Drivers license with no address.
Dear Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency,
Hi, I am inquiring into how to get a drivers license with no fixed abode.
I am a traveler and spend no more than one-two night(s) in any given place, this is how I wish to live my life. I currently walk everywhere. I want to pass my driving test so that I can spend my life driving around the world.
Could you relay any information you have on the matter. I have met other people who live on the road with no fixed address and they all seem to keep their old address' on their documents although they no longer live there or, they have a *mail* house which is the house of a stranger they never meet purely for the reason of registering official documents to. To my understanding both of these are illegal.
Could you forward any information you have on how to hold a drivers license and register a vehicle legally, with no fixed address as I do not want to break the law.
There must be a way as the UK has it's fair share of permanent nomadic citizens, How do the gypsy traveler community hold licenses & register their vehicles? They can't all be breaking the law. Being of no fixed abode mustn't mean one is denied the same right to drive as everyone else as this would be discriminatory.
So I ask you, what can someone in the position I find myself in, with no fixed address do to legally obtain a drivers license & register a vehicle?
If I were to stay in one place long enough for the documents to be sent to me and then move back into being a nomad. Would the DVLA accept the change of address when noted that the address has been changed to "No Fixed Abode/Address as I live a nomadic lifestyle"?
What can they do If one notifies them that they no longer have a fixed address and are now officially nomadic? This person has not broken any laws as there are no laws against being nomadic and the DVLA was informed of the change of address.
Yours faithfully,
Sketsi Tribeka
Good Morning
Thank you for your email concerning driving licence.
It may help if I explain that section 97 of the Road Traffic Act (RTA)
1988 provides that the Secretary of State (in practice DVLA) must grant a
licence to a person who makes an application for it in such a manner and
containing such particulars as the Secretary of State may specify. The
Agency requires drivers to provide either their permanent residential
address or a postal address where they can be easily contacted. This is
particularly important in circumstances where either the police or courts
may need to make contact with a driver.
The DVLA cannot change an address to ‘no fixed abode’. To proceed with an
application you will either need to provide a permanent residential
address or alternatively a postal address where you can be contacted.
This could include the address where you work or a family member or
friend’s address where you have regular contact.
The DVLA can only accept a change of address notification
from the licence holder.
Carole Davies
Administrative Officer
DVRE 5| D9 | DVLA | Swansea | SA6 7JL
GTN 1213 Ext. 83173
(01792) 78 3173
[1]cid:image001.png@01CFCB6E.B7248A20
8 June 2015 - the counterpart is abolished
Find out more at: [2]www.gov.uk/dvla/nomorecounterpart
Twitter: [3]@dvlagovuk | Facebook: [4]dvlagovuk | YouTube: [5]dvlagov
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Please visit [6]www.gov.uk/browse/driving for government information on
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driving tests and vehicle tax.
A Moss left an annotation ()
Why say you're nomadic or a leveller - it just instantly puts people in authority's backs up! I am about to travel to and just spoke to the DVLA and told them I was to be a live-in carer moving from house to house (when In fact I'll be house/pet sitting) . They told me that in some circumstances they can accept a P.O Box but I would need to send a letter in regards to my request to:
DACT -
DVLA Swansea,
SA6 7JL
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C Marshall left an annotation ()
I find this response more informative than many others but still ad-hoc.
It can only be assumed that a person wishing to obtain a UK driving licence, according to the response must have a permanent resdidential address or a contact address, excluding a PO BOx. It states that the address must allow them to be 'easily' contactable. However what is DVLA's definition of easily?
A PO Box is just as contactable as any other form of address.
Furthermore this policy seems to not take account of those defining themselves as, or defined by law as Gypsies or Travellers. By their nature such persons do not have a fixed address, or in many cases no address at all available for use. Surely such a requirement for an address directly and disproportionately affects this protected group (Equalities Act 2010).
DVLA furthermore mentions the police and courts. It seems immaterial whether a person has an address or not as the law applies to all regardless of their ability to supply a fixed geographical address. The law in all other instances is applicable to, and enforced against other persons not having such an address. There is no requirement in law to supply an address (fixed, temporary or contact) to the police so that their responsibilities can be more easily exercise in any other area of life. Surely if the police requirement were so important it would be brought in to law that any person must supply an address at which the police or courts could easily contact them, just in case they needed to. Therefore a communications address of any description should be adequate including PO Box etc, even an email address would meet the stated aim of being easily contactable.