Personal licence renewals - Home Office update

The Home Office has today updated on the developing issue of the need for certain personal licence holders to renew their personal licence next year, despite the Government intention that such renewals will eventually be scrapped (if and when the required legislation passes through Parliament) – see our earlier news article: 'Abolishing personal licence renewals - will it be done in time? No, now 'confirmed'!'

Those who will be caught out early next year will need to complete an application form providing basic information to their local licensing authority.  There will be no fee and no need to supply photographs, any updated criminal record check or indeed the current personal licence.  However it will essential to the application that the local authority acknowledges safe receipt.

Relevant secondary legislation and supporting guidance is expected ‘shortly’.

The required time scale to effectively apply to renew will remain – the application will still need to be lodged no more than three nor less than one month from expiry.  According to reports, the Home Office suggest that up to 500,000 personal licence holders may be affected (but we would hope that this is a significant over-estimate if correct). The last statistics published indicated that there were 544,600 personal licences in force in England and Wales on 31 March 2013. 

The words ‘sticking plaster’ springs to mind!