DVLA warns over C1 renewal delays

Motorhome drivers looking to renew their C1 licence may face delays in the coming months, because the DVLA is currently not processing any postal applications for renewals.

The agency’s online services are still working, but anyone needing a D4 medical examination report before having their C1 licence is renewed will have to wait until the COVID-19 crisis is over and medical staff are freed up.

This is so that the DVLA can prioritise applications from key workers like lorry drivers.

This could mean that someone who currently drives a motorhome weighing over 3500kg who turns 70 in the next few weeks may have to stop driving the vehicle temporarily.

A DVLA spokesperson said that although the need to have a D4 examination has temporarily been waived for bus and lorry drivers, this waiver does not apply to anyone wanting to renew C1 licences, or D1 (101) entitlements included in licences that were included on licences issued before 1997.

The spokesperson added: “All of our online services are currently available, and drivers who have a valid passport can apply to renew their car licence using our online service. They may then apply separately to get their C1 entitlement back, when they can get a D4 medical. Drivers will not have to re-sit a driving test if they apply for the C1 entitlement again in the future.”

Some websites are offering D4 medical reports online, but even they are operating at reduced capacity, and you would need to check that their tests are accepted by the DVLA.

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The spokesperson added: “All of our online services are currently available, and drivers who have a valid passport can apply to renew their car licence using our online service."

PeterBaber

Peter Baber is Reviews Editor of both Practical Motorhome and Practical Caravan. He has been reviewing motorhomes for the best part of a decade now. His first caravan reviews date back to the early 1990s when he first worked on Practical Caravan, before he embarked on a 20-year career in business journalism which saw him edit a wide variety of magazines, and launch a few too, including one that won an award. Although he enjoyed that, he always knew he wanted to come back. Peter reports on all the new models that make it to dealer forecourts each season, giving his judgement online and in magazine reviews. He has twice been shortlisted for a Caravan Writers Guild award. When he is not working, apart from going on motorhome trips himself (mostly local to where he lives in West Yorkshire, but also last year right across France) he likes trying to write novels, cooking, throwing the odd pot, and has just taken up tennis.