NSW drivers licence renewals go online 

By Wade O'Leary on 14 June 2016
NSW online drivers licence renewal
The longstanding ritual of hanging around to get an unflattering photo taken for your drivers’ licence after filling a form with information already on file could soon be a thing of the past.

Service NSW is now allowing eligible licence holders to renew online and use their existing photo for their new card at no extra cost.

Services Minister Dominic Perrottet said the initiative was part of the NSW Government’s drive for greater efficiencies.

“Since May 2013, the popularity of Service NSW’s online transactions has doubled every year and with licence renewals now online too, we expect it will keep growing,” he said.

Citizens can renew their licences online for up to five years but must attend at a Service NSW outlet every 10 years to update their photo and/or sit an eye test.

The new licence will be issued by post within 10 business days and customers are required to print out a paper interim licence for use in the meantime.

This element of the new system has drawn criticism in the past and some of its shortcomings were illustrated by the author’s comedy-of-errors experience when attempting to acquire a replacement licence for a card that had cracked prematurely.

NRMA Members have also expressed concern about the security of the post-out format, with reports of delivery errors and mail fraud.

Some applicants will be denied use of the online renewal system on security and safety grounds, including for restricted licences or those motorists who require a medical assessment.

For more information about the system and eligibility criteria, visit service.nsw.gov.au or call 13 77 88.