Dvla Reviews 

I sent my DL for renewal in late July 2025 - It was due for renewal Nov 2025 - they finally responded in December 2025 asking me to provide new DL photo as medical records had been checked and all OK for my DL to be renewed. I had a pro photo taken right away; wrote check , returned Form D797M and cheque, as they requested and posted it at 3pm on Christmas eve.,even putting on a First Class stamp on their prepaid envelope,. I have since spent 30 HOURS on hold and NOT able to find out why, on March 16, 2026 they have not responded and still have my DL. It is impossible to get through on phones ***always HOURS on hold listening to awful music and NO response. I have written (recorded delivery) to ask where my DL is and they have not even the curtesy to answer this. WHERTE IS MY DL????? I have complied with every rule and they are so lazy and rude and the phone systems appalling. I just cannot seem to speak to anyone as NO human ever answers….they can, however, cut your call off before it is even answered. Any help suggestions?

I have tried to use the online service through the gov app to change my address on my driving licence, since moving a week ago. No joy on both occasions yet they say you could get fined £1000 for not doing so.
It said they couldn't find my ID yet I gave them my valid passport details and old and new address as requested.

I applied in December for my license to be renewed at 70 years old with a medical so I could retain my rights to drive an HGV and a minibus. Managed to ascertain in February that they had received my application so I could continue to drive. Put it out of my mind and was patient till I realised that I needed my license to be able to drive in France. I then spent two days trying to contact them by phone. Was promised they'd make it a priority and was told eventually that my medical had been assessed and a recommendation made to issue a license, but it has to be passed to a different department to do so. I was told that even when it is issued it can take 24 hours to show on the website. Still waiting and had to cancel the holiday. What sort of computers do they have, clockwork ones? Useless service, the people answering the phones are polite enough but unable to achieve anything. Thanks Tory party for 14 years of austerity and Labour for not getting off their backsides and fixing the broken systems they inherited.

Absolutely shmabolic

I genuinely struggle to see the purpose of this department in its current form. The processes feel outdated, inefficient, and entirely out of step with modern expectations. Relying on paper V5 documents that are easily lost—then charging £25 to reissue them, only for replacements to also go missing in the post—is unacceptable.
Customer interactions add to the frustration; contacting the call centre is consistently difficult and often unhelpful. Taxing a vehicle without a V5 to hand becomes an unnecessarily painful experience, despite this being a common and foreseeable scenario. In 2026, there is simply no justification for not issuing secure electronic documents via email or an online account. The lack of basic digital capability is both costly and deeply frustrating for customers.
They don't deserve a 1-star!

waiting provisional license three months? I call the customer service, so rude talking to me

The DVLA are utterly useless.
My youngest son bought a car and insured it and then went to tax it, but It has been impossible for him to tax the vehicle.
He has had the car for one month today with it sat on the drive in a situation where the DVLA demand that it must be taxed, but they have made it impossible for him to tax it.
The reference number on the new keeper slip did not work to tax it online and from what I can tell by googling this, it's a common faults (of the DVLA).
He has been told his logbook has been processed and issued, but it has still never arrived.
He has explained all this on the phone to the DVLA after a stupid wait time on the phone, given them all his details and the cars chassis number, but all they have told him is that some of the information he has given them is incorrect. They refused to say which part of the information is incorrect. What is that about? Is it some sort of silly game keeping that secret.
Who buys a car and one month later is still unable to drive it because the DVLA.
They demand he buys tax, he doesn't want to, the DVLA want him to, but they have made buying the tax impossible.
Absolutely useless!
Also while I'm at it, this whole month thing where your tax is backdated to the start of the month and so is your refund is a con as well to make money.
There is zero reason tax couldn't start from the day it's purchased and run out on that date a year later.
Useless!

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 !!