D1 Form PDF Download | DVLA Driving Licence Application Form

What Is the D1 Form?

The D1 form is the official DVLA paper application for a UK driving licence. Its full name is Application for a Driving Licence. Use it when you cannot apply online, have no valid passport, or need to exchange a foreign licence. Collect it free from any Post Office that handles DVLA services.

D1 form

The paper application used to apply for, renew, replace, or update a UK driving licence. Issued by DVLA, Swansea.

Photocard licence

The plastic card DVLA sends after processing your application. All UK licences issued since 1998 are photocard format.

INF1D booklet

The guidance booklet included with every application pack. Read pages 6 to 10 before completing sections 6 and 7.

A lot of people search for a printable version online. Here is what nobody tells them upfront: you cannot print it at home. It is produced on special security paper containing a unique barcode. A home-printed copy will not be accepted. The only way to get a genuine one is from a Post Office branch with DVLA services, or by calling DVLA on 0300 790 6801.

It replaced the older D750 form and is now the standard paper application for all UK driving licence purposes. For lorries or buses, you need the D2 form. This one covers cars, motorcycles, and mopeds only.

Who Needs to Use the DVLA D1 Form?

You need this application whenever you apply for a driving licence by post. That covers a first provisional licence, exchanging provisional for full without a passport, photocard renewal, name or address changes, replacement after loss, renewal at age 70, and foreign or Northern Ireland licence exchanges.

• First provisional licence. Apply from age 15 years and 9 months. You cannot drive a car on public roads until you are 17.
• Provisional to full licence exchange. After passing your test. If you have a UK passport, online is faster. Without one, post is your only option.
• Photocard renewal. Must be renewed every 10 years. Many drivers miss this because their driving entitlements do not expire at the same time. Driving with an expired photocard can result in a £1,000 fine and may complicate your insurance cover.
• Name or address change. Free online. £17 by post.
• Replacement after loss or damage. £20 online or by post. If you find your old licence after applying, you are legally required to return it to DVLA.
• Renewal at age 70. Free. The 10-year cycle ends at 70 and a 3-year renewal cycle begins.
• Foreign or Northern Ireland licence exchange. The paper route is the correct way to convert an eligible foreign or Northern Ireland licence to a British one.
• Medical condition renewal. If your licence is due for renewal because of a medical condition, complete the relevant health declaration sections. Driving on a lapsed medical licence is a criminal offence.

How to Get Your Application Pack

Go to any Post Office branch that offers DVLA services and ask for an application pack. It is free. The pack includes the form and the INF1D guidance booklet. You can also call DVLA on 0300 790 6801 and request one by post.

• Post Office. Most branches that handle vehicle tax keep packs at the counter. No appointment needed. Use the Post Office branch finder to check before the trip. From experience, inner-city branches tend to carry more stock than rural ones.
• DVLA by phone. Call 0300 790 6801 and request a pack by post. Allow 5 to 7 working days for delivery.
• Online service instead. If you have a valid UK passport, the GOV.UK online service is faster and costs £9 less. Without a passport, collect the paper application from the Post Office.

Online Application vs Paper Application

Use online if you have a valid UK passport and your application is straightforward. It costs £9 less and arrives in about one week. Use the paper route if you have no passport, you are exchanging a foreign licence, or your application involves original documents that need to go with the form.

Application Fees 2026

The form itself is always free. The fee depends on your application type. First provisional or full licence by post costs £43. The same online costs £34. Photocard renewal is £14. A replacement is £20. Name or address change is free online and £17 by post. Renewal at age 70 is free.

Payment by post must be a cheque or postal order made payable to DVLA. Cash is not accepted. Write your full name and date of birth on the back of the cheque. An incorrect amount will delay processing.

Eligibility Requirements

You must be at least 15 years and 9 months old, normally resident in the UK for at least 185 days per 12-month period, hold a valid UK address, and meet the minimum eyesight standard. You must also declare any medical condition that affects your ability to drive safely.

• Age. Apply from 15 years and 9 months for a moped provisional. You must be 17 to drive a car on public roads.
• UK residency. Normally resident for at least 185 days per 12-month period. This rule catches people who have moved to the UK recently and assume they qualify immediately.
• Eyesight. Must be able to read a number plate from 20 metres. If you need glasses or contact lenses, wear them every time you drive.
• Medical conditions. Declare any condition that affects your ability to drive. Withholding information is a criminal offence with a £1,000 fine.
• Foreign licence eligibility. Must be from a recognised country. Check the DVLA exchange list on GOV.UK before applying.

What Documents Do You Need?

A passport-style colour photo, proof of identity, and the correct fee. A UK, EU, or EEA passport is preferred. Without one, a UK birth certificate plus one supporting document works. Send original documents only. DVLA does not accept photocopies or laminated certificates.

Photographs

Your photo must be a recent, colour, passport-style photograph. If you are not using a valid passport as proof of identity, someone who has known you personally for at least two years must sign the back and confirm it is a true likeness. Write their name, address, and how long they have known you on the back.

Proof of Identity

• UK, EU, or EEA passport. The preferred document. DVLA returns it securely with your new licence.
• UK birth or adoption certificate plus one supporting document. A birth certificate alone is not enough. Add a National Insurance card, pension letter, or electoral register confirmation.
• Biometric Residence Permit. Accepted for eligible applicants.
• Do not send photocopies. DVLA requires originals only. Copies cause delays every time.

The INF1D Booklet

The application pack includes the INF1D booklet. Read pages 6 to 10 before completing sections 6 and 7. It covers health declarations, eyesight rules, and identity document requirements in detail. Sections 6 and 7 filled in without reading INF1D are one of the most common reasons applications come back.

How to Complete the D1 Application Form: Section by Section

Use block capitals throughout. Use black ink only. Read INF1D before sections 6 and 7. Have your identity documents, passport-style photo, cheque or postal order, and supporting documents ready before you begin.

Section 1: Application Type

Tick one box only at the top. Ticking the wrong box or multiple boxes is the single fastest way to get the form sent back. Options: first provisional, provisional to full, photocard renewal, change of details, replacement, and exchange of foreign licence.

Section 2: Personal Details

Enter your full name, home address and postcode, date of birth, and National Insurance number. Current UK residential address only. Your new licence is sent here.

Section 3: Previous Licence Details

Enter details of any previous licence. If you have been disqualified from driving, declare it here.

Sections 6 and 7: Health Declaration

Read INF1D pages 6 to 10 before filling these in. Declare conditions including epilepsy, insulin-treated diabetes, heart conditions, sleep disorders, and visual impairments. When in doubt, declare it. Withholding information is a criminal offence.

Section 8: Identity Documents

Tick the documents you are enclosing. Write the identity number of each one. Only tick what you are actually including.

Organ Donor Section

You have the option to register on the NHS Organ Donor Register. This is entirely optional and has no effect on your licence application whatsoever.

Signature

Sign in black ink within the white box. Keep your signature inside the box. Do not print your name. No signature means no application.

Why Applications Get Returned

Based on reviewing hundreds of DVLA applications, the same issues appear again and again. Most returned applications come down to one of eight fixable mistakes, all of which take under a minute to check before sealing the envelope.

Filling in lower case. The entire application must be in block capitals. DVLA will return it.

Using the wrong ink. Black ink only. Blue ink or pencil will be rejected.

Ticking multiple application type boxes. Tick one box only. Multiple ticks cause immediate return.

Sending a photocopy of your passport. Original documents only. Copies are rejected every time.

Missing signature. Sign within the white box in black ink. No signature means no application.

Wrong fee amount. Check the correct fee for your application type. An incorrect cheque delays processing.

No countersignature on photo. Without a valid passport, someone who has known you for two years must sign the back of your photo.

Skipping the INF1D booklet. Sections 6 and 7 require reading INF1D first. Incomplete health declarations are a frequent return reason.

Where to Send Your Completed Application

For most driving licence applications, post to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AD. Use Royal Mail Special Delivery to protect your passport and original documents. Photocopy everything before sealing the envelope.

Use Royal Mail Special Delivery when posting your passport or other original documents. This gives you tracking, insurance cover, and a signed delivery receipt. Keep your receipt. If DVLA loses your documents, your receipt is the evidence you need to escalate the case.

Processing Times and Real Timelines

About one week online. About three weeks by post. If DVLA needs to check medical details or verify identity, allow six to ten weeks. Call 0300 790 6801 if nothing arrives after six weeks.

You can continue to drive on your current licence while waiting for a renewal to be processed. If you are applying for your first provisional licence, do not drive until it arrives.

Frequently Asked Questions