He must have been drunk driving

[Arila]

For us, although the license is good for decades, you have to (are supposed to) get the photo updated every 10 years.

[Wintergreen]

What an interesting assumption indeed. Our driving license systems sounds similar to OP's (as in you get it for long time, no address etc). The old ones used to be papery/cardboard instead of credit card type and I know several older people who have switched to the new license just because the old one was not durable enough and got broken in the wallet or something like that.

I do have to mention that address in ID/driving license sounds scary! If it got stolen the thief would know exactly where I live and with that information it would be very possible to empty my whole apartment by getting the landlord to open doors. (Of course they do check ID's but after all, thief would have that too.)

[Margo]

*Very* interesting assumption, and I agree with the PP that 'drink driving' would not be the obvious assumption to make unless you have personal experience of that..

I'm in the UK - we now have photocard licences - they show address and the photo has to be updated every 10 years. The licence however is valid until you are 70 (you don't have to take any further tests to renew the photo card)

However, if you have an old-style paper licence there is no requirement to upgrade to a photocard, and the old style licence didn't have to be renewed every 10 years.

So, unless you move house, you could have a paper licence which wouldn't need to be renewed at all until you turn 70.

If you move address, or lose your old licence (physically) you would have to get a new one, and I know some people who voluntarily applied for a photocard licence because it can be used as proof of ID and age (as it has your photo and date of birth on it) and is cheaper than a passport.

My dad had his wallet stolen when he was on a business trip in the USA. It had his drivers licence in it as he had had to hire a car, so he wound up with a photocard at he age of about 50. My mum was able to keep her old style paper licence until she was 62, when they moved house.

(OT - I had to renew my licence last year as it was 10 years old. The instructions are VERY insistent that the new photo you send MUST be no more than 1 month old...except - you can also renew online using details from your passport, in which case they use your passport photo, which can be anything up to 5 years old (passports are valid for 10 years, but you can only renew your driving licence in this way with a passport up to 5 years old) The double standard was amusing to me...)

[GlitterIsMyDrug]

If it got stolen the thief would know exactly where I live and with that information it would be very possible to empty my whole apartment by getting the landlord to open doors. (Of course they do check ID's but after all, thief would have that too.)

Well, in less the thief looked exactly like you, or at least very similar your landlord would see it wasn't your ID. In less your IDs also don't have pictures...which...then how do you do you know they are who they say they are? The picture is supposed to match the person. At least....closely match.

[Wintergreen]

If it got stolen the thief would know exactly where I live and with that information it would be very possible to empty my whole apartment by getting the landlord to open doors. (Of course they do check ID's but after all, thief would have that too.)

Well, in less the thief looked exactly like you, or at least very similar your landlord would see it wasn't your ID. In less your IDs also don't have pictures...which...then how do you do you know they are who they say they are? The picture is supposed to match the person. At least....closely match.

Yes, of course they have pictures But in reality, I think landlord (or more probably the maintenance service company person who takes care of tens of buildings) would very easily miss differences that are not major (for example male using female ID). Hair color, eye color are both easily changed, losing or gaining weight causes difference in face.

[Arila]

I do have to mention that address in ID/driving license sounds scary! If it got stolen the thief would know exactly where I live and with that information it would be very possible to empty my whole apartment by getting the landlord to open doors. (Of course they do check ID's but after all, thief would have that too.)

More likely, they have the whole purse, so no need to stop by the land lord's office, they already have the keys!!!!!!!!

[DanaJ]

*Very* interesting assumption, and I agree with the PP that 'drink driving' would not be the obvious assumption to make unless you have personal experience of that.

Yes, of all the many reasons you would need to replace your driver's license, jumping to that assumption is certainly interesting.