Change My Address and Replace My Lost, Stolen, Damaged or Destroyed Driving Licence
Service standard report for DVLA's Change My Address and Replace My Lost, Stolen, Damaged or Destroyed Driving Licence beta assessment
Service standard report
Change My Address and Replace My Lost, Stolen, Damaged or Destroyed Driving Licence
| Assessment date | 11/09/2025 |
| Assessment stage | Beta |
| Assessment type | Assessment |
| Service provider | Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency |
| Result | Green |
Service description
The number of occasions when a Driver needs to interact with DVLA can vary. At the very least, a customer might apply for a driving licence, take a driving test and renew their photograph every decade until they decide to stop driving. Others might move home several times, decide to drive as an occupation, incur a driving conviction, and/or develop a medical condition that requires monitoring. Each such transaction must be catered for.
The development of DVLA’s Change My Address [REP] and Replacement Driving Licence Service [DUP], Alpha assessed in November 2024 are the latest “components” in the Agency’s Update Driving Licence (UDL) Suite of Driving Services that fall under the wider Transformation Programme
NB: Renewal at Age 70 [REN70], and Exchange Services [EXH], passed Alpha Assessment in May and will be [Beta] Assessed separately.
All services replicate the design and build of DVLA’s Ten Year Renewal Service, but with extra functionality for customers, and will meet the legal requirement for customers to maintain the accuracy of their driving licence by notifying DVLA when they
- change address
- obtain a new licence if they discover their licence to be lost, stolen damaged or destroyed.
Change My Address [REP]
Drivers are required by law to inform DVLA if they change their name or address. Failing to do so could see drivers facing a fine of up to £1000. They need replacement driving licences when they move house (change of address), change their name, title or gender.
There isn’t any fee charged for a replacement licence if the customer still holds the last licence issued to them. If that licence has been lost, they don’t meet the criteria for a free replacement and are diverted to the Replace my lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed driving licence Service for which a fee is applied.
It is important for drivers to have an up-to-date address on their driving licence. It is important information that we use to keep drivers abreast of their legal obligations about driving but also to assist the Police with law enforcement and being able to trace drivers across the UK
Replace My Lost, Stolen, Damaged or Destroyed Driving Licence [DUP]
Although customers are not bound by law to carry a driving licence when driving, they must have been issued with a valid licence for the category of vehicle they drive. And whilst services exist for customers and third parties [e.g., Police] to check driving entitlements, if needed – drivers must be able to show/present their driving licence so are therefore encouraged to apply for a duplicate if the last licence issued to them is lost, stolen, defaced or destroyed. The fee for a Duplicate Driving Licence is £20.
Both services include use of a strategic internal system to manage the application internally and provide improved customer service.
The service also includes the build of a strategic application management service for tracking and task requirements.
Customers are also mandated to create a DVLA Customer Account before they transact.
Service users
- existing GB Provisional [Learner] Driving Licence Holders
- existing GB Full Driving Licence Holders
- vocational GB Drivers
- GB Drivers with Medical Conditions
- users who want to transact online.
Things the service team has done well:
- the team is collaborating strongly across disciplines, bringing in policy and operations colleagues at key decision points.
- the team knows who their users are and what they really need. This is evidenced through user interviews, surveys data and looking at offline processes like paper forms and call centres.
- the service connects well with offline steps, making it easier for users to move between online and offline channels.
- important assumptions like using One Login, creating a DVLA Customer Account, understanding fees and using mobile have been tested.
- research includes a wide range of users i.e.: older drivers, full/provisional licence holders, those with low confidence online, and users with medical or accessibility needs.
- accessibility has been tested directly with users, for example, using screen readers, assessing motor impairments, colour blindness, and cognitive load - rather than relying solely on a DAC report.
- used established design patterns as well as iterating and testing the service multiple times, with a solid representation from users with access needs.
1. Understand users and their needs
Assessed by: User research assessor (and design assessor when relevant)
Decision
The service was rated green for point 1 of the Standard.
2. Solve a whole problem for users
Assessed by: Design assessor (with input from research, and lead assessor where relevant)
Decision
The service was rated green for point 2 of the Standard.
3. Provide a joined-up experience across all channels
Assessed by: Design assessor (with input from research, and lead assessor where relevant)
Decision
The service was rated green for point 3 of the Standard.
4. Make the service simple to use
Assessed by: Design assessor
Decision
The service was rated green for point 4 of the Standard.
5. Make sure everyone can use the service
Assessed by: Design assessor with user research assessor input
Decision
The service was rated green for point 5 of the Standard.
6. Have a multidisciplinary team
Assessed by: Lead assessor
Decision
The service was rated green for point 6 of the Standard.
7. Use agile ways of working
Assessed by: Lead assessor
Decision
The service was rated green for point 7 of the Standard.
Optional advice to help the service team continually improve the service:
- The team should consider revisiting their governance structure to identify opportunities for increased flexibility and delivery efficiency, now that the programme is mature and stable.
8. Iterate and improve frequently
Assessed by: Lead assessor with input from user research, design and performance analyst when relevant
Decision
The service was rated green for point 8 of the Standard.
Optional advice to help the service team continually improve the service:
- it would be good to see more evidence of designing with data by constructing hypotheses and using quantitative analytics data in conjunction with qualitative user research insight to get an in-depth view of the “what” and “why” of the user journey. It would be good to see statistical testing of iterations.
9. Create a secure service which protects users’ privacy
Assessed by: Tech assessor with performance analyst input when relevant
Decision
The service was rated green for point 9 of the Standard.
10. Define what success looks like and publish performance data
Assessed by: Lead assessor at alpha. Performance analyst at beta and live
Decision
The service was rated amber for point 10 of the Standard.
This is amber because:
- there was no evidence of documentation (a performance framework) defining what success looks like, defined metrics that track the success of the service and map to the goals of both the service and the strategic outcomes of the programme.
- I recommend that you document in a performance framework: the purpose of the service, the goals (what you hope to achieve for the business / citizen), define what success looks like and create a list of defined metrics that tangibly measure the success of the service. It would also be good to see a demonstration of how the breadth of the metrics feed strategically into the bigger picture.
11. Choose the right tools and technology
Assessed by: Tech assessor
Decision
The service was rated green for point 11 of the Standard.
12. Make new source code open
Assessed by: Tech assessor
If possible, link to GitHub or other open repositories
Decision
The service was rated green for point 12 of the Standard.
https://github.com/orgs/dvla/repositories
13. Use and contribute to open standards, common components and patterns
Assessed by: Tech assessor for open standards, components and design assessor for design system
Decision
The service was rated green for point 13 of the Standard.
14. Operate a reliable service
Assessed by: Technology with input from lead and design assessors.
Decision
The service was rated green for point 14 of the Standard.
Next Steps
[Green - This service can now move into a beta phase, subject to getting approval from the GDS spend control team. The service must meet the standard at beta assessment before launching into live.
To get the service ready to launch on GOV.UK the team needs to:
- get a GOV.UK service domain name
- work with the GOV.UK content team on any changes required to GOV.UK content
This service now has permission to launch on a GOV.UK service domain with a beta banner. These instructions explain how to set up your *.service.gov.uk domain.