DVLA about to hold my passport hostage!

the company financing it said that due to new money laundering laws they couldn't give the final approval of the financing until I had at least a provisional license.

Ah, it's the finance company demanding it.  I don't quite see how money laundering comes into this though.  They're lending you money.     I wonder whether half these "requirements" on financial transactions these days actually exist or whether it's some big-shot in the bank deciding to just blame the law for restrictions they want to impose.

(P.S.  I got the suitcase full of used pictures of Abraham Lincoln.  How do you want me to pay you?    ).

Ah, it's the finance company demanding it.  I don't quite see how money laundering comes into this though.  They're lending you money.     I wonder whether half these "requirements" on financial transactions these days actually exist or whether it's some big-shot in the bank deciding to just blame the law for restrictions they want to impose.

I don't know - the money laundering thing didn't make sense to me either but at that point I was so tired of the whole thing that I just said "fine!" LOL. Incidently, this "new money laundering law" came up a few weeks ago as well when I was trying to open a new bank account. They didn't want to accept my marriage license as proof that my passport was actually me (I haven't changed my name in my passport yet) because it was more than a year old! I had to show them my criminal background check to prove it in the end.... 

(P.S.  I got the suitcase full of used pictures of Abraham Lincoln.  How do you want me to pay you?    ).

LOL!

Sorry for the thread hijack!

They didn't want to accept my marriage license as proof that my passport was actually me (I haven't changed my name in my passport yet) because it was more than a year old! I had to show them my criminal background check to prove it in the end.... 

Oh well, Mr. Blair's new ID cards will soon straighten all that out.     Now if you'll excuse me I have to take a picture of the herd of pink elephants that just flew past my window.......   

More on topic, there have already been reports that ministers are considering whether the new (entirely voluntary, you understand) ID cards might be made a pre-requisite for obtaining or renewing a driver's license.   Just add that to the already complex bureaucracy of DVLA.   The mind boggles.

Recent postings?  I remember some from a few weeks back.  I'll go take a look....

Oh, Lordy, geetak, he's off and running! 

_{Just kidding, Paul, you know I really enjoy your pithy and astute comments on bureacracy!} 

More on topic, there have already been reports that ministers are considering whether the new (entirely voluntary, you understand) ID cards might be made a pre-requisite for obtaining or renewing a driver's license.   Just add that to the already complex bureaucracy of DVLA.   The mind boggles.

I thought that when one has a driver's license here it was for life. My DH never has had to get his license renewed. How is someone going to get an ID card when you are  a resident and not a naturalized citizen?

My DH told me today that they are thinking about raising the price for new passports to £71 to include that entirely voluntary, you understand ID card. Go figure.

Oh, Lordy, geetak, he's off and running! 

_{Just kidding, Paul, you know I really enjoy your pithy and astute comments on bureacracy!} 

hee hee I think Paul1966 and I would be able to have a long long rant on the TV folks...but I will spare you all from that! 

Oh, Lordy, geetak, he's off and running!

Sheesh, anyone would think that I have a few grievances with the bureaucrats or something!    

hee hee I think Paul1966 and I would be able to have a long long rant on the TV folks...

Oh yes.........   

I thought that when one has a driver's license here it was for life. My DH never has had to get his license renewed.

Back when the licenses were a little booklet (smaller than a credit card) they had to be renewed every two or three years.  Then when the DVLC (as it was) came into existence in the 1970s and licenses became giant sheets of wallpaper, they changed it so that they didn't expire until one's 70th birthday.   My first license was issued 1983 and had an expiry date of 2036!

The new photocard licenses only run for 10 years, but if you still have an older paper license it is still valid (at least for the moment - until they decide to change the rules again).  If you send it back for a new address or any other changes though, you'll be forced to change to the photocard style.  I know some people have just kept their old license despite moving and haven't bothered to notify DVLA of the change of address.

How is someone going to get an ID card when you are a resident and not a naturalized citizen?

Are the ID cards only going to be issued to British citizens?  No doubt they'll come up with a variant ID card for resident aliens.

My DH told me today that they are thinking about raising the price for new passports to £71 to include that entirely voluntary, you understand ID card. Go figure.

I checked the passport agency website for a neighbor the other day as he was thinking about getting a new before all the ID nonsense just in case he and his wife want to go abroad again (they haven't been out of the U.K. for years).  He was shocked to find that (a) it's now £51 and (b) you can no longer have husband & wife on one passport.   

Sheesh, anyone would think that I have a few grievances with the bureaucrats or something!    

Your reputation precedes you on this one, Paul! 

Are the ID cards only going to be issued to British citizens?  No doubt they'll come up with a variant ID card for resident aliens.

According to a mock-up of the id card printed in todays NY Times http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2006/02/14/international/britain.span.jpg, there will be a place on the ID card for nationality, so I assume it will be required for foreign residents as well.

I had a friend sign my photo and I had only been here 9 months...no problem.  Just because you've been here less than 2 years doesn't mean someone here might not know you for 2 years!  That's bull!

According to a mock-up of the id card printed in todays NY Times http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2006/02/14/international/britain.span.jpg, there will be a place on the ID card for nationality, so I assume it will be required for foreign residents as well.

I hadn't realized that an actual layout of the card had been arranged yet.  Looking at the FAQ on the www.no2id.net site, it seems that the proposals are that any aliens staying in the U.K. for more than 3 months will be required to register, whether becoming resident or just visiting.   

I had a friend sign my photo and I had only been here 9 months...no problem. Just because you've been here less than 2 years doesn't mean someone here might not know you for 2 years! That's bull!

Furthermore, they have no way of knowing whether you've actually known a person for more than two years anyway.   If I claimed to have met one of you while in the U.S. years ago, who could prove to the contrary?

I had a friend sign my photo and I had only been here 9 months...no problem.  Just because you've been here less than 2 years doesn't mean someone here might not know you for 2 years!  That's bull!

I agree...very very stupid rule that makes no sense at all.  i am guessing they are so anal about it because once you get the all-holy drivers license, you can then go open bank accounts galore and start that money laundering right away!!!

OK, here's a post to instill some hope in all of you.

I sent off my application, passport, marriage certificate, and signed photo to the DVLA 10 working days ago. I traced the package (sent it overnight, recorded delivery of course) and it did indeed arrive 9 days ago. I got my passport and marriage certificate back yesterday (in the overnight recorded delivery envelope that I had included) and dh just phoned to say that... my provisional license came today!

So that's very quick AND nothing bad happened to my passport and marriage certificate.

Yippeeee! That means we can pick up the car this weekend!