Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Doctor Gollum on 01 March 2025, 04:33:36

Title: Licence renewal...
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 01 March 2025, 04:33:36
My photocard expires at the end of the month so have had to have a medical as it's the first one after 45...

Apparently because I was drinking 3-5 pints once or twice a week whilst away, that's considered binge drinking even though I have probably had 10 drinks since the beginning of January.

Some prodding and poking following TCV in October has so far discovered pre diabetes, a fatty liver, slightly elevated cholesterol. A recent ECG was fine but with a heart scan scheduled for a couple of weeks time that was noted on the form along with the drinking even though I am taking no medication for any of it.

Basically none of the above has been considered significant enough for anything other than monitoring, and apparently my blood pressure is high, even though it was exactly the same as the average from last week and in line with a previous set from November, aka normal for me, and certainly nowhere near the levels set by DVLA for the HGV medical.

Licence sent in for renewal, but I have absolutely no idea if it will come back with C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E.and provisional D/DE on it or not.

Apparently, in order to retain the pre '97 entitlements ie C1/C1E you're required to have a medical as anything between 3.5 and 7.5t is considered to be Large Goods Vehicle and is treated as such and choosing to not renew my C/CE could potentially wipe out my C1/C1E/D1/D1E

If this is the case, then there is also a question as to whether I might need to take a test to tow over 400kg with the car as well.

And to top it off, the cheeky sod who did my eye test suggested I need varifocals inspite of being told about two smudges on the screen I was supposed to be reading from.

On a positive note, if you ignore the £150 for the medical, the renewal is free.
Title: Re: Licence renewal...
Post by: countrywoman on 01 March 2025, 09:35:31
I didnt need a medical to renew mine as will be 70 in April, yes they remove the over 7.5 and mini bus but I dont need that. No restriction on towing a caravan as far as I could see.
Title: Re: Licence renewal...
Post by: Nick W on 01 March 2025, 09:40:23
Licence sent in for renewal, but I have absolutely no idea if it will come back with C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E.and provisional D/DE on it or not.



It might. It might not. They might randomly delete any extra entitlements you've paid for like motorbike, HGV or bus.


If that happens, it's down to you to prove you had them before you sent the licence back, because the new computer record is what DVLA will consider correct. Even though they couldn't update your records properly.


You need to have a good copy of your licence before you even think of sending it away.
Title: Re: Licence renewal...
Post by: YZ250 on 01 March 2025, 09:45:50
I still have a green paper licence so no such issues for me yet. Hopefully your licence will come back with your full entitlements but be aware that DVLA have been guilty in the past of wiping out full motorcycle entitlement for some riders renewing their licence. Unless the person affected still had their pass slip (who the hell keeps that for donkeys years) they had to take a retest. My point being that they do make mistakes.
Has something changed over recent years regarding renewal or was your medical related to HGV entitlement. I only ask as when a relative renewed their photo card licence at 70, the form just asked if he could still see a set distance, with or without spectacles, and had any circumstances regarding his health changed that may affect his licence renewal. It really was that simple, no medical, no doctors note, no nothing.  :-\
Title: Re: Licence renewal...
Post by: YZ250 on 01 March 2025, 09:57:06
Licence sent in for renewal, but I have absolutely no idea if it will come back with C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E.and provisional D/DE on it or not.



It might. It might not. They might randomly delete any extra entitlements you've paid for like motorbike, HGV or bus.


If that happens, it's down to you to prove you had them before you sent the licence back, because the new computer record is what DVLA will consider correct. Even though they couldn't update your records properly.


You need to have a good copy of your licence before you even think of sending it away.

I was going to suggest taking a copy of the current licence but as Al has already sent it away I fear our warning could be too late.
Title: Re: Licence renewal...
Post by: Kevin Wood on 01 March 2025, 10:00:05
Licence sent in for renewal, but I have absolutely no idea if it will come back with C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E.and provisional D/DE on it or not.



It might. It might not. They might randomly delete any extra entitlements you've paid for like motorbike, HGV or bus.


If that happens, it's down to you to prove you had them before you sent the licence back, because the new computer record is what DVLA will consider correct. Even though they couldn't update your records properly.


You need to have a good copy of your licence before you even think of sending it away.

I was going to suggest taking a copy of the current licence but as Al has already sent it away I fear our warning could be too late.

I never sent my old one back when I renewed it in December and they've never chased me for it.
Title: Re: Licence renewal...
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 01 March 2025, 10:06:28
I have a copy of it ;) And if I hire a car before it comes backI can produce a check code easily enough.

The medical is purely because of the C/CE and provisional D/DE.

But having those may well render the C1/D1 moot as I can currently drive anything.
Title: Re: Licence renewal...
Post by: YZ250 on 01 March 2025, 10:20:35
I never sent my old one back when I renewed it in December and they've never chased me for it.

 :y
My son recently moved house so had to renew his licence to the new address. With all of the upheaval of moving, his licence had been misplaced so he just ticked the ‘lost or destroyed’ bit on the form.  :y
The old one has since been found and destroyed but judging by DVLA’s previous form for making mistakes, maybe keeping the licence until the correct replacement arrives is the way to go.  :y
Title: Re: Licence renewal...
Post by: Kevin Wood on 01 March 2025, 10:21:50
.. and judging by the omnipresent queue of HGV drivers at the burger van in the layby near my office, if they start binning any that have slightly elevated blood pressure the roads are going to get quite quiet! ;D
Title: Re: Licence renewal...
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 01 March 2025, 10:26:49
.. and judging by the omnipresent queue of HGV drivers at the burger van in the layby near my office, if they start binning any that have slightly elevated blood pressure the roads are going to get quite quiet! ;D
;D
Title: Re: Licence renewal...
Post by: redelitev6 on 01 March 2025, 22:20:44
That reminds me , I really should get a licence one of these days  ;)
Title: Re: Licence renewal...
Post by: Mutha Jugs n Speed on 02 March 2025, 09:15:19
Weird thing is that I can drive a bus that's over thirty years old on my car licence, and yet they took my PCV licence away at seventy. :-X  I keep looking at my drive way, and wonder whether that Routemaster on my bucket list will fit :-\
Title: Re: Licence renewal...
Post by: Lizzie Zoom on 03 March 2025, 11:09:26
Weird thing is that I can drive a bus that's over thirty years old on my car licence, and yet they took my PCV licence away at seventy. :-X  I keep looking at my drive way, and wonder whether that Routemaster on my bucket list will fit :-\

That reminds me when back in the 1970's my ex and I were members of a steam railway preservation society, and one of the sub groups bought a 1958 52 seater Duple road coach.  As I was carrying out field training exercises for my managers and staff, usually using hotel rooms, I decided the coach would be great going to where I wanted to go for the training.

I was amazed that then (perhaps now?) I could legally drive that coach, which I did for over 3,000 miles, on my car licence, as it was classed as a "private" vehicle.  It also gave me the legal right to drive 7.5 ton trucks, which I also did occasionally for business reasons. ;)
Title: Re: Licence renewal...
Post by: henryd on 03 March 2025, 14:53:25
Just renewed mine at 65 and have kept the 7.5t till I'm 70 then it'll be a medical to keep it longer
Title: Re: Licence renewal...
Post by: biggriffin on 03 March 2025, 18:36:34
What ever Entitlements you have, you will retain,
A large number of Drivers I know use D4D for medical £55 all booked online.

The only thing some have noticed on renewal is iirc "section 104 or 107" it's catching a few motorhome aimers out.
Title: Re: Licence renewal...
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 04 March 2025, 12:01:55
Well, the DVLA have received it...

Qué Sera, Sera.