The government has confirmed that as a result of Covid19, those 70 years of age and over will be contacted directly by the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) and invited to renew their licence or permit by post.
The process of contacting drivers 70 years and over will begin this coming week and will initially target renewals due in October 2020.
Commenting on the move Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said, “At present, only those aged 70 and over who renew their licence on a yearly basis are invited to renew it by post. As a temporary measure, given the situation with Covid19, the RSA, through its licensing service the NDLS, will expand the postal renewal option, to those over 70 who renew their licence every three years. This measure will reduce the need for this vulnerable group to attend in person at an NDLS centre.”
The NDLS service, which is managed by the RSA, will be sending out application packs to those eligible to apply by post this coming week. The pack will include a partially completed application form that the customer must complete. If a medical report form is required, this must be included along with the completed application form in the pre-addressed envelope provided (postage stamp required) and posted back to the NDLS. There is no fee required as customers 70 years of age and over are exempt from paying the cost of a driving licence or permit renewal.
If someone does receive an application pack in the post and plans on renewing this way, but may have already booked an appointment at an NDLS centre, you must cancel this appointment by logging on to www.ndls.ie. The NDLS would appreciate if customers cancelled this appointment in order to facilitate other applicants.
Those 70 and over are reminded that unless they have a specific medical condition (listed on the application form), they do not need to provide a medical report when applying to renew their licence. This temporary exemption was introduced to remove pressure on the health system at a time of crisis and is in place until 31 Dec 2020.
Anyone whose driving licence expired between 1 March and 31 August 2020, had the period of validity extended by seven months in total. Anyone whose learner permit expired between 1st of March and 30th of June 2020 has had it extended by 8 months. If your Learner Permit expired between 1st of July and 31st of October 2020 it’s been extended by four months. A handy expiry date calculator tool has been developed on ndls.ie which allows people, to check the new expiry date of their licence or permit. Customers are strongly urged to check the new expiry date on the website before making an appointment to attend an NDLS centre. It could save a wasted trip to an NDLS Centre.