence take? Online updates typically arrive within a week; postal applications take 3–4 weeks. Name changes (post only) sit at the slower end.

Can I drive while waiting for my updated licence? Yes, provided your underlying entitlement is valid. The admin update doesn't suspend your right to drive — but keep proof of your application.

Do I need a new licence if I change my name? Yes — apply by post with a D1 form and original documents to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BN.

How often must I renew my licence photo? Every 10 years. The DVLA reminds you, but only if your address is current.

I moved but forgot to update my licence. What now? Do it immediately online — it's free and takes minutes. The £1,000 fine applies whether you forgot or deliberately skipped it. See our change-of-address guide.

Who handles driving licence updates — DVLA or DVSA? The DVLA (Swansea) handles all licence administration. The DVSA handles tests and instructors. See DVLA vs DVSA.