The DVLA has also announced new rules regarding Clean Air Zones and towing
Drivers could face a £1,000 fine as the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) announced an important change regarding drivers’ licenses.
It is one of three rule changes the authority has announced, the first of which is in regards to license expiry dates.
Last year, drivers whose license were set to expire between February and December 2020 were given an automatic 11-month extension because of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. However as the last of the extensions now come to an end, it’s time for drivers to renew their licenses.
In a tweet, the DVLA said: “If your driving licence expired in December 2020, the 11 month extension from the date of expiry is coming to an end. You must renew your driving licence by November 2021.”
Licenses which were due to expire in December 2020 will need to be renewed by the end of November 2021 but the DVLA is warning that paper applications are taking as long as six to 10 weeks to process, with “longer delays” still possible due to the lasting impacts of the pandemic.
Drivers with an expired license could face a fine of up to £1,000.
If your driving licence expired in December 2020, the 11 month extension from the date of expiry is coming to an end. You must renew your driving licence by November 2021 and the quickest way to do this is online at https://t.co/S61ejG1XPH pic.twitter.com/1wa7XTPGKW
— DVLA (@DVLAgovuk) October 15, 2021
Meanwhile, Portsmouth is set to become the third city, after Birmingham and Bath, to introduce a Clean Air Zone, with this coming into effect from November 29.
This will mean that hire cars such as taxis will be charged £10 per day to drive in the zone, with coaches and lorries having to pay a £50 fee to drive in the designated zone.
This is despite the city’s council saying back in September that the scheme was “not a preferred option” to reduce emissions, according to Birmingham Mail.
The council said: “We’ve been working hard to make sure that anyone that may be charged as part of the CAZ has been informed and supported, and in many cases, we’ve been able to offer support for owners to upgrade their non-compliant vehicles.
“Although a Clean Air Zone is not our preferred option for improving air quality in Portsmouth, we are required by central government to launch the zone.”
The final rule change announced by the DVLA is in relation to towing. This rule change means that anyone who passed their driving test after January 1 1997 can now tow a trailer up to 3,500kg, without having to take an extra driving and trailer test.
The DVLA will automatically update your driving licence record to show you can tow trailers.
However it has warned drivers can be fined £1,000, issued penalty points or even banned from the roads if they tow anything heavier before the law changes.
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