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Written Question
Driving Licences: Internet
Friday 29th October 2021

Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 21 October 2021 to Question 57141 on Driving Licences: Internet, what his planned timetable is for his Department being able to offer the facility of renewing driving licences online for all applicants without a digital passport signature following the recent system interface enhancements between the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and Her Majesty's Passport Office.

Answered by Trudy Harrison

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has successfully delivered a digital service for customers applying for a provisional licence whereby they can upload their own signature. The immediate focus is on delivering further improvements to this provisional driving licence service to allow even more customers to be able to use it. The enhanced functionality is then expected to be rolled out to other driver services, such as renewals, during 2022.


Written Question
Driving Licences: Internet
Wednesday 20th October 2021

Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 23 February 2021 to Question 157213 on Driving Licences: Internet, what progress his Department has made with implementing system interface enhancements between the DVLA and Her Majesty’s Passport Office to allow driving licences to be renewed online for applicants without a digital passport signature.

Answered by Trudy Harrison

Since 24 June 2021, customers applying for their provisional driving licence are now able to upload their signature for the first time and track or update their application.

This functionality will enable the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to further develop services, including online renewals, without requiring a digital passport signature.


Written Question
Driving Licences
Wednesday 28th July 2021

Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to stop the most common driving licence renewal internet searches returning advertisements for third-party scam websites charging £50 to £100 to check and renew licences.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

The paid placement of third party sites in search engine listings continues to be an issue which Government is trying to address with the search engine providers. Currently third party sites are legitimately allowed to provide an alternative service for customers. Some of these sites charge additional fees for checking and forwarding the applications.

The services that are paid for via these sites can be obtained cheaper and, in many cases, free of charge on GOV.UK. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) frequently reminds the public through awareness articles, postings on social media sites and a variety of media outlets to use the official channel for all DVLA services. Both digital and paper reminders and renewal forms are annotated with reminders to use GOV.UK as the only official place to find DVLA services and information.

Where a third party site is identified as operating outside of the guidelines the DVLA will work with the relevant authorities to seek compliance. Failure to comply may lead to the site being removed.


Written Question
Driving Licences: Internet
Monday 1st March 2021

Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to resolve the interface issues between the DVLA and Her Majesty’s Passport Office which is preventing driving licences being renewed online for applicants without a digital passport signature, as detailed in the DVLA's letter to the hon. member for Glenrothes of 17 February 2021.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

Since 2017, Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO) changed its processes so that the passport holder’s’ signature is no longer collected when a passport application is made. Where digital signatures are already held by HMPO, the customer will be able to continue with the online driving licence application process.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is currently developing a new system which will allow customers to upload their own signatures. This is due to be launched later this year.


Written Question
Driving Licences: Internet
Wednesday 27th January 2021

Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he plans to take to enable members of the public to change the name on their driving licence online.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency must verify that the information supporting changes of name is genuine and appropriate before amending the driving licence record and issuing a licence. This is to safeguard the integrity of the records it holds.

There are currently no plans to introduce an online service.


Written Question
Driving Licences: Internet
Wednesday 28th October 2020

Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to tackle websites which charge excessive fees for helping drivers to renew their licence; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) strongly advises drivers only to use Gov.Uk when applying for or renewing a driving licence.

The law allows third-party websites to offer a front-end application provision to some Government services and to set their own fees. These websites are overseen by OFCOM and the Phone Paid Service Authority (PSA). Websites that do not operate within the OFCOM and PSA guidelines, or which are misleading or malicious, can be removed from the internet by these organisations.

Where websites are found to be misleading or acting maliciously there are procedures in place which allow them to be taken down quickly. However, no action can be taken against sites that are operating within the rules even though they may charge fees for services that the DVLA provides more cheaply or free of charge.

Tighter guidelines for third party websites were introduced by OFCOM and the PSA in October 2019. The guidelines stipulate that all promotional material must be distinct in appearance from that of the organisation being sought by the consumer. Promotions must not use descriptions, colour, typeface, logos or marks which imitate, or may be perceived to imitate the organisation the consumer is seeking, nor should any official logos or marks of those organisations be used. Promotions are also prohibited from implying that the information being provided cannot be obtained elsewhere.


Written Question
Driving Licences
Wednesday 17th June 2015

Asked by: Lord Morris of Aberavon (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the difficulties caused by recent changes in policies relating to the issuing of driving licences to elderly motorists and other motorists who either do not use the internet or do not have easy access to the internet.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has introduced a number of services for drivers and others to obtain the information that was previously held on the paper counterpart to the driving licence. These include an online service, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Drivers who cannot or do not wish to use the online service can telephone the DVLA to obtain a code which will allow them to share their driving licence details if they wish to do so. Drivers can also give permission to the DVLA for certain information from their record to be given verbally over the telephone to a nominated person or organisation.