THE GOVERNMENT HAS confirmed there will be a further extension to the expiry dates of driving licences due to disruption caused by Covid-19 restrictions.

The extension will apply to different groups of licence holders including those who benefited from extensions in 2020.

Minister of State for International and Road Transport, Hildegarde Naughton, said the extension will address the concerns that drivers may have in renewing their licences as restrictions continue.

“Anyone who receives the licence extension will not be sent out a new licence,” she said. “The Road Safety Authority (RSA) which manages the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) will automatically update driver records to show the new expiry date.

“A letter will then be sent to every customer who is entitled to the extension, explaining that the expiry date of their licence is being extended. The RSA has also told Insurance Ireland and An Garda Síochána about the new expiry date of driving licences.”

The change will apply as follows-

• Any licence holder, who has not already renewed, and whose licence expired between 1 March 2020 and 31 May 2020 will have a new expiry date of 1 July 2021.
• Any licence holder, who has not already renewed, and whose licence expired between 1 June 2020 and 31 August 2020 will have thirteen months (which includes the previous extension) added to their expiry date.
• Any licence holder, who has not already renewed and whose licence expiry date is between 1 September 2020 and 30 June 2021 will have an extra ten months added to their expiry date.

Drivers who are affected by the extension are encouraged to check the new expiry date of their driving licence by using the expiry date calculator on www.ndls.ie. Enter the expiry date printed on your driving licence into the calculator and it will tell you the new expiry date.

Drivers who have been granted an extension and who have already booked an appointment at an NDLS centre, to renew their licence, are being asked to cancel the appointment, to make it available for others who need it.

National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) centres remain open to essential workers.