Getting Your Licence Back After A Driving Ban

High Risk Offender

You will fall into the High Risk Offender category if any of the following apply in terms of your conviction:

• You have been disqualified for driving, or being in charge of a vehicle, when you had a level of alcohol of in your body that was more than or equal to:
  • 200 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of blood.
  • 87.5 microgrammes per 100 millilitres of breath, or
  • 267.5 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of urine.
• You have been disqualified twice within the space of 10 years due to being unfit to drive because of drink, or for driving over the legal limit.
• You have been disqualified for failing or refusing to provide a blood, breath or urine sample for testing.
• You have been disqualified for refusing to allow analysis of a blood sample taken due to incapacity.

If you are a high risk offender, the DVLA will send you an application to renew your driving licence 90 days before your disqualification ends. This should give you enough time to undergo a medical assessment, which is a legal requirement to determine if you are medically fit to drive again and will not be a risk to other drivers on the road.

Non-High Risk Offender

If you fall into this category you will automatically receive the D27P driving licence application for renewal from the DVLA – 56 days before disqualification ends. If you have moved house during your disqualification period, make sure the DVLA is aware of your new address so they can send you the form.

Remember, if you are disqualified for drink driving again within the next 10 years, you will immediately fall under the High Risk Offender category.

Medical Assessment

If you were disqualified due to a drink driving conviction, you will need to pay for a medical assessment. This is compulsory even if you have been on a drink-drive rehabilitation course.

A medical assessment will typically involve:

• A questionnaire about your medical history and how much alcohol you drink.
• A urine test.
• Blood tests.
• A physical examination.

If the medical assessment finds evidence of alcohol misuse or dependence, you will not be able to reapply for your driving licence. The assessment will take into account persistent alcohol misuse over the past six months and any signs of dependence within the last year.

Photo Card Driving Licence Holder

To reapply for a photo card driving licence holder after your period of disqualification, you will need to complete the following steps:

• Fill in your D27P form.
• Enclose a payment as requested by the reminder.
• Send your completed application to: DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AB.

If your name has changed you will need to send a completed D1 form and original documentation that confirms your new name.

If your photo is due for renewal (as stated in the D27P reminder) you will need to enclose a new one with your completed form.

Paper Driving Licence Holder

As of June 2015, The DVLA no longer issues the paper counterpart to the photo card driving licence. Refer to the steps above to reapply for your licence.

When to Expect Your Driving Licence

You should receive your driving licence from the DVLA within three weeks after they accept your application documents. If your health or personal details need to be checked it could take longer. Make sure you leave at least three weeks for delivery before contacting the DVLA.