Help. I have just been checking through my credit cards etc and among them in my wallet is my driving licence. I am 85 years old and my licence is normally renewed every three years,but on taking a close look at the date of expiry, I find it is out of date from September last year 2020. Normally the DVLA get in touch with me but I haven’t had any communication from them as far as I can tell since 2017. Can any one tell me what I should do please? where I live i must be able to drive but I am now concerned about what may happen if I get stopped by the police for some reason.
DVLA do not send out reminders when your licence lapses these days, it’s up to individuals to renew and until you do you are technically no longer licenced so if stopped could be subject to prosecution.
Get checking those holograms on your licence for end dates
If your licence has expired then I believe that your insurance will be invalid too! It looks to me that in all probability you will have to make an application to get a new licence. Until then DO NOT DRIVE, you could be breaking several laws and you are now aware of that so if you have an accident they could throw the book at you.
PS: Do a Google search “my driving licence has expired” there are quite a few helpful items there.
Here you go, follow the link and it should sort you out.
Very quick too.
From what I can see it was also perhaps extended due to Covid, but not 100% sure of that. 
I would say your licence will run until AUGUST 2021.
Your driving licence or entitlement to drive in the UK was automatically extended for 11 months. This is because of coronavirus (COVID-19).
The extension started from the date your licence was due to expire.
You will not get a new licence as part of the automatic extension. You’ll only get a new licence when you renew it.
You can renew your licence online at any time before the extension ends.
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AH! Well spotted!
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Looks like the chap is fine and covered both with the licence and indeed the insurance.
Panic over Mr Mannering! (I hope) 
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Panic over. This is what I found on the DVLA website. "If your licence expired between 1 February and 31 December 2020
Your driving licence or entitlement to drive in the UK was automatically extended for 11 months. This is because of coronavirus (COVID-19).
The extension started from the date your licence was due to expire.
You will not get a new licence as part of the automatic extension. You’ll only get a new licence when you renew it.
You can renew your licence online at any time before the extension ends."
Renew your licence as normal if it expires on or after 1 January 2021. on line and this is a copy of a statement by DVLA. " SO, I have renewed it on line and will have a new one within two weeks (I hope). Elsewhere on the internet it says that there are 40,000 drivers with out of date licences, probably because they don’t know it is their responsibility to make sure They are licenced, NOT the DVLA. DVLA
Everyone should start checking their licences to make certain they are valid, date .wise
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I feel your relief, great news! Mine expires on 28th September 2022 (79th Birthday) so I’ll have to remember to renew it in good time.
One of the fitters starts work moves house and didn’t inform his insurance company. When he was ready for renewing he called to tell them he had moved six months earlier. They got the hump and cancelled his policy. Now when he gets quotes and they ask if he has ever had insurance refused or cancelled he has to say yes. 90% of companies refuse to cover him and those who will charge 5 times as much.
I do know if you get stopped with an expired licence you get nicked for driving with no licence or insurance and the same happens when you try to get new quotes. So be cautious with licence and insurance would be my advice.
I was in exactly the same position as you, mine expired in Oct 2020 and I didn’t notice until a couple of weeks ago. On checking DVLA website saw the information about 11 months extension so I applied to renew it now. Just received my new licence, took about a week to arrive.
I’m glad to hear Pollyanna has got the issue sorted… I got a reminder about 2 months before my 10 year photocard licence was about to expire in January '21…!
Just a word of caution. If you have problems with on line renewal or use the D1 form be aware that you may have to submit a new passport style photo with your application. There is nothing on the form to tell you this and the people on the “help” line at the DVLA also don’t seem to know this either. Don’t just rely on the link to your passport working to update your photo.
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Thank for that, PR Yorkshire and Ceramic MX5ND2, I feel a lot better about it now.
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Changed my wife’s car a month or so ago. The dealer needed a copy of her license for identification under the no face to face purchasing process. Searched every one of her purses and handbags, I didn’t realise that due to the huge number of both this would take hours. No sign of it anywhere. Applied for a replacement and it arrived within the week.
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What I was surprised about was that DVLA didn’t write to me saying that my licence had expired, but that I had an 11 month extension in which to renew it. It was only after having a chat to my neighbour who just happened to mention he was 70 and had to renew his licence that made me think to check mine. Of course like you I immediately panicked thinking that I was unable to drive, however after looking on the DVLA website I found out about the 11 month extension.
Oh yes the DVLA do send out reminders, mine came this week.
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your lucky to still have fingers. I would have lost mine if I went through the Mrs purse !
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Update on driving licence. Just received my new driving licence today, almost by return of post. DVLA are on the ball it seems.
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That’s odd cos I didn’t get a reminder back in 2015, I went to book a driving experience day and dug out my driving license to find it was 18 months out of date and I had no idea, absolutely nothing from the DVLA, I was so lucky I didn’t get pulled over or have an accident during that period!! Needless to say I instantly applied for a renewal and didn’t drive in the interim (which was a major inconvenience)
Best to check with DVLA and make sure they have all your correct details.