Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the waiting time is for replacement driving licences.

The average waiting time to process digital applications is typically around one day, if the transaction is successful, and casework or medical enquiries are not required. The average waiting time to process a straightforward paper application is around a week. For example, in December 2023, a replacement driving licence was issued within five working days.

Driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued can take longer because the DVLA is often reliant on receiving information from third parties, for example doctors or other healthcare professionals, before a decision can be made on whether to issue a licence.

It is important to note that the majority of applicants renewing an existing licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing they have not been told not to drive by a doctor or optician.