DVLA Services Update: Online, Post Office Counter and Postal Options for Driving Licence and Vehicle Services

Guidance

DVLA services update

The latest updates on DVLA's services.

From: Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency Published 13 May 2022 Last updated 1 April 2026
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Go online

Our online services are the quickest, easiest, and often cheapest way to deal with us. We recommend that you use our online services where possible. If you apply online, you should receive your driving licence within 5 days or your vehicle registration certificate (V5C) within 5 to 7 working days.

Here are some of our most popular online services:

• apply for a driving licence
• renew a driving licence
• replace a driving licence
• tell us you’ve sold a vehicle
• change your address
• tax a vehicle
• keep or assign a private (personalised) registration online
• apply for a duplicate V5C log book
• apply for a driver digital tachograph card Remember, if you are renewing your photocard driving licence, and you are unable to use our online services, you can do this quickly and easily at participating Post Office branches. It is quicker than posting your application to us so check if you are eligible to use this service. By using this service, you can expect your driving licence to be issued within 5 days.

Manned reception service at DVLA

DVLA does not operate a public reception or face‑to‑face counter service at its Morriston site in Swansea. Please do not travel to the site.

You can access our services through our online, telephone and postal routes.

Front office counter services

After a period of reviewing the role of front office counter services, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has awarded Post Office Ltd a contract to provide certain DVLA services. The contract started on 1 April 2024 and is for one year, with an option for a potential further 2 one-year extensions.

Under the new contract, customers can choose to visit relevant branches of the Post Office to tax a vehicle or renew a 10-year photocard driving licence.

In addition to the front office counter services offered at the Post Office, customers can use GOV.UK for DVLA services including renewing your driving licence online and taxing your vehicle. You can also tax your vehicle over the phone by calling 0300 123 4321.

If you need an international driving permit (IDP) to travel abroad, you can get one in person from certain shops that have PayPoint.

First 10-year renewals required for some personalised registrations

If it has been 10 years since the latest certificate or retention document for your personalised registration number was issued, you may need to renew it this year.

It is free to renew and you should check your documents to find out when the expiry date is.

The document you need to check depends on whether the registration number has ever been assigned to a vehicle or not.

If it has never been assigned to a vehicle

You will need to check your V750 certificate, and you can renew the registration online using your DVLA personalised registration account. If you do not have an account, you can set one up today and add your certificate to it.

If it was previously assigned to a vehicle but is now on retention

You will need to check your V778 retention document and will need to renew the registration number by post.

If it is currently assigned to a vehicle

You do not need to take any action.

The earliest you can apply is 28 days before the expiry date. If you do not renew before the expiry date you will lose entitlement to the registration number.

Planned maintenance

There is no upcoming planned maintenance on any of our online services.

Paper applications

All our services are operating within normal turnaround times.

Please allow 4 weeks for your new documents to be sent to you if applying by post. Please do not call us within those 4 weeks as your application will be processing and we will not be able to provide further information.

Medical driving licence applications (paper applications)

If you have applied for your first driving licence, or to renew or replace your current driving licence and you have declared a medical condition, this will take longer. Please do not contact DVLA for an update as we will be in touch as soon as a licensing decision has been made or if we need more information from you or your medical professional.

When considering an application to issue a driving licence, we aim to make a decision as quickly as possible but where we require additional information from a driver’s doctor or the driver themselves, we are wholly reliant on receiving this information before a decision can be made.

Driving while an application is with DVLA

Please remember that by law, you must make sure that you always meet the medical standards for fitness to drive when driving. Find more information about driving with a medical condition.

If your application (including if you have declared a medical condition) has been sent to DVLA you may be able to continue to drive while we are processing your application, subject to meeting certain criteria. This applies to most types of applications so check the criteria to see if you may be able to continue driving by reading the guidance leaflet ‘Can I drive while my application is with DVLA?’.

Identity documents

If you need to include proof of identity with your application, make sure you only send in what is required and that you check requirements on GOV.UK before you post your application.

There is no need to send us a UK passport if you’ve provided us with a passport number on your application form.

If you need to post original ID documents such as a passport, we recommend that you consider using registered post.

Published 13 May 2022 Last updated 1 April 2026 show all updates
1.
1 April 2026

Updated 'Planned maintenance' section. There is no upcoming planned maintenance on any of our online services.
2.
27 March 2026

Updated planned maintenance section with service outages between 29 March and 1 April.
3.
26 February 2026

Information added to our 'Planned maintenance' section.
4.
27 January 2026

Added information about the manned reception service at DVLA.
5.
1 December 2025

Updated to say that there is no upcoming planned maintenance.
6.
28 November 2025

Updated planned maintenance section.
7.
10 November 2025

Updated planned maintenance section.
8.
7 November 2025

Updated planned maintenance section.
9.
14 October 2025

Updated information under planned maintenance.
10.
10 October 2025

Updated planned maintenance
11.
7 October 2025

Updated the wait times for V5Cs to '5 to 7 working days'.
12.
12 September 2025

Update to the planned maintenance section.
13.
11 September 2025

Updated planned maintenance.
14.
1 April 2025

Updated to say that there is no upcoming planned maintenance.
15.
28 March 2025

Updates on the latest planned maintenance.
16.
30 January 2025

Added information on personalised registration renewal.
17.
1 January 2025

Updated Identity documents information
18.
9 December 2024

Removed 'Services affected by the red weather warning' section.
19.
6 December 2024

Added section about the red weather warning on 7 December.
20.
13 September 2024

Update to the planned maintenance section.
21.
15 July 2024

Updated planned maintenance
22.
12 July 2024

Update to the planned maintenance section.
23.
1 April 2024

Updated IDP provider information
24.
12 March 2024

Updated information for customers to get an IDP
25.
18 December 2023

Added 'Front office counter services' section.
26.
20 October 2023

reference to vehicle tax reminder letters (V11), removed.
27.
18 August 2023

Added section about vehicle tax reminder letters (V11).
28.
8 August 2023

Updated Planned maintenance - "There is no upcoming planned maintenance on any of our online services."
29.
4 August 2023

Updated Planned Maintenance section with a list of planned outages for Monday 7 August between 8pm and 10pm.
30.
1 August 2023

Updated page with 'There is no upcoming planned maintenance on any of our online services'.
31.
31 July 2023

Planned maintenance information added.
32.
3 April 2023

Update to 'Planned maintenance':
"There is no upcoming planned maintenance on any of our online services."
33.
30 March 2023

Updated planned maintenance section with service outages taking place on 31 March 2023.
34.
6 March 2023

Completion of essential maintenance on Sunday 5 March.
35.
3 March 2023

Planned maintenance for Sunday 5 March 2023.
36.
16 November 2022

• Paper applications processing times removed.
• 'Planned Maintenance' subsection added.
• 'Why are these taking longer?' subsection updated.
• 13 May 2022

First published.
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