Crowdsourced Data from Real Applicants
How Long Does a UK Driving Licence Really Take?
The DVLA says 3 weeks. Community data tells a different story. See real processing times from thousands of applicants, updated daily.
Based on real reports
7 days
Average Processing Time
And growing every day
37
Community Reports
Applications in progress
5
Active Trackers
LicenceWait Data
Processing Times by Type
Real processing times reported by the LicenceWait community, broken down by application type and method.
International Driving Permit
DVLA Office
1davg(2)
Paper (D1 Form)
8davg(3)
Online (gov.uk)
8davg(6)
Medical Licence Renewal
Paper (D1 Form)
54davg(2)
DVLA Office
76davg(1)
Online (gov.uk)
61davg(6)
Renewal
Paper (D1 Form)
28davg(12)
Online (gov.uk)
9davg(6)
DVLA Office
2davg(2)
First Provisional Licence
Online (gov.uk)
15davg(10)
Paper (D1 Form)
33davg(7)
DVLA Office
2davg(3)
Change of Address
Paper (D1 Form)
16davg(2)
DVLA Office
1davg(1)
Online (gov.uk)
9davg(8)
Photo Card Update
DVLA Office
3davg(2)
Paper (D1 Form)
22davg(1)
Online (gov.uk)
12davg(12)
Community Feed
Recent LicenceWait Reports
The latest driving licence processing times reported by the community.
First Provisional LicenceOnline (gov.uk)
Sent 26 Feb 2026 Swansea (DVLA)by Harry W.
Waiting
Photo Card UpdatePaper (D1 Form)
Sent 24 Feb 2026 Swansea (DVLA)by Isabelle J.
Waiting
First Provisional LicenceOnline (gov.uk)
Sent 23 Feb 2026 Swansea (DVLA)by Robert J.
Waiting
First Provisional LicenceOnline (gov.uk)
Sent 21 Feb 2026 Swansea (DVLA)by Matthew M.
Waiting
Change of AddressPaper (D1 Form)
Sent 20 Feb 2026 Swansea (DVLA)by Olivia T.
Waiting
RenewalPaper (D1 Form)
Sent 17 Feb 2026 Swansea (DVLA)by Charlie C.
Waiting
Change of AddressPaper (D1 Form)
Sent 17 Feb 2026 Swansea (DVLA)by Charlie W.
12dwait
Photo Card UpdatePaper (D1 Form)
Sent 13 Feb 2026 Swansea (DVLA)by Emily H.
Waiting
International Driving PermitOnline (gov.uk)
Sent 14 Feb 2026 Swansea (DVLA)by Daniel C.
12dwait
Photo Card UpdateOnline (gov.uk)
Sent 13 Feb 2026 Swansea (DVLA)by Edward Y.
11dwait
LicenceWait Trends
Monthly Processing Trends
How LicenceWait processing times have changed over recent months.
Average Wait (Days)
Reports per Month
Help Others Know What to Expect
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Report Your Licence Time
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Report Your Processing TimeCommon Questions