Further extension to driving licences announced

Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton TD has announced today, February 24, 2021, details of a further extension to the expiry dates of driving licences.

The move comes as the EU and national governments take steps in response to the disruption caused by Covid-19 to driver licensing services across the EU.

The extension will apply to different groups of licence holders including those who benefited from extensions in 2020.

Drivers who are affected by the extension are encouraged to check the new expiry date of their driving licence by using the expiry date calculator on www.ndls.ie. Enter the expiry date printed on your driving licence into the calculator and it will tell you the new expiry date.

Minister Naughton said: “This extension to driving licences will address the concerns that drivers have in renewing their licences. I encourage drivers to check the new expiry date of their driving licence by using the expiry date calculator on www.ndls.ie.”

“Anyone who receives the licence extension will not be sent out a new licence. The Road Safety Authority (RSA), which manages the NDLS, will automatically update driver records to show the new expiry date.

"A letter will then be sent to every customer who is entitled to the extension, explaining that the expiry date of their licence is being extended. The RSA has also told Insurance Ireland and An Garda Síochána about the new expiry date of driving licences.”

The change will apply as follows

• Any licence holder, who has not already renewed, and whose licence expired between March 1, 2020 and May 31, 2020 will have a new expiry date of July 1, 2021.

• Any licence holder, who has not already renewed, and whose licence expired between June 1, 2020 and August 31, 2020 will have 13months (which includes the previous extension) added to their expiry date.

By way of example a licence which expired on August 31, 2020 will have a new expiry date of September 30, 2021.

• Any licence holder, who has not already renewed and whose licence expiry date is between September 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021 will have an extra 10 months added to their expiry date. By way of example a licence which expires on 30 June 2021 will have a new expiry date of April 30, 2022.

Drivers who have been granted an extension and who have already booked an appointment at an NDLS centre, to renew their licence, are being asked to cancel the appointment, to make it available for others who need it.

National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) centres remain open to essential workers.

Anyone who posted an application form to renew their licence is being advised that the NDLS may not be able to process their application.

This will happen if the driver record has been updated and is already showing the new expiry date of your driving licence. Any original supporting documents, submitted with an application form, will be returned. Refunds will be made where applicable (licence renewal for over 70s is free).

Any driver can renew a driving licence within three months of the new expiry date. When your driving licence is due for renewal, you can renew it online on www.ndls.ie. To renew it online, you must have a Public Services Card (PSC) and a verified MyGovID account. You will get more information about a PSC at www.mywelfare.ie and about a verified MyGovID account at www.mygovid.ie.

For further information on extension of driving licences, please visit the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) www.ndls.ie or the Road Safety Authority (RSA) www.rsa.ie.