If your business has lorries or busses or even company cars the it does affect you.
If you have a fleet of lorries or busses have your drivers had a medical if they are over 45 years of age? Not so much a “Licence to drive” but more an “entitlement to drive” endorsed by your Doctor.
Your entitlement to drive lorries, minibuses or buses is valid until your 45th birthday. After that, you’ll need to renew your entitlement every five years until you are 65. After the age of 65 you have to renew your licence every year.
How to renew your entitlement
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) will send you, 56 days before the expiry of your driving entitlement, a D47P ‘application for renewal of lorry and bus entitlement’ and a D4 ‘medical examination report’.
Photocard driving licence holder
You’ll need to:
- complete the D47P form
- ask a doctor to complete the D4 form - the doctor will normally charge you for completing the report and those registered for VAT are also required to charge an additional 17.5 per cent on top of their fee
- send the completed forms to DVLA, Swansea SA99 1BR
A message on your D47P form will tell you if your photo is due for renewal, in which case you’ll need to include a new passport type photo and the fee of £17.50. You only need to provide the fee if your photo needs renewing. If your name has changed you’ll also need to send (along with the above):
- a completed D2 ‘application for a large goods vehicle (LGV) or passenger carrying vehicle (PCV) driving licence’ available from the DVLA form ordering service
- original documentation confirming your change of name
Renewing without a D47P ‘application for renewal of lorry and bus entitlement’
If, for any reason, you don’t receive the reminder application forms you can complete a D2 with a D4, available from the DVLA form ordering service. You’ll also need to check the expiry date of your photo on your driving licence, if your photo is due to expire very soon, it’ll need to be renewed before the date of expiry. The expiry date of your photo is shown in section 4b on the front of your driving licence.
Paper driving licence holder
You’ll need to:
- complete the D47P and D4 forms
- send original documents confirming your identity
- enclose a passport type photograph
- send your forms, documents and photograph to DVLA, Swansea SA99 1BR or you can use the premium checking service at selected Post Office® branches or DVLA local offices
You can also use a D2 form with the D4, if you don’t receive the D47P form in the post. No fee is needed with this application.
Company Car Drivers
If you have a Photocard Licence then you need to check that it hasn’t run out (See section 4b on the card for the expiry date). You will need to send it to the DVLA with a new photo and the fee of £17.50. Company records should be updated with the new details.
Any further questions? Please call 01453 800100 to speak to one of our experienced safety consultants.
