Martin Lewis warns two million with driving licence could face £1,000 penalty | Personal Finance | Finance

Money Saving Expert (MSE) founder Martin Lewis has urged Britons to check their driving licences or risk a “hefty” fine.

Driver’s licenses typically have a 10-year expiration, and according to MSE, there are presently over two million people with an expired license.

In the latest edition of the MoneySavingExpert.com newsletter, Mr Lewis shared a “five-min financial fitness class to gain pounds – £100s of ’em” challenge for people to check the cards they carry in their purses or wallets.

Writing about driving licences, the financial journalist said: “Has your photo driving licence expired? Two million have. They usually expire after 10 years – so check its SECTION 4B to see.” (sic)

He added: “Our driving licence check guide has full info on how to renew safely and cheaply and avoid a hefty fine.”

A few dates are printed on the front of the photocard, such as a person’s date of birth and the date the specific licence was issued.

The expiration date of the licence is printed next to “4b”, just above the 16-character code driving licence number.

Those who need to renew their licence can apply online at GOV.UK for a fee of £14, provided they have a valid UK passport.

The price increases to £17 for those opting to renew via post. People can pick up an application, referred to as a “D1”, from most post offices as well as from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) website.

The renewed licence will take between one to three weeks to arrive, depending on which option a person chooses to apply for it. It’s quicker (one week) to renew it online.

Anyone caught carrying an expired licence could face a fine of £1,000, making it vital people make the check.

From cashback apps and digital coupons to up to lost Oyster card savings, Mr Lewis suggested a number of other ways people can make a saving.

Mr Lewis wrote: “Travel in London? Are you due a share of £500million in unclaimed Oyster or contactless card credit? There’s over £500million of unclaimed credit on old Oyster cards.

“Plus if you paid via Oyster or contactless and failed to touch your card at the journey’s end, or were delayed 15 minutes by Tube, you may be due money too.”

People can find out the balance on their Oyster card by registering it online or using a tube station ticket machine. They can then request a refund online, by phone, post, email, at a station or via the ticket machine.

Martin Lewis is the Founder and Chair of MoneySavingExpert.com . To join the 13 million people who get his free Money Tips weekly email, go to www.moneysavingexpert.com/latesttip.