Don't Renew Your Driving Licence Online. It's not worth the hassle

I have just tried to renew my driving licence online and, judging from my experience, it's just not worth the hassle.  I thought I'd do it that way in order to save the postage and also because I thought it would be quicker.

But I couldn't have been more wrong!  The paper form has just a few questions to fill in - but I soon discovered that the online version goes on and on.  It even asks for my passport and National Insurance numbers, the former of which, of course, I had to look up.

And when I finally got to the end it THEN informed me that I would have to download "the application completion form" and post it to the DVLA.  So I was required in effect to complete the form twice - and with more information. And still post documents.

I had to take a break from the computer then as I was required to do something else.  When I got back I discovered that I had been logged out and couldn't download the form.  I tried to log in again but it wouldn't accept my password and it locked me out.  They had sent me an e-mail telling me to download the form, but I couldn't even log in via that.

So I ended up phoning DVLA and getting them to cancel my online application.  And I then took just a few minutes to complete the form they had sent me by post.

So don't be deceived by the DVLA.  They still insist on paper for driving licence renewals.  And it makes me wonder how many people will be stopped after October for allegedly driving without valid car tax even though they would have done it online.

Just one more thing: during the online rigmarole you are informed that you have to cut your (expiring) driving licence in two and return it to the DVLA because you are not allowed to have two driving licences!  But you won't have two because one is expiring.

By the way: the counterpart also has to be returned.