In many parts of the world, a driving license is the validation document for approved drivers. This is also true for drivers in Ireland.
If you are a licensed driver in Ireland, you will likely be aware of the fact that there is always a driving license issued with the particular address that you provided at the time of the application.
Therefore, it is only normal that your permanent address is found there.
On the other hand, you cannot rule out the possibility of you sometimes relocating after obtaining a license.
If this happens, this automatically renders a part of the information found on your driving license invalid.
What are you expected to do in a situation like this?
Many licensed drivers might want to ignore this deficiency in information as long as the license allows them to drive. However, this is dangerous for some reason.
First, you always need to remember that a driving license puts you up for a serious degree of responsibility.
Criminal activities and cases of irresponsible driving could be traced via the address you produced on your driving school you put up in the process of training to become a licensed driver.
The implication of this comes to the fore when you wake up to the reality that the old occupant of your new home (in cases where it is not a new residential building) might as well be carrying the old address on his document.
This opens you up to the possibility of being embarrassed should he commit a driving-related crime, and the Gardaí decide to visit his address.
Surely, you don’t want to be questioned for an error committed by another individual just because there is a mix-up in the address found on the driving license.
If you find yourself needing to update the address information on your driving license, then you need to know a number of things before you can do it rightly.
It is important to note that the NDLS (National driving licensing service) centre is the central point of complaint for all driving-related issues in Ireland.
To this end, it will do you a lot of good to visit any of their centres that are near to you.
There are about 34 centres nationwide with customer care agents stationed there to listen to complaints of this nature.
Their services are open to all within working hours of working days at all centres nationwide.
This implies that you are free to forward your complaint to them anytime from 9 am to 5 pm, from Monday up to Friday, and even on weekends from 9 am to 2 pm on Saturdays.
In addition, you can choose any one of the centres depending on your preferences of time and place.
Steps to be taken to update your address on your driving license successfully
- There are several essential steps to be taken to update your address on your driving license successfully. You need to visit the NDLS website, and download the driving license form, fill it up and take along with you to the centre.
- Take along your valid driving license
- If you don't have it anymore, then you need to indicate the situation in the form you filled online, get a witness who must be a member of the Garda Síochána. In addition to this, make sure to add an optional photographic ID card (perhaps, a student ID) will be needed to complete the submission process in this case.
- You should also be ready to provide proof of your personal public services number (PPSN), so they can have access to some other vital information about you.
- In the event of a medical condition, you should be ready to give details of it. This means you will have to fill up the NDLS medical report form with the help of your healthcare provider.
On providing the afore-mentioned information and details, you may then proceed to the next level of this exercise. You will now have to submit proof of your present address.
Getting this done could mean that you produce any document that attests to the fact that you currently reside where you are claiming as your residence.
You can tender any reputable Insurance company document with an active policy and guidelines indicating their level of seriousness as an organisation.
Also, official correspondence from a range of Irish State agencies could be of this regard.
These may include CAO, SUSI, An Garda Síochána, government department, HSE, public hospital, Residential Tenancies Board, third-level College, NCT reports or reminders, TV License, Register of Electors or polling, and many more.
If you have mobile phone bills and statements from store cards/catalogue companies, it doesn’t count in this situation as the national driving license does not accept them as address proofs.
Really, the information there could be a pointer; still, they only accept information from reliable sources due to the sensitivity of the use to which this information is going to be put to.
Remember, they are used to get licensed drivers accountable on the roads and also fight crime.
Whatever document you tender, it is not enough to make sure it is accepted. It must also be a recent document, specifically no more than six months old from the date of your application.
To ease your way through the process, you do well to apply for a session online before going to the NDLS center. That way, you are going to be given preference over those who came directly in the event of a long queue.
Conclusion
The process of updating the address on your driving license might look strenuous. However, it is quite easy when you are equipped with the necessary information.
You can proceed to get it done in no time after that. Know this, however; even if you get an updated license with the new address, the expiry date will remain the same.
But then, it will be on record that you already did an update. This will save you the embarrassment in the case of a mix-up.