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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Business
Emma Munbodh

Martin Lewis tells millions of drivers to check their licence over £1,000 fine warning

Martin Lewis tonight urged drivers to check their licences, after millions of motorists had their documents automatically renewed at the height of the Covid pandemic.

Speaking live during a one-off episode of the Martin Lewis Money Show on Tuesday, he said motorists are at risk of a £1,000 fine if their licence has now expired.

At the height of the crisis last March, the DVLA automatically extended licences that were up for renewal.

The motoring authority said all licences that were due to expire between February 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020 would be granted an 11 month extension.

But that extension started from the day the licence expired, so drivers whose licences were due for renewal early last year will now have to update their documents.

For example, if your licence expired in November 2020 then you have until October 2021 to get it updated.

It's not worth the risk (Tim Graham/Getty Images)

However, those that expired in April 2020 will need to be renewed this month.

Licences that went out of date in March last year have already passed their renewal date.

Around 2million photocards are out of date, according to figures from the DVLA.

But driving without a valid licence comes with a £1,000 penalty if you're stopped by police.

Speaking on tonight's ITV Show, Martin said: "It's time to check your photo licence.

"If your licence has expired, renew it now or in the worst case scenario, you could be hit with a £1,000 fine."

Under Section 99 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, you can be fined immediately if your driving licence is not up to date.

This includes having an out of date photocard, address and correct name.

All photocards must be renewed every 10 years - the deadline for this is on your licence itself.

It costs £14 to renew your photocard (£17 by post) and you can check if yours is out of date in section 4b on your driving licence.

If you've recently changed your name or your address is inaccurate, you could also run the risk of a huge fine if you’re stopped by the police.

The good news is you can make these changes for free online or by post.

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