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Wednesday, 3 October 2023

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DVLA application turnaround times

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) handles millions of customer transactions every year. The following is a guide to when you can expect to receive documents you have applied for, for example driving licences, in the post. You should allow for this before making further enquiries.

Driving licences

Application type	Waiting time
Online or telephone application	Up to 2 weeks
Postal application	Up to 3 weeks
First application for tachographs and renewals	Up to 15 working days
Replacement tachograph cards	Up to 5 working days
Medical investigation where DVLA doesn’t need to contact a doctor	Up to 3 weeks
Medical investigation where DVLA does need to contact a doctor	Up to 90 working days

Identification documents

Documents to support your application	Waiting time
Identification documents - will be returned separately	Up to 2 weeks

Tax disc applications

Application type	Waiting time
Online or telephone application	Up to 5 working days
Postal application	Up to 1 week
Duplicate disc in person at a DVLA local office	Same day
Refund of a tax disc	Up to 6 weeks
Replacement tax discs following a personalised number transfer, retention or assignment	Up to 2 weeks

Vehicle registration certificate (V5C) applications

Application type	Waiting time
Duplicate following a telephone application	3 to 5 working days
Registration certificate sent to DVLA for change of address or keeper	Up to 4 weeks
Application on a V62 form	Up to 6 weeks
First registration of a vehicle with DVLA	Up to 4 weeks
Application to assign a personalised registration to a vehicle from a certificate	Up to 4 weeks
Transfer or retention of a personalised registration from a vehicle	Up to 6 weeks

Acknowledgement letters

Acknowledgement letters sent to you following your notification to DVLA	Waiting time
Your Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN)	Up to 4 weeks
Your notification to DVLA of the sale, transfer or disposal of your vehicle	Up to 4 weeks

Personalised registration applications

Application type	Waiting time
New entitlement certificate (V750) for a personalised registration purchased from DVLA	Up to 3 weeks
Entitlement certificates (V750) or retention certificates (V778) returned to DVLA for a change or extension	Up to 3 weeks
Authorisation letter from DVLA for you to get new number plates made	Up to 2 weeks
New retention certificate (V778) following the retention of a personalised number from a vehicle	Up to 6 weeks