Written question asked by Lord Lucas (Conservative), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Earl Attlee (Conservative) on Thursday, 9 December 2010.

Driving: Licences

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what basis the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency have decided upon a 28-day time limit for the surrender of a licence.

Answer: The time limit for the surrender of a licence by a convicted driver is in effect much longer than the 28-day period. Prior to notifying Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) of the driver's conviction details, the court will already have made at least two attempts to obtain the licence from the driver. On receipt of the notification from the court, DVLA will write to the driver requesting that the licence be surrendered and advising him that he has a further, final 28 days to comply before the revocation takes effect. This is considered a reasonable timeframe to enable a driver either to locate their licence and post it to DVLA or for the driver to submit an application for a duplicate licence if the original has been lost.

Secondary information