DVLA says 'don't forget' to do this as drivers could be fined £1,000

Drivers in the UK have been warned that forgetting to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) of one thing could land them a hefty fine. Failing to tell the DVLA when you move house could result in a penalty of £1,000.

In a post made to X, the DVLA reminded motorists not to miss this crucial detail. It said: “New home? Congratulations!

“Don’t forget, you can use our online service to tell us you’ve moved.” On the , it adds: “You can be fined up to £1,000 if you do not tell DVLA when your address changes.”

When moving house, there are a number of documents that need to be updated. GOV.UK says: “You must update your driving licence, vehicle log book (V5C), Direct Debit for vehicle tax and other details when you move home.

“You do not need to tell us if you move temporarily (for example, you’re living away at university) if we can still contact you at your permanent address.” It is important to note that you can still drive while you wait for your new documents to be sent to you.

Also, it does not cost anything to change your address with DVLA. It is possible to make the necessary changes to your address online at or via post.

Driving licence

When updating your driving licence, you will need:

• Your current driving licence
• To be a resident of Great Britain - there’s a different process in Northern Ireland
• To give the addresses you’ve lived at in the last three years
• To not be banned from driving.

You should also provide your driving licence number, National Insurance number and passport number if you know them.

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If you want to change your photo at the same time, GOV.UK says: “If your licence is valid for at least two more years, you’ll have to renew it to change your photo. If it’s valid for less than two years, you can change your photo when you update your address.”

You can either:

• Choose to use the same photo as your passport
• Send a recent passport-style photo - you’ll get a letter telling you how to send it after you’ve used the online service.

But if you’re moving abroad, you cannot register your new address on your British driving licence. Contact the driving licence authority in your new country of residence.

Once you have completed your driving licence application you’ll get a confirmation email from DVLA after you’ve applied. If successful it should then be sent to you in the post.

Vehicle log book (V5C)

You must update your vehicle log book (V5C) if you change your address. It’s usually free to update it. To do this you will need:

• The registration number of your vehicle
• Your log book reference number
• A UK address
• To check if your vehicle needs taxing in the next four weeks.

If your vehicle needs taxing in the next four weeks you’ll need to tax your vehicle online using your current V5C before changing your address. If your application is successful, your new log book should be posted to you within four weeks.