Change Address on Driving Licence UK: DVLA Guide

At a glance

• Cost: completely free to change the address on a full or provisional driving licence through the online GOV.UK service.
• Legal duty: under section 99(4) of the Road Traffic Act 1988, you must notify DVLA once the address on your licence "ceases to be correct."
• The offence: failing to comply without reasonable cause is a criminal offence under section 99(5) of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
• Maximum penalty: a fine of up to £1,000 — confirmed by GOV.UK's own guidance on changing your address and on telling DVLA you've moved.
• Fastest route: the online service takes around five minutes; you'll usually receive your new photocard within a week or two.
• Changing your name too? You cannot do this online — you must apply by post using form D1 (car/motorcycle) or D2 (lorry/bus), with original evidence of your new name.
• Driving while you wait: in most cases you can carry on driving while your updated licence is processed, provided you're not disqualified and meet the medical standards.
• A separate obligation: your V5C vehicle log book is a different DVLA record. Updating your licence does not update it.
• Northern Ireland: licensing there is handled by the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), not DVLA, so the GOV.UK online service does not apply.

The legal duty to notify DVLA of a change of address

Your driving licence is an official record, and DVLA relies on the address held against it to send correspondence, renewal reminders, and, where relevant, enforcement notices. Keeping it accurate is not just good practice — it's a statutory duty.

Section 99(4) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 provides that where "the name or address of the licence holder as specified in a licence ceases to be correct, its holder must forthwith surrender the licence... to the Secretary of State." In practice, DVLA's online and postal services let you satisfy this duty by updating your details rather than physically returning your card for every change, but the underlying obligation — to tell DVLA promptly once you've moved — comes directly from this subsection, and it applies to full and provisional licence holders alike.

Section 99(5) creates the offence: a person who, without reasonable cause, fails to comply with the duty under subsection (4) "is guilty of an offence." Under Schedule 2 to the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988, this offence is triable summarily (in the magistrates' court). GOV.UK's guidance on changing the address on your driving licence and on telling DVLA you've changed address confirms the maximum fine is £1,000.

This is a legal requirement, not optional good practice — but DVLA does build in some flexibility. "Reasonable cause" is a defence, and the duty is to notify "forthwith" once you know your address has changed, not before you've actually moved.

How to change the address on your driving licence

Online — the fastest, free route

The GOV.UK online service is available 24 hours a day and normally takes around five minutes. To use it you'll need:

• your current photocard driving licence,
• your new address and postcode, and
• every address you've lived at over the past three years (DVLA will also ask for your National Insurance number and passport number if you have them).

There is no fee. Once you submit your details, DVLA updates your record and posts a new photocard to your new address.

You cannot use the online service if:

• you want to change your name as well as your address,
• you hold an old-style paper licence issued before 1998,
• you are currently disqualified from driving, or
• your circumstances need a more complex amendment.

In any of these cases, you'll need to apply by post instead.

By post — form D1 or D2

If you drive a car or motorcycle, request or download form D1. If you hold a lorry or bus (LGV/PCV) entitlement, use form D2 instead — see our guide on renewing a lorry or bus driving licence if you also need to deal with a Category C or D renewal at the same time. Both forms are available from Post Office branches or can be ordered from DVLA (see gov.uk/dvlaforms).

Fill the form in block capitals using black ink, and send it — together with your current licence — to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AD. A postal application is also free, but takes longer than the online route: allow around three weeks, longer if DVLA needs to verify your identity or medical details.

Changing your name and address together

If you're updating your name — for example after marriage, a civil partnership or deed poll — you must apply by post, even if you're also changing your address at the same time. You'll need to send original documentary evidence (a marriage certificate, civil partnership certificate or deed poll — photocopies are not accepted), which DVLA returns once your application is processed.

What happens after you apply

Can you still drive while you wait?

In most cases, yes. Provided you are not disqualified, your entitlement has not been revoked, and you meet the medical standards for driving, you can continue to drive while your new licence is being issued. Keep your old licence until the replacement arrives.

Your old licence

Once your new photocard arrives, destroy the old one — cut it up, particularly through the photo and the chip — rather than keeping or binning it intact, since it still shows your personal details.

Your other DVLA obligations: V5C log book and vehicle tax

Your driving licence and your vehicle's V5C registration certificate ("log book") are two entirely separate DVLA records. Updating one does not update the other — if you own a vehicle, you need to notify DVLA about both.

You can change the address on your V5C log book online at the same time as your licence, or separately. It's also free of charge. GOV.UK's guidance on telling DVLA you've changed address treats the licence and the V5C as distinct obligations, each capable of attracting its own consequences if left out of date.

If you pay vehicle tax by Direct Debit, check that it's linked to your current address too, so you don't miss renewal correspondence.

Provisional licences, photo renewal and other linked changes

The duty to notify a change of address applies equally to provisional licence holders. If you're learning to drive and haven't yet applied for your first licence, see our guide on applying for your first provisional driving licence for how the initial application works.

Photocard licences need renewing periodically regardless of any address change — most full licences every 10 years. If your photo is close to its renewal date while you're updating your address, you may be able to deal with both at once online; if it isn't, you'll usually need to renew the photo separately nearer the time. See our guides on renewing your driving licence through DVLA and, if you're 70 or older, renewing your licence at 70 or older for how those renewal cycles work. A fee applies to standalone photo renewals — check the current amount on GOV.UK before applying.

If your licence has been lost, stolen or damaged rather than simply out of date, that's a different process — see replacing a lost, stolen or damaged licence.

Northern Ireland: a different system

Driver licensing in Northern Ireland is administered by the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), not DVLA. If you hold a Northern Ireland licence, the GOV.UK online service described in this guide does not apply to you — you need to use the DVA's own change-of-address process instead. This guide covers England, Scotland and Wales (GB licences) only.

Common mistakes to avoid

1. Assuming a change of address updates itself. DVLA does not automatically receive updates from Royal Mail redirection, your bank, or the electoral roll — you have to tell DVLA directly.
2. Forgetting the V5C. Many drivers update their licence and assume the vehicle log book has been updated too. It hasn't — they're separate records with separate obligations.
3. Trying to change your name online. The online service only handles address (and, in limited cases, photo) updates. A name change always requires the postal route with original documents.
4. Sending photocopies of identity documents by post. DVLA requires original documents for a postal name change; photocopies are rejected and returned, which delays your application.
5. Waiting until you're stopped or fined. The duty applies from the moment your address "ceases to be correct," not from whenever you get around to it. Since the maximum penalty is a criminal fine, treat this as a same-week task after a move rather than a someday one.

This guide provides general information about changing the address on a UK driving licence and the related DVLA obligations. It is not legal advice and does not take account of your individual circumstances. The law and guidance described reflect the position in England, Scotland and Wales as at August 2026 and are subject to change — always check GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk for the current position.

Reviewed by a non-practising solicitor. Last reviewed: August 2026 · Next review due: August 2027 or on legislative change.