Licence Entitlement Question?

[Hendry]

Asking this more out of curiosity than anything else, went on the gov.UK website to get a licence check code to provide the garage when my car goes in for warranty work tomorrow and they are providing a courtesy car, clicked on the vehicles I can drive section and noticed all the entitlement categories have different start dates and wondered why this was, found it a bit odd.

 

Categories B1, B, F, K, and P all say 27/01/2006 (this is the date I passed my test) categories BE, G and H all say 04/02/2006 (I think this is the date I actually physically received my photocard licence) don't understand why these categories only apply from the date I got my licence and not the date I actually passed a test in the same way the other categories were valid from the day I passed.

 

Even more odd is category A says start date 29/01/2005 (date I got my provisional) and restriction Category A only started my entitlment to that on 19/01/2013, a completely odd random date and I'm not sure why. And categories AM and Q only started on 22/10/2014 (this was the date I renewed my photocard as I had changed address and it was due for renewal on 29/01/2015 so just renewed it early to kill 2 birds with one stone and not sure why they only apply from the date my photo card was renewed and werent always on my licence)

 

Anyone know the reason for the mishmash of valid from dates for the different categories?

[Eddie Honda]

Are your BE /G /H provisional though?

 

We are talking the DVLA though. I mean why would my B1 start after my B?

[Richard]

My B1 starts four years after my B because that's when I passed my bike test.

[PiperCub]

I looked at this recently on the DVLA website purely out of curiosity while checking info for renewing my medical, I thought I understood pretty much all the groupings but christ in the last few years it's gone stupid! B, B1, Q, AM, A1 & so on, not surprised people get confused.

But your date thing is a mystery to me, assuming you're old enough to be entitled to these categories, I'd have assumed they would all be valid from the date of passing your test or be valid from the date of licence issue, one or the other, not some daft mix.

 

Shame the Euro-idiots forced us over to this system, it was much easier with the old A to L groups, most people got them, you knew what you were entitled to drive unlike now. For instance, did you know that if you've only passed your driving test in the last year or two, you can no longer drive a three-wheeler (Reliant etc., what used to be called group C or latterly B1) unless you get a motorcycle licence. That makes perfect sense then. 

 

(Bloody glad I passed all my tests before all this stupid nonsense kicked off)

[MrDuke]

Mine's up for renewal this year, and I'm ever more paranoid that the replacement one will be missing several categories. I've never used most of them, and possibly never will, but that's not the point, dammit.

[Pillock]

 

Shame the Euro-idiots forced us over to this system, it was much easier with the old A to L groups, most people got them, you knew what you were entitled to drive unlike now. 

 

I dunno, the A-L system sounds just as faffy, I wouldn't know without looking up what each one was same as I don't with the new system.

[hairnet]

Mine's up for renewal this year, and I'm ever more paranoid that the replacement one will be missing several categories. I've never used most of them, and possibly never will, but that's not the point, dammit.

photocopy it with a proof of that days date

 

they have been known to send it back minus catergories

[Eddie Honda]

A-L?

 

What about the other (deprecated) stuff?

 

p, moped

n, duty exempt vehicle

m, trolleybus

[Eddie Honda]

My B1 starts four years after my B because that's when I passed my bike test.

I know that. It still doesn't make sense if B1 is a sub-category of B.

[HH-R]

For some reason my licence date is a few days after I passed my test too, maybe when it was processed?

 

I'm going to have to renew it this year, sadly will end up losing the photo of a 17 year old me with long hair. I don't think I could grow it that long any more, it's receding at the rate of knots.

[MrDuke]

You mean that's not you in your avatar? 

[HH-R]

I'm not that good looking!

[Dave_Q]

Nothing much to add except some of my dates are a bit random, have got 29/05/14 for my category A and 20/05/14 for AM (?)

 

Pretty sure I actually did my test on the 27th.

[mouseflakes]

...17 year old me with long hair. I don't think I could grow it that long any more, it's receding at the rate of knots.

If you knot it less frequently would that slow the recession?

[Mr A Lawrence]

Friend of mine never had a bike licence, sent his licence to doovla for point taking off, address change.

 

Got licence back with full motorcycle entitlement added.

 

Took some lessons and bought a Kawasaki GPZ900!!

[PiperCub]

A-L?

 

What about the other (deprecated) stuff?

 

p, moped

n, duty exempt vehicle

m, trolleybus

 

Moped used to be group E in old money. Never had trolleybus on my licence! N was only ever shown on a provisional to my recollection.

 

I don't know whether you are missing the point I was making, what I meant was the main groupings and entitlements were alot simpler to understand unlike now so fewer folk were confused about what they could and couldn't drive. The new system to me seems overly fussy for no real reason. 

[PiperCub]

photocopy it with a proof of that days date

 

they have been known to send it back minus catergories

 

Absolutely - Photocopy everything you send to DVLA, I always have & always will, don't trust these govt agencies as they'll never admit anything if they cock up or lose your paperwork.

[Eddie Honda]

I've heard in the past that photocopies hold no sway with the DVLA, because they are the almighty.

Hold on to your licence and apply online for the replacement? I'd rather surrender my old one, after receiving the new one.

 

 

Moped used to be group E in old money. Never had trolleybus on my licence! N was only ever shown on a provisional to my recollection.

 

I don't know whether you are missing the point I was making, what I meant was the main groupings and entitlements were alot simpler to understand unlike now so fewer folk were confused about what they could and couldn't drive. The new system to me seems overly fussy for no real reason. 

 

I don't know about a lot simpler, there's just as many different groups. The "new" system is all part of EU harmonisation of driving licences so every member state is on the same page and doesn't have to learn 25+ different national version. It's complicated only by the fact of the hangover of the old systems and it'll come out in the wash eventually.

 

From memory, group M (trolleybus) fell out of favour back in 1982.

[PiperCub]

I'd heard the same about photocopies/DVLA too but what else can you do?

Holding on to your licence is an idea (have done it before - have most of my old paper licences - UK green car, UK pink car/bike, Euro pink&green car/bike/HGV/PSV) but I am renewing because my HGV/PSV medical is due soon and I asked DVLA if I needed to send my existing licence and was told they couldn't renew without it. I could always say it was lost or destroyed I suppose and pay for a replacement as you say. 

 

At the risk of being stoned for heresy, DVLA have been pretty reliable for me personally in the last ten years so am hoping this continues!!!

 

You're right about harmonisation of course and yes, it makes more sense having on set of categories for all Eurozone but still seems over complicated for something that need not be. But I guess it keeps people in Brussels in their jobs! 

[Pillock]

 

 

Hold on to your licence and apply online for the replacement? I'd rather surrender my old one, after receiving the new one.

Won't work like that, your physical licence is just a snapshot of what was on the system at one point in time. If they remove categories but you still have the old licence, the system will still have them removed so no better than a photocopy.

[Eddie Honda]

It's more official than just a photocopy, unless you're talking a certified copy.

 

Anyway, I'm not planning on sending mine back anytime soon, at least not until they make driving licensing a devolved matter for the SG.