The D46P form is the paper driving licence renewal form the DVLA posts to your registered address about 90 days before your 70th birthday. You complete it, attach a new photo if needed, and return it with your current photocard to renew your car and motorcycle entitlements for another three years. Renewal at 70 is free, and if you would rather not use the paper form, you can renew online at GOV.UK instead.1GOV.UK. Renew Your Driving Licence if You’re 70 or Over
When the Form Arrives
DVLA sends the D46P automatically to the address on your licence roughly 90 days before you turn 70. After that first renewal, you renew every three years for as long as you continue driving, and DVLA sends a fresh form ahead of each expiry.1GOV.UK. Renew Your Driving Licence if You’re 70 or Over
If it never turns up or you lose it, you have two routes. You can renew online through GOV.UK, or you can pick up a D1 application form from a Post Office branch that offers DVLA services. Not every branch stocks DVLA forms, so check the Post Office branch finder on GOV.UK before you set out.2GOV.UK. Download and Order DVLA Forms
Online or by Post
Most drivers turning 70 can skip the paper form and renew online for free. The GOV.UK service asks for your email address, your addresses for the past three years, and your National Insurance number. If you want your photo updated at the same time, you also need a valid UK passport number so the system can pull the passport photo across.1GOV.UK. Renew Your Driving Licence if You’re 70 or Over
The paper D46P is the right choice if you would rather not renew online, if you don’t hold a current passport, or if your registered details need correcting on the form itself.
Filling In the D46P
The form asks for your full legal name, date of birth, and current residential address, exactly as they should appear on the new photocard. You also need your 16-character driving licence number, printed on the front of your current licence. If you have moved since the last renewal, enter the new address and postcode carefully so the replacement licence reaches you.
A health declaration section requires you to confirm whether you have developed any medical conditions since your last licence was issued. This is not optional. You are legally required to tell DVLA about any condition that could affect your ability to drive safely, and failing to do so can result in a fine of up to £1,000.3GOV.UK. Check if a Health Condition Affects Your Driving DVLA publishes an A-to-Z list of reportable conditions on GOV.UK covering neurological disorders, diabetes, heart conditions, vision problems, and sleep disorders. If you are unsure whether something needs reporting, check the list or ask your GP before you sign the form.
Photo Requirements
If your current photocard photo is out of date, or you are not using the online service to pull across a passport photo, you need to include a new printed photograph with the D46P. It must be 45 mm high by 35 mm wide, in colour, and taken against a light grey or cream background. It should show your full head and shoulders with your eyes open and clearly visible, and you should face the camera directly with a neutral expression.4nidirect. The Photo for Your Driving Licence
Use a photo booth or a professional studio rather than printing at home, because home prints rarely meet the quality standard. Remove glasses if you can to avoid reflection or glare. Headwear is only acceptable for medical or religious reasons. The photo must have been taken within the last month. A rejected photo means the whole application comes back to you, so it is worth getting right the first time.
If You Hold C1 or D1 Entitlements
The D46P and the online renewal service both cover car and motorcycle categories only. C1 (medium-sized vehicles up to 7,500 kg) and D1 (minibuses up to 16 passenger seats) are removed from your licence automatically at 70 unless you take separate action. Neither the paper D46P nor the online service will preserve them.1GOV.UK. Renew Your Driving Licence if You’re 70 or Over
To keep C1 or D1 past 70, you need to complete a D2 application form (available from Post Office branches offering DVLA services) and have a doctor complete a D4 medical examination report. The D4 is not covered by the NHS, so you pay for it yourself. Private driver-medical clinics typically charge from around £50, and GPs often charge £100 or more. Make sure the doctor signs and stamps the D4 before you send it in, because an unsigned report will be rejected. Once retained, C1 and D1 entitlements have to be renewed with a fresh D4 medical every three years.
A standard car-and-motorcycle renewal using the D46P does not require any medical report.
Where to Send the Form
Post the completed D46P along with your current photocard licence, and a new photo if one is required, to:
DVLA
Swansea
SA99 1BR5GOV.UK. Renew or Change a Lorry or Bus Licence
If you are also renewing C1 or D1 entitlements, put the D2 form and D4 medical report in the same envelope. Use a tracked or signed-for postal service. You are sending your current licence and personal information, and a lost envelope means starting again with a replacement licence request.
Allow four weeks for your new documents to arrive. DVLA asks that you do not call to chase the application during that window, because staff cannot give you a status update while it is still being processed.6GOV.UK. DVLA Services Update Applications that involve a D4 medical can take longer if DVLA needs to make further medical enquiries.
Driving While You Wait for the New Licence
Section 88 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 lets you keep driving after your old licence has technically expired, provided your renewal application is already with DVLA. It is not automatic. You have to meet every one of the following conditions:
- You held a valid driving licence (full GB, Northern Ireland, EU, or exchangeable) before it expired.
- You meet the medical standards to drive. If a doctor or healthcare professional has told you to stop driving, Section 88 does not apply.
- You only drive vehicles you were entitled to drive on your previous licence and have applied for on your current application.
- Any conditions on your old licence, such as wearing corrective lenses, still apply.
- DVLA has received your correct and complete application within the last 12 months.
- You are not currently disqualified by a court, and your last licence was not revoked or refused on medical grounds.
- If you hold a bus or lorry licence, your entitlement has not been suspended, revoked, or refused by a traffic commissioner.
Section 88 cover ends the moment you receive your new licence, your application is refused, the application is more than a year old, or you are disqualified after submitting it. Confirming you meet every condition is your responsibility. DVLA will not tell you whether Section 88 applies while medical investigations are ongoing. Keep a photocopy of your completed application and any posting receipt as evidence that you have applied, in case you are stopped.