Older drivers warned 'it's illegal' and must pay £1,000 to keep car on road

Older drivers have been warned they will have to fork out £1,000 to keep their car on the road - if caught with an expired licence. Drivers that have reached the age of 70 will need to renew their licence every three years, but should receive a form in the post before it expires.

Your photocard must be renewed every 10 years, up to the age of 70. It’s illegal to drive without a valid licence and, if you’re caught driving without one, the Post Office warns you can be fined up to £1,000 if you’re stopped by police.

You may face difficulties with car insurance, you may be breaking local laws when driving abroad and car hire firms may refuse to provide you with a vehicle, too. It’s important that licences are updated every 10 years – having an up-to-date licence will mean you have the latest security features to protect you against fraud.

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This will also help prevent driving licence impersonation – stopping disqualified and dangerous drivers taking to the road. The Post Office has warned: "Once you're over 70, you'll need to renew your driving licence every three years. The DVLA will automatically send you a D46P application form 90 days before your licence expires. But, if you haven't got one, you can also use a D1 form, which you'll find in selected Post Office branches."

Check the expiry date on your photocard. Each section on your card is numbered: 1-3 represent your family name, given names and date of birth and Section 4b represents the expiry date of the card. It says: "Use our branch finder to see which branches offer DVLA photocard renewal services. Tap ‘Filter services’, select ‘Driving’ and then ‘DVLA Photocard Renewal’. If your local branch doesn’t offer the service, you’ll see the five nearest branches that do.

"Please note: Some branches require appointments, while others are walk-in only. Contact your branch directly to check, as this information is not available online."