Martin Lewis warns drivers they could face fine of £1,000 if they don’t check photo licences NOW

MARTIN Lewis has warned drivers to urgently check if their photo licences needs renewing or risk a £1,000 fine.

The consumer guru issued the warning in his latest MoneySavingExpert newsletter.

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Martin Lewis is urging drivers to check when their licences expireCredit: ITV

Drivers were given an 11 month extension to renew their drivers’ licence if it was due to expire between February 1 2020 and December 31 2020.

The extension started from the day your licence expired, so those with photocards that ended earlier on in the pandemic will need to renew theirs now.

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

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

Top 10 most common driving licence codes and what they mean

EVER turned your driving licence over and wondered what the random collection of numbers mean?

If not, you should because the codes could land you with a fine and penalty points if you don’t understand what they’re there for.

Here are the ten most common codes and what they mean:

01 – eyesight correction, for example glasses or contact lenses
02 – hearing/communication aid
40 – modified steering
101 – not for hire or reward (that is, not to make a profit)
105 – vehicle not more than 5.5metres long
106 – restricted to vehicles with automatic transmissions
107 – not more than 8,250 kilograms
111 – limited to 16 passenger seats
115 – organ donor
122 – valid on successful completion: Basic Moped Training Course 125 – tricycles only (for licences issued before June 29, 2014)

For a full list visit the DVLA website.

Licences that went out of date in February last year have already passed their renewal date.

Motorists caught driving with an expired photocard, which replaced the paper licences in 1998, could be slapped with a £1,000 fine.

In the newsletter, Martin wrote: “Many whose licences were due to renew last year got an 11 month extension.

“But if that’s ended for you, or your licence expired after December 2020, you MUST renew it or you could face a fine.”

How to check when your photocard expires

Driving licence photocards must be replaced every 10 years with an up to date photograph of yourself.

Around 2million photocards are out of date, according to figures from the DVLA.

The expiry date can be found on the front of the card, in section B.

The DVLA says motorists will be sent a reminder to renew their photocards when the extension is coming to an end.

It’s best to renew your licence around a month before it expires to avoid a period where you won’t be legally allowed to drive.

How to renew your licence

You can renew your licence online, by post of via the Post Office.

It costs £14 to apply online or £17 by post, unless you’re over 70 and then it’s free.

You can apply online via Gov.uk as long as you have a valid UK passport.

If you’d prefer to do it by post, then you’ll need to pick up a D1 pack from most Post Offices, or you can order on from the DVLA website.

Drivers will be charged an extra £4.50 to apply through the Post Office, which covers the cost of taking an updated photograph in branch plus postage.