DRESSING-DOWN FOR WRONG ADDRESSES
BRITISH motorists with UK driving licences face fines of up to £1,000 for failing to keep the DVLA up to date with their address, insurers warned this week.
But they also highlight an anomaly in which EU citizens resident in Britain face no such fine if they fail to alert the DVLA of their movements.
And this can hold up claims if you are involved in an incident with them.
The extent of the anomaly has been highlighted by a Freedom of Information request to the DVLA by former detective turned insurer Philip Swift, which reveals that the number of ‘ghost’ or non-GB records on the DVLA log has risen from 19,524 in 2018 to 27,413 in 2021. This is because when a UK resident with a non-GB licence is convicted of a motoring offence, the DVLA will create a ‘ghost record’ against which to register the penalty. But they may have no actual record of the driver at all. So, whereas a GB licence holder must immediately notify the DVLA of any change of address, EU driving licence-holders can drive in the UK for as long as their licence remains valid.
As a result, their registered address can easily be years out of date, explained Mr Swift.
He said: ‘It can’t be right that GB licence holders can be fined up to £1,000 for failing to inform the DVLA of a change of address, while resident non-GB licence holders face no such sanction — even if they’ve been living in the UK for years and their registered address is patently not current but an overseas residence.’