DVLA Driving licence and medical requirement after 70.

[Jezzerr]

DVLA has written advising my C1 is due for renewal and only lasts one year. I had medical etc with no issues Aug 23. and renewed licence then.
They are saying the C, C1,D and D1 licence expires Aug 24 and I need a medical etc to renew it although the plastic licence shows all categories with expiration date Aug 26.

in response to my query and request they correct their error I've had these email replies from DVLA:

1.
"I have checked your driving licence record and can confirm that the expiry date of 05/08/2024 are in relation to your provisional C/C1/D/D1 categories, as these need to be renewed with a D4 medical report every year once 65 years of age
Your standard categories and licence itself are valid until 05/08/2026 as you mentioned in your email.
You will need to either renew or surrender the provisional entitlements using a D2 application form, and a D4 medical report if looking to retain these.
If you wish to surrender these categories, you will only need to do so using a D2."

2.
"We appreciate you have taken the time to contact us in relation to this matter.
It may help if I explain, after the age of 70 you usually renew your licence every 3 years but if your hold a licence with C--C1--D--D1 categories after 70 it is a yearly renewal due to a medical being needed every year.

Is anyone else experiencing this or have any comments?

 

[Pausim]

I'm not sure if this is relevant for the UK, but Europe has ratified a new law that allows drivers with the regular B license to drive vehicles up to 4.250kg. It will be valid in 2025. This is a great solution for many motorhome drivers obviously and means no longer having to take another licence (C1 or whatever). My Gottiline Toscan can be automatically uprated to 3.850kg without changing suspension or tyres. So 350kg extra of wine

Is this a general relaxation or a limited one like the one introduced here in the UK a few years back? The Uk one is limited electric vans and excludes ICE engined motorhomes.

 

[Barriesimpson]

Is this a general relaxation or a limited one like the one introduced here in the UK a few years back? The Uk one is limited electric vans and excludes ICE engined motorhomes.

No, it is a complete change in the law. We can now drive 4.250kg weight vehicles on the B license.

 

[The Artilleryman]

Possibly, because C1 Etc aren't "test passed" categories (they are grandfather rights) they are referring to them as provisional.
When every DVLA employee is singing from the same song sheet, instead of interpreting as the see fit, they MAY be fit for purpose.

C1 is a "test passed" category, it's just that those of us who passed our car test before 01/01/1997 were given grandfather rights to that class - I believe this was when vocational licenses PSV & HGV, moved from administration by the local traffic commissioner to DVLA - although you can now go to C + E direct from B.

 

[The Artilleryman]

No, it is a complete change in the law. We can now drive 4.250kg weight vehicles on the B license.

That seems to have been passed very quickly for the EU, as it only went out for consultation early last year.

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[rod_vw]

DVLA has written advising my C1 is due for renewal and only lasts one year. I had medical etc with no issues Aug 23. and renewed licence then.
They are saying the C, C1,D and D1 licence expires Aug 24 and I need a medical etc to renew it although the plastic licence shows all categories with expiration date Aug 26.

in response to my query and request they correct their error I've had these email replies from DVLA:

1.
"I have checked your driving licence record and can confirm that the expiry date of 05/08/2024 are in relation to your provisional C/C1/D/D1 categories, as these need to be renewed with a D4 medical report every year once 65 years of age
Your standard categories and licence itself are valid until 05/08/2026 as you mentioned in your email.
You will need to either renew or surrender the provisional entitlements using a D2 application form, and a D4 medical report if looking to retain these.
If you wish to surrender these categories, you will only need to do so using a D2."

2.
"We appreciate you have taken the time to contact us in relation to this matter.
It may help if I explain, after the age of 70 you usually renew your licence every 3 years but if your hold a licence with C--C1--D--D1 categories after 70 it is a yearly renewal due to a medical being needed every year.

Is anyone else experiencing this or have any comments?

As I see it having looked at my own licence it is the C & D categories that need a medical every year, the C1 & D1 are at three yearly intervals.

I'm 75 and just regained my C1 having not needed it until now and my new license states that it requires renewal in three years from the date that I up rated it. I do not have C & D included just C1 & D1.

As for the other comments about the changes that have been made in Europe, it would be great if we could drive vehicles up to 4,250kg on a B licence without a medical, just a renewal every three years. I doubt it will ever happen in my lifetime though.

Rod

 

[The Artilleryman]

As I've said above, if you drive anything over 3500, but under 7500, for work purposes you will need a D4 medical every year.

As you are driving your own vehicle that's classed as PHGV (Private Heavy Goods), it appears D4 every time you renew your license over age 70. But if you drive any vehicle for reward then you will require CPC training (& DQC card) and an annual D4 medical.

Our grandfather rights do not exist on the continent and they (see comment above about increased weight limits) need a C1 license with medical and CPC.

 

[The Artilleryman]

Can you please confirm which EU body has ratified this law - EU Commission and/or EU Parliament and maybe gice source for the info, please.

Extension of driving licences to 4.25 tonnes for motorhomes gets one step closer - Aboutcamp BtoB

Further progress has been made towards an extension of the B driving licence to 4.25 tonnes for motor caravans by the European Parliament. In […]

www.aboutcampbtob.eu

I think it will be a few months yet till the wording gets sorted, but good news for the Europeans.

 

[Barriesimpson]

That seems to have been passed very quickly for the EU, as it only went out for consultation early last year.

Well it happened.

 

[nicholsong]

On 28 February, the European Parliament approved the proposal to increase the Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) from 3,500 kg to 4,250 kg with a type B driving licence. This resolution directly affects motorhomes and campers, which are becoming increasingly important. The application of the new regulations will take effect during the next legislative period, after the European elections in June.

Hold your horses!

I have been digging into what was passed on 28th February 2024. It was a EU Resolution with a Proposal to recommend changes to the 4th Driving Licence Directive. The proposals will not be considered until the new EU Parliament, just voted in, is convened.

Indeed there is a proposal, buried in Amendment 83 which reads :-

" (ha) 2 years after a driving licence, granted for category B, was issued for the first time, it shall be valid for driving ambulances as defined in Article 2 [(11a)] and other special usage vehicles, as well as motor caravans, as defined in Article 2 [(11b)] of this Directive that are up to 4250 kg; "

Since the whole Proposal contains some 100 Amendments to the 4th Driving Licence Directive it may be some time until this Directive is passed and, if that amendment 83 survives, as drafted above, an implementation date is set.

I would not go out and buy a 4t MH based on just the Proposal.

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[The Artilleryman]

It's been ratified, so has passed. Only waiting till after the EU elections (now been held), for the exact wording.
So 4250kg is the new max. weight for a motorhome on a class B license.

Shame we left the EU.

 

[nicholsong]

It's been ratified, so has passed. Only waiting till after the EU elections (now been held), for the exact wording.
So 4250kg is the new max. weight for a motorhome on a class B license.

Shame we left the EU.

And if the exact wording of amendment 83 deleted motor caravans?

 

[The Artilleryman]

I don't remember the renewel form asking if it was for vocational purposes.

It won't as you use a different form and will have been renewing it every 5 years from age 45, and then every year from age 65, with a D4 medical each time.

 

[The Artilleryman]

The whole idea of this amendment to Class B licenses was to increase the max. weight for special vehicles (motor caravans, etc.)

 

[Pausim]

The whole idea of this amendment to Class B licenses was to increase the max. weight for special vehicles (motor caravans, etc.)

The existing UK amendment was aimed at making electric vans viable and had nothing to do with motorhomes. I think we will need to wait and see whether the EU one survives in its present form. I very much hope it does and is subsequently adopted by the UK but counting and chickens comes to mind.

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[David and Sally]

The whole idea of this amendment to Class B licenses was to increase the max. weight for special vehicles (motor caravans, etc.)

I thought it was to allow electric vehicles to be driven on class B

Oops..just read above post.

 

[nicholsong]

Amendment 83 (see post #39 above) makes no mention of method of propulsion, unlike other amendments, and 83 only applies to ambulances and special purpose vehicles including motor caravans.

Bad luck for those who have 'vans with windows' if this category exists in any EU country.

 

[CAB96]

Amendment 83 (see post #39 above) makes no mention of method of propulsion, unlike other amendments, and 83 only applies to ambulances and special purpose vehicles including motor caravans.

Bad luck for those who have 'vans with windows' if this category exists in any EU country.

It seems some aren't happy with the prospect of 17 year olds driving HGVs.

MEPs vote on driving licence changes, with devastating consequences for road safety – ETSC

Normally when it goes in to the Trilogue most of the points have been agreed, but there still seems to be some debate on this one.

 

[Sideshow Bob]

Sorry if I’ve missed this but just looking at the downloadable form on the D4 website - it’s titled “Medical examination report for a Group 2 (bus or lorry) licence”
For advice on how to fill in this form, read the leaflet INF4D available

Both the form and advice leaflet appear to for a bus or a lorry? Is this correct please?

 

[Lenny HB]

Sorry if I’ve missed this but just looking at the downloadable form on the D4 website - it’s titled “Medical examination report for a Group 2 (bus or lorry) licence”
For advice on how to fill in this form, read the leaflet INF4D available

Both the form and advice leaflet appear to for a bus or a lorry? Is this correct please?

Yep that's the form you use.

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[Sideshow Bob]

Yep that's the form you use.

Thanks Lenny