How to Change the Address on Your Driving Licence

DVLA and Driving

Last reviewed: 23 July 2026

What to update when you move house

Source: GOV.UK, Change the address on your driving licence

How do I change the address on my driving licence?

The address is changed free of charge through the DVLA service on GOV.UK, which normally takes about 10 minutes and issues a replacement photocard within 1 week.

The service sits at gov.uk/change-address-driving-licence and works for both photocard and older paper licences. Applicants confirm identity, enter the new address, and DVLA prints a replacement photocard showing the updated details. The photo and licence expiry date stay the same, so this is an address change rather than a renewal. Drivers who also need a new photo should use the renewal service instead, which costs £14 online, because renewing and changing address can be handled in a single application.

Postal applications remain available for anyone who cannot use the online route. Photocard holders complete the changes section of the D741 form that came with the licence, or a D1 form from a Post Office, and send it with the photocard to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BN. Paper licence holders send the licence itself with a completed D1. Postal changes typically take up to 3 weeks, and the licence cannot be used as identity evidence while DVLA holds it, which is worth planning around before travel or account openings.

What is needed before starting the DVLA application?

The online service asks for the driving licence number, National Insurance number, and addresses covering the last 3 years, and the applicant must be a resident of Great Britain.

The driving licence number is the 16 character reference in section 5 of the photocard. The National Insurance number lets DVLA verify identity against HMRC records, which is what makes the online route fast. The service also asks whether the applicant has a valid UK passport, because passport records can supply the photo and signature electronically where needed. Northern Ireland licences are administered separately by DVA, so drivers in Northern Ireland use the NI Direct service rather than DVLA.

Drivers moving abroad cannot use this service, because a GB driving licence must show a GB address. Anyone moving overseas permanently exchanges the licence in the destination country under local rules instead. Moving within England, Scotland and Wales, including between the three nations, is handled entirely by the standard address change with no effect on entitlements, categories or penalty points already on the record.

What happens if the address on the licence is wrong?

Driving with an out of date or wrong address is an offence under the Road Traffic Act, and the maximum fine is £1,000, so errors should be corrected as soon as they are spotted.

An incorrect address most commonly appears after a house move that was never reported, but it can also arise from a typing error during a previous application. In both cases the fix is the same free change of address service. If the error was made by DVLA rather than the applicant, contacting DVLA directly resolves it without a new application. There is no fee in either situation, and no penalty applies where the driver acts promptly to correct the record.

The practical risks of a wrong address go beyond the fine. Insurance quotes are validated against the licence record, court and police correspondence about any alleged offence goes to the registered address, and vehicle tax reminders follow the V5C. A driver who misses a Notice of Intended Prosecution because it went to an old address can face prosecution for failing to identify the driver, which carries 6 penalty points, a considerably worse outcome than the paperwork it would have taken to update the record.

How long does a DVLA address change take?

Online changes are confirmed immediately and the new photocard normally arrives within 1 week, while postal applications take up to 3 weeks.

Driving is still legal while the new photocard is in the post, because the entitlement to drive sits on the DVLA record rather than the plastic card. The old photocard must be cut up and destroyed once the replacement arrives. Anyone who needs proof of the new address sooner can use the free DVLA view driving licence service, which shows the live record and generates a licence check code that employers, hire companies and insurers accept.

Timing matters most around other DVLA transactions. An address change submitted while a renewal, replacement or medical review is already in progress can delay both applications, so DVLA advises completing one transaction before starting another. Drivers with an upcoming photocard expiry within a few weeks are usually better served by a single renewal application carrying the new address.

Do vehicle records need updating separately?

Yes. The V5C log book for each vehicle is a separate record, and updating the driving licence does not change it, though both updates are free.

The V5C address can be changed online at gov.uk/change-address-v5c for most standard cases, or by completing section 3 of the V5C and posting it to DVLA. A new log book arrives within around 5 days online or up to 6 weeks by post. Vehicle tax reminders, refund cheques and any clamping or enforcement correspondence all follow the V5C address, so leaving it stale creates real financial exposure even where the driving licence itself is current.

Direct Debits for vehicle tax continue unchanged through an address update. Drivers with a private registration held on a V750 certificate of entitlement or V778 retention document update those separately through the DVLA personalised registration service, again at no cost.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free to change the address on a driving licence?

Yes. The DVLA service is free whether completed online or by post. Websites that charge a fee for this are unofficial intermediaries and offer no advantage over applying directly on GOV.UK.

Can someone drive while waiting for the new photocard?

Yes. Driving entitlement is held on the DVLA record, not the card, so driving remains legal while the replacement photocard is in the post.

Do penalty points transfer to the new licence?

Yes. Points sit on the driving record and are unaffected by an address change. The replacement photocard reflects the same record with the new address.

Can a licence address be changed to an overseas address?

No. A GB licence must show a Great Britain address. Drivers moving abroad permanently exchange their licence under the rules of the destination country.

Does changing the licence address update car insurance?

No. Insurers must be told separately, because the address is a rating factor and an unreported move can invalidate a policy or affect claims.