A new extension to the expiry dates of driving licences due to lapse over the coming months has been announced by the Department of Transport and the Road Safety Authority (RSA).
Announced by Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Hildegarde Noughton, the move comes in response to the disruption caused by Covid-19 to driver licensing services across the EU.
The extension will apply to driving licences expiring from July 1, 2021 to October 31, 2021, with 10 months added to the expiry date in cases where the driving licence has not benefited from an extension previously.
The expiry date of your Irish driving licence will be shown opposite item 4(b) on your licence. If the date is between July 1, 2021, and October 31, 2021, then the extension of 10 months will be applied.
The driver record will automatically be updated to show the new expiry date.
The RSA has also told Insurance Ireland and An Garda Síochána about the new expiry date of driving licences. The extension is recognised by Driver License Authorities and enforcement authorities across the EU”
However, the authority warns that if you are a driver who has benefited from previous extensions and the new renewal date is falling due you must renew it with the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS).
Offering a range of examples of how this move will affect drivers with licences due to expire shortly, the RSA explained that if your licence is due to expire on:
- July 5, 2021, the new expiry date is May 5, 2022;
- August 5, 2021, the new expiry date is June 5, 2022;
- September 5, 2021, the new expiry date is July 5, 2022;
- October 5, 2021, the new expiry date is August 5, 2022.
Drivers who have been granted this new 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, the RSA notes.
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 the NDLS website.