Test drive reminder - bring your licence please
 

T-3 and counting. For those who've requested test drives at this weekend's meet, please remember to bring your driving licence (both parts) - and to ease the process on the day, and avoid any delays on what will be quite a busy schedule, please also bring two printed copies of your paper licence, which are needed for record keeping by Audi etc...:)

Photocopies done +++

As a very static home owner though, I still have the old green paper license only.... ;)

you mean they want EVIDENCE of our declared points. Dont they know we are all gentlemen on this forum and would not lie :tuttut:

Same here. I have only one "part" to bring; a rather delicate tatty old green licence.

Will that do or will they require some other form of photo ID, such as a passport?

Ditto, green jobbie only and no copying facilities as not at home.

and perhaps bombard us with marketing afterwards? such a cynical old goat me:D

Small price to pay for some new Audi hooning. +++

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1sL-Ito4sw :ROFL:

That's how I always drive on test drives.

Doesn't everyone? :Confused:

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:ROFL:


Seriously though, he could've given that sales guy a heart attack! :eek:

seriously though guys, I would hate for you to get there and not be able to drive for not bringing your licence and paperwork!! :eek:

There is a question for you, I have foreign EU license so only plastic and no paperwork, surely this isn't a problem or is it??

They can't refuse the test drive if you still have a valid driving license surely?!?!

I could bring council tax bill or whatever with me but no point as the address on the DL is different anyway
:Confused:

If they will refuse me then sorry guys but I will have no choice then steal RS6 and abandon it somewhere when I'm finished with it, hopefully they will be able to recover it on time for others to have a go :D

Common sense should be applied here for everyone: if you've got the paper details, then please bring them in paper format, with copies as requested. If you haven't got one (either because you're already away, and haven't brought it, or because you have a non-UK licence), then clearly you can't produce this.

I'd expect the vehicle provider to take an equally common sense approach, though the more information we provide from those who have these details, the more likely they are to do this +++

which should tell them that if we have an old school paper licence then by definition it is "clean". +++

Marcin, you are obliged to swap your EU licence for a UK one within 12 months of moving here, you could face a sizable fine if caught buddy. It is relatively hassle free and doesn't cost much, get on it buddy.

I won't be able to make it sadly. Was going to try to get over to try the RS3, but being as that car is no longer going and I can't find my counterpart anyway, then I'm passing.

Have a great weekend all, and message me if anyone fancies a cuppa on the way home past Rugby +++

That's an offence too! :tuttut:

I don't rate your chances of a test drive Marcin.

Don't worry Marcin the back seats are quite spacious, just don't want to hear are we there yet from the back.

by EU law if you have a licence from any country in the european economic area [ EU + ] you are allowed to use that licence when you reside in any other EU country ....until it expires ; and last time I looked the uk was in the EU ; where you from marcin ?

and the counterpart is being a bit picky...as from the 8th june they become invalid ... throw them away [ if you can find it ] .... was always a stupid idea anyway

Maybe it changed, SWMBO had an EU licence and had to swap it after 12 months a few years back, fact. It's still an offence to have the wrong address on your licence though.

You are quite right about the counterpart, which is exactly why I haven't bothered ordering a duplicate, but the test drive weekend is 30th May, the law changes 8th June, the dealer is well within their rights to insist on the counterpart at this time.

no , the law has been the same for a long time ; I have a uk licence which I have used for 26 years in france , been queried by the gendarmerie several times [ lots of speed cameras in france ] but when they checked I was always within my rights ; the address on the licence has to remain in the country in which it is issued
if , however , you get a points offence in the country where you live the gendarmerie tell me that they can insist you change, whether or not that is correct I cannot say ; suffice it say that I never did !

I really can't be bothered to argue about it.

I know what we had to do, IN THE UK, end of.

I know it is an endorsable offence, IN THE UK, to have the wrong address on your licence, it must be your permanent current residence, end of.

This is straight from the DVLA website for driving with an EU license in the UK.
The above applies as long as your license was originally issued in the EU, if you exchanged say a USA driving license for another EU license then different rules apply.

FWIW the address on my license is currently my parents address, I visit there every 2-3 weeks and IIRC as long as you are still contactable at the address then it is valid. If this is not the case then I'd better update it.

This is also straight from the DVLA website:

"If you’re moving abroad, you can’t register your new address on your British driving licence. Contact the driving licence authority in your new country of residence."

And this:

"You must get a new licence if:

you change your address
your licence has been defaced
you change your name (you must apply by post using paper form D1 or D2)
you’re getting a Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) driver qualification card (DQC)

If none of these apply and your paper licence is still valid, you don’t need to exchange it for a photocard version."

Clearly, if you are moving abroad, your address is changing, ergo you must get a new licence from the relevant country's authorities.

If you're living here indefinitely I would still exchange a non-UK licence for a UK licence purely for cheaper car insurance. SWMBO had a foreign licence and, although UK law recognised and allowed her to drive for 12 months on her home licence, UK insurance company's wouldn't insure her or quote a ridiculous premium.

That could have been why we changed SWMBO's licence too Matty, fair point.

It not only made her own insurance cheaper, I remember adding her to my D2 policy halved the price

ok , so you can use your existing licence in the uk until you are 70 presuming it is still valid , could be 50 years !no compunction to change
fortunately in france they don't ask about your licence so the cost of insurance isn't affected

under EU law you don't have to contact the authorities in your new country ; as so often the DVLA website is wrong ; your licence from the uk continues to be valid so long as you can be contacted there at the address stated ; how do you think gypsies can have a licence ?

In so many cases the DVLA web site goves guidance which will keep you legal but is not always necessary. To be totally sure you need to read the relevant legislation and understand it. :cool:
One area that interests me is the medical notification rules and that is very muddied waters!