When the current two-part photocard driving licenses were introduced in 1998, one of the little-publicised changes was that the photocard itself expires after 10 years.

Your driving license remains valid until you are 70 – as before – but the photocard itself needs renewing. Presumably this is so that the photograph keeps pace with changes to your appearance over the years!

I have to admit that I only realised this myself recently and wasn’t sure whether I would get a reminder from the DVLA nearer the time.

Thanks to this excellent post on the Avis blog, I now know the answer – reminders are being sent out.

Apparently, the DVLA have been sending out reminders since May 2008 – but although you are legally required to renew your license, there is a £17.50 fee to do so with a potential £1,000 fine for non-compliance.

Interestingly, Avis say that they will still hire to you if your photocard has expired but your license is still valid – but I am not sure whether that would be the case with all hire companies, so it is probably as well to ensure that your photocard is renewed on time.