Driving Licence Revoked Reasons: We May Be Able To Help

If your driving licence is revoked, it is effectively cancelled by the DVLA. This means that you will no longer be legally permitted to drive in the UK. Read on for the four main reasons why your driving licence could be revoked, along with the next steps that you should take if your driving licence has been revoked.

What To Do If Your Driving Licence Is Revoked

Receiving a letter to inform you that your driving licence has been revoked can leave you feeling panicked and worried, especially if your car is your main form of transport. Having your driving licence revoked could leave you struggling to get to work, take your children to school and care for the people you love.

You need to know exactly why your driving licence has been revoked and what you can do to get it back. The good news is, depending on the reason for revocation, you could have your licence back in your wallet in a matter of weeks.

Contact Caddick Davies Solicitors today 

Send us a message or call us on 0333 443 2366 for expert legal advice

What Does Revoked Driving Licence Mean?

If your driving licence has been revoked, this means that it has been cancelled by the DVLA. This is different from a driving ban, where you would be disqualified from driving for a set period of time.

When your driving licence is revoked, you will have to apply and pay for a new provisional driving licence, and then pass your theory and practical driving tests again. However, you can begin working towards this straight away – there is no set period of time for which you are unable to drive.

Why Has My Driving Licence Been Revoked?

There are four main reasons why a driving licence could be revoked. These reasons are:

• Upon medical grounds
• Under the New Drivers Act 1995
• If the licence was issued in error
• Failure to surrender a licence for endorsement

Let’s take a look at each of the four reasons why a driving licence could be revoked.

1.     Medical Grounds For Revoking Driving Licence

UK law requires motorists to notify the DVLA of any medical condition which could impair their ability to drive. This could include epilepsy, diabetes, strokes, dementia, heart conditions, glaucoma, and multiple sclerosis, amongst many other conditions.

When the DVLA receives the notification of a medical condition, they will conduct an investigation to determine whether the motorist is able to continue to hold a driving licence. As a result of this investigation, the DVLA can decide one of three things:

• The driver retains their licence
• The driving licence is revoked
• The vehicle must be adapted
• A short period licence is issued so that the driver can be monitored at regular intervals

If the DVLA determines that the driver is unsafe to drive due to their medical condition, the motorist will only be able to apply for a new licence when their doctor determines that they meet the medical standards required for driving.

2.     New Drivers Act: 6 Points In 2 Years

When a new driver passes their driving test, they will serve an initial two-year probationary period. During this time, if the motorist accrues six or more penalty points on their driving licence, their licence will automatically be revoked by the DVLA.

If the new driver wishes to regain their driving licence, they will need to reapply for a provisional driving licence and then pass their theory and practical driving tests again.

3.     Driving Licence Issued In Error

If a driving licence has been issued in error, the DVLA is able to serve notice on the motorist, revoking their driving licence. The most common reason for a driving licence to be discovered to have been issued in error is if the application was discovered to be fraudulent.

If your driving licence is revoked due to having been issued in error, you will need to apply for a provisional driving licence. After this, you will then need to pass both your theory and practical driving tests again to obtain a driving licence.

4.     Failure To Surrender Driving Licence For Endorsement

One of the most common reasons for a driving licence being revoked is if the motorist fails to surrender their licence for endorsement.

If you fail to surrender your driving licence for endorsement, you will be served a notice of revocation. You will then have a 28-day period in which to surrender your licence for endorsement or apply for a duplicate licence if yours is lost. During this period, you are still permitted to drive your vehicle.

When the 28-day period elapses, you will lose your entitlement to drive if you have not surrendered your licence for endorsement. If this occurs, you will then need to submit an application for renewal of your driving licence to continue driving.

Contact Caddick Davies Solicitors today 

Send us a message or call us on 0333 443 2366 for expert legal advice

What Happens When Your Driving Licence Is Revoked?

If the DVLA decides to revoke your driving licence, you will receive a letter informing you of the decision. Whether or not you will receive any notice before your driving entitlement ends will depend on the reason for the revocation.

If your driving licence is revoked as a result of a medical condition, through being issued in error or under the New Drivers Act, your entitlement to drive will end immediately. If you fail to surrender your driving licence for endorsement, you will have a grace period of 28 days in which you can choose to surrender your licence for endorsement to prevent the revocation from being enforced.

Once the revocation is made, you are no longer legally permitted to drive your vehicle until you are able to successfully obtain a new driving licence.

Can I Appeal My Driving Licence Being Revoked?

Whether or not you can appeal your driving licence revocation will depend on the reason for which it has been revoked.

If your driving licence is revoked as a result of a medical condition, you can appeal the decision. To do this, you will need to make a written application to your local Magistrates Court within 6 months. You will need to provide medical evidence from your doctor or a specialist to demonstrate your ability to drive safely.

If your licence is revoked as a result of receiving six penalty points within your first two years of driving, there is no appeals process once you have accepted the Fixed Penalty. The only way to prevent the revocation is to appeal the Fixed Penalty on the basis that the penalty points have been wrongly awarded. If the revocation is the result of a court hearing, you may be able to appeal the decision to a higher Court.

If your licence has been revoked as a result of it being issued in error, you may be able to appeal the decision. However, it’s worth having a specialist motoring solicitor on your side to guide you through the process and present your case to the DVLA and Courts.

Finally, if your licence is revoked as a result of failure to surrender your licence for endorsement, you may wish to consider appealing against the original endorsement. It is always best to do this before you get to the stage where your licence is revoked.

Whatever the reason for your driving licence being revoked, there could be a way forward for you to appeal the DVLA’s decision. However, it is always best to have a specialist motoring defence solicitor on your side before you begin the appeal process. Our expert motoring lawyers can guide you through the appeals process and work with you to prepare the strongest possible defence for your individual case.

Contact Caddick Davies Solicitors today 

Send us a message or call us on 0333 443 2366 for expert legal advice

What If You Drive On A Revoked Licence?

If you receive notification that your driving licence has been revoked, do not continue to drive your vehicle. If you ignore a revocation and continue driving without a valid licence, you could face a penalty of up to £1,000, along with the possibility of a criminal conviction.

Sometimes driving licences are wrongly revoked. If this is the case for you, it’s best to contact a specialist motoring defence lawyer as soon as possible to appeal the revocation.

How Do I Get My Driving Licence Back After It Has Been Revoked?

If your driving licence is revoked, you have two options. You can either appeal the revocation or apply for a new driving licence. Whether your driving licence application is approved will depend on the reason that it was revoked.

For example, if your driving licence was revoked as a result of a medical condition, you will need to provide evidence that the medical condition no longer impairs your ability to drive before you’ll be able to regain your driving licence.

If you are fit to drive, it’s likely that you’ll need to reapply for a provisional licence and take your theory and practical driving tests again before you can regain your driving licence.

Contact Caddick Davies Solicitors today 

Send us a message or call us on 0333 443 2366 for expert legal advice

Related Questions

Is Revoked The Same As Disqualified?

Driving licence revocation is not the same as disqualification from driving. If your driving licence is revoked, this effectively means that it has been cancelled by the DVLA. In most cases, you can immediately reapply for a provisional driving licence and take your theory and practical driving tests. In contrast, a driving disqualification is a set period of time during which you are banned from driving.

How Does A Revoked Licence Affect Insurance?

If your driving licence is revoked, this will mean that you are no longer insured to drive your vehicle. This is because car insurance relies on the driver holding a valid driving licence. When you regain your driving licence, you may need to declare the revocation to any future insurers – it’s important to check their requirements to ensure that you are fully covered for any future claims.

Can A Revoked Licence Be Reinstated In The UK?

If your driving licence is revoked, you have two choices. You can either choose to appeal the revocation or to reapply for your driving licence. If you choose to reapply, you will need to apply for a provisional licence and retake your theory and practical driving tests to regain your full driving licence.

Revoked Driving Licence: What To Do Next

There are many different reasons why a driving licence could be revoked. These reasons include the New Drivers Act, a medical condition which impairs your ability to drive, your driving licence being issued in error and failure to surrender your licence for endorsement after a road traffic offence.

If your driving licence has been revoked, you are probably wondering what your next steps should be. You can choose to appeal the revocation or to reapply for your provisional licence and retake your driving tests.

To talk through your options, including appealing your driving licence revocation, contact us today for a free consultation.

• About
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Neil Davies

Motoring Lawyer at Caddick Davies Solicitors

Caddick Davies is recognised as one of England and Wales’ leading motoring law firms, offering specialist Speeding Solicitors, Drink Driving Solicitors & Dangerous Driving Solicitors.We provide advice and representation on all motoring offences including speeding, the avoidance of disqualification on penalty points or “totting up” (exceptional hardship), driving without due care and attention (careless driving), dangerous driving, drink driving, as well as a range of services related to medical revocation of a driving licence.

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