Revoked Driving Licence: What to do Next
If your driving licence has been revoked it may be because you have 12 or more penalty points on your licence. However, your licence will be revoked if you committed a driving offence such as drink driving that the court though put you and others at risk.
Revocation of your licence can affect your independence but it can affect your job too. This is because some employers see the loss of a driving licence as a serious issue.
It is not unusual for someone to lose their job because they have lost their driving licence. This is particularly the case if they were taxi drivers, lorry drivers or in a post that requires them to drive a vehicle.
If you have a driving licence and you rely on the lorry category to help you make a living you may have to find work elsewhere.
When you Have Lost your Driving Licence
If you have lost your licence because it has been revoked you could be facing a disqualification period. This period can last from 12 months and up to 10 years, depending n the severity of your alleged offence.
There have been some cases where a magistrate has issued a lifetime ban. This will only ever affect you if the court thinks there is a major risk of you re-offending and risking other people’s lives.
When your driving licence that is registered in England is revoked you cannot continue driving. If you are caught driving any vehicle during this time you could receive a custodial sentence, a fine and even further disqualification.
Short Period Disqualification
Short Period Disqualifications or “SPDs” typically last less than 56 days. If you have a disqualification such as this you will get your driving licence returned to you.
However, the short period disqualification will be recorded on your licence. In a case such as this, you will not need to surrender your full licence.
You can start driving again once the disqualification period is up. This means you can start driving again the very next day.
You will not be able to drive again until the disqualification has ended. The good news is that you do not need to apply for a new licence, you can just start driving again.
The length of your ban could depend on how many years you have been driving and how many points you have received. If you have received more than 12 points with 3 years of passing your driving test you could face a ban.
Applying for Reinstatement
If your disqualification period lasted more than 56 days you will have to contact DVLA. You cannot start driving right away, you will need to complete a D27P form which will be sent to you.
When you receive a letter such as this, you will need to complete it as soon as you can. This will ensure you can start driving as soon as possible.
If you do not receive a D27P form you may have to complete a D1 application form. You will not be able to start driving again until you have received a driving licence in the post.
Alcohol-related Offences
If you were disqualified from driving due to alcohol-related offences you may not automatically get your driving licence back. The DVLA may make some health checks before your licence is returned.
You will, therefore, need to make allowances for this as it could take longer to receive your licence. Depending on the nature of your offence, you may have to take the theory test again, the practical driving test, and the hazard perception test again.
In the meantime, you may want to apply for a provisional licence. Your new provisional licence will show the endorsements you’ve received.
Endorsements on your Licence
The endorsements may stay on your licence even if the disqualification period has expired unless a magistrate instructs otherwise. In a case such as this, you will need to appear before a magistrate to put your case forward for the removal of the endorsements.
Receiving a Driving Ban
If you have received a driving ban (Disqualification) you will need to surrender your licence. You may also need to surrender your licence if you suffer from a condition or illness which makes it hard to drive safely.
If you have received a driving ban it will be because you have either received 12 or more penalty points. Alternatively, you may have committed a serious motoring offence.
If you do not surrender your licence you will be breaking the law. If you continue to drive once you have been disqualified you could receive a prison sentence.
More Serious Motoring Offences
If you have been caught committing a serious offence the courts may disqualify you. You will receive a mandatory disqualification if you are caught drink driving. Other offences that could result in you being disqualified include:
• Driving without the appropriate insurance
• Driving without the appropriate licence
• Unauthorised off-road driving
• Inconsiderate driving
Medical Grounds and Surrendering your Licence
You may have to surrender your driving licence if you are are in ill health. It may be better to surrender your licence that risk driving if you are not deemed medically fit to do so.
If your doctor tells you that you should no longer drive you will need to voluntarily surrender your licence. The DVLA will cancel your licence without looking into your medical condition.
If you do not surrender your licence because you are unfit to drive the DVLA may revoke it.
How to Re-Apply for your Licence
If you no longer suffer from ill-health or there have been some changes to your circumstances you may wish to have your licence reinstated. In cases such as this, you will need to contact your doctor.
Your doctor will need to show the DVLA some proof that you are now fit to drive. You can then apply for your driving licence by filling in the D1 form as well as a medical questionnaire.
When you have re-applied for your driving licence you can drive on the roads as soon as the DVLA has received your application. You can do this under section 88 of the RTA 1988 (Road Traffic Act 1988).
However, you must not have been disqualified from driving when your driving licence was surrendered. Additionally, you must not have had your licence revoked for failing to declare a medical condition.