New Driving Licence - Major Delays

ABajaninCork

reilig wrote: »

5 working days is what it took me to get mine 2 weeks ago.

Its advisable to apply in advance of your licence running out incase your local office has delays.

Normally, I would agree. But this is a first licence after passing the test. When my husband spoke to the tax office, he was told the delay was nothing to do with them as it is now the RSA that will issue. But the delays in Cork are not the same as elsewhere, it would seem...

Someone's pulling our leg methinks!

Deise Vu

No-one should be in the slightest surprised by this. When the credit card licence was first mooted I considered getting a 3 year licence but thought better of it. The 10 year licence I got instead is now due to expire in March. 10 Years to organise something that is in use in most first world nations. How long did integrated ticketing for Dublin travel take?

ABajaninCork

What's annoying is the fact that with a new system, everyone knows there will be teething problems. That's normal.

But the 'bedding in' of the new system has been handled appallingly! Why tell people it'll be a week to 14 days for a licence when that clearly isn't the case?

No definitive contingency plan has been put in place either. Different counties are telling people different things! So far we've had:

Letter from Tax Office to be stamped by the Gards, together with receipt. (Cork)
Receipt only will be sufficient. (Mayo)
Receipt and photo ID (Ballymun).

No consistency in what people are told, and the action to take whilst waiting!!

CiniO

reilig wrote: »

Its advisable to apply in advance of your licence running out incase your local office has delays.

That's kinda irrelevant.
No matter when or for what reason you apply to replace your licence (renewal, new address, new category, etc), you always need to submit your old licence with the application, which in case of big delays, leaves you without a document for several weeks.

Shamrock883

I submitted my application to Cork on the 24th of Jan. Rang them up Thursday and they said my "licence is awaiting issue" and that I should have it in the next 2 to 3 days.

On handing me the receipt for the licence in Jan, the person behind the counter said "that'll cover you till then".

ABajaninCork

Shamrock883 wrote: »

I submitted my application to Cork on the 24th of Jan. Rang them up Thursday and they said my "licence is awaiting issue" and that I should have it in the next 2 to 3 days.

On handing me the receipt for the licence in Jan, the person behind the counter said "that'll cover you till then".

They told my husband that too when he rang them on Tuesday!

Clearly more than three days have passed since your application. It's more like three weeks (nearly). If you ring Model Farm Road, there's a message telling you it's a four week (at least) wait. And it's not true about the receipt covering you either. According to the Gards in Anglesea St, you need a letter from the tax office stating your licence has been applied for, which you then bring to the Gards with your receipt and get them to stamp it. See my post #4 in the thread.

There is no consistency in what anyone in the tax office tells you....

Shamrock883

I had to laugh at the receipt. Words to the effect of "You should receive your Driving Licence/Learner Permit within 7 days. Please call 021 blah blah if you do not receive it within this time".

Begs the question (and I realise it is no fault of the tax offices) what kind of demand were they forecasting? Surely the RSA would have predicted an influx in the number of licences due to people "losing" them, people who got money at Christmas to get started and so are applying for learner permits, people putting off getting licences for the card and that doesn't even begin to think of the snowballing number of new applications who passed their tests after the 19th...

ThreeLineWhip

The problems are in the individual tax offices and not the RSA.

Laois has been able to issue new licences within 3 days of receipt consistently.

It's all down to local incompetence.

cros13

ThreeLineWhip wrote: »

The problems are in the individual tax offices and not the RSA.

Laois has been able to issue new licences within 3 days of receipt consistently.

It's all down to local incompetence.

The Tax Offices no longer issue the licenses. We're in a changeover period until September when the RSA will takeover the entire process.

I'm waiting for over 10 days so far.... and I need my license for travelling for work.

MadsL

The US model allows private companies to link to the DMV database. You pay a fee for service in addition to State fees but there is generally no wait. Govt DMV offices are hell on earth so it makes the fee worthwhile.

You can do the following in private DMV offices, including getting your licence and taking your theory drivers test and eye tests while you wait.

Commercial Drivers Licenses
Driver’s License Renewal
Drivers License Exams
Drivers Licenses
Expired Licenses
Forms
Learner Permits
License Reinstatement
Lost Driver’s License
Motorcycle Licenses
Provisional Licenses
Road Testing
Written Tests
MVD Information for License Plates and Tags
Forms
Handicap Placards
License Plates
Registrations
Temporary Tags
MVD Information for Vehicles
Forms
Registrations
Temporary Tags
Titles
Vehicle Transfers
VIN Inspections
MVD Information for New Resident Services
Commercial Driver’s License
Driver’s License
Forms
Motorcycle License
Registration
State Identification Cards
Temporary Tags
MVD Information for State ID Cards
ID Cards & ID Cards for Children
MVD Information for Corporate Dealer Services
Commercial Vehicles
Corporate Dealer Work
Onsite VIN Inspections
MVD Information for Driver’s Records
Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) Checks
Reinstating Driving Records

Why not allow private companies to take on the Tax Office functions and charge for it. If you want to be in and out and get your licence renewed while you wait - wouldn't you pay €25 or so in fees rather than six weeks wait time?

They could also do Garda Age cards and passports.

ThreeLineWhip

cros13 wrote: »

The Tax Offices no longer issue the licenses. We're in a changeover period until September when the RSA will takeover the entire process.

I'm waiting for over 10 days so far.... and I need my license for travelling for work.

The tax offices are doing the bulk of the processing still. All the RSA is doing is the actual printing of the licences. The scanning of photos and signatures etc is still being done at a local level. Hence all the problems being local. So the councils with reputations for slowness are where the problems are.

I got my licence in 3 days. My friend had his also in 3 days this week.

Gumbo

ThreeLineWhip wrote: »

The tax offices are doing the bulk of the processing still. All the RSA is doing is the actual printing of the licences. The scanning of photos and signatures etc is still being done at a local level. Hence all the problems being local. So the councils with reputations for slowness are where the problems are.

I got my licence in 3 days. My friend had his also in 3 days this week.

You got a new plastic credit card licence within 3 days of application this week?

ThreeLineWhip

Yes.

ccoffey27

I applied by post on tuesday will i recieve a reciept or would i need to contact them to get this?

ThreeLineWhip

ccoffey27 wrote: »

I applied by post on tuesday will i recieve a reciept or would i need to contact them to get this?

Applying by post was a bad move. They only give receipts when you apply personally at the office.

ABajaninCork

If you applied by post, did you send it via ordinary or registered post?

I really have no idea why you can't apply online and have a tracking facility for the application. It really isn't that difficult...

ccoffey27

I know it would make everything much simpler just used ordinary post I have sent them an email anyway asking them if they recieved it and what to do about driving without it! once you passed your test you really should just be able to drive around without this reciept and if a garda stops you you should just be told bring your license to the garda when you recieve it

ABajaninCork

Where did you apply? For something as important as a driving licence I would never send it via ordinary post! If you can't make it to the tax office to apply in person, then send via registered post. That way, you have proof of dispatch and proof of receipt.

In any case, if you read through the thread, then you'll find that different things are being said by different offices. Your best bet to to call the tax office or Gards direct and get the SP from them.

ABajaninCork

Quick update...

My husband got his licence today. Looking at the date, it seems it was issued 8th Feb, but he applied for it 22nd Jan as per OP. I think Cork CC 'batch' the applications and send them on a weekly basis, hence the delays. Typical!

moonshiner

Told today it would be over a months wait! people are losing work and having to postpone tests.... what was wrong with the old system or is this privatisation?

0ph0rce0

Sent in my application on the 12th of January, STILL NOTHING!

Karen23

Mine expires in March , better apply now if there's delays.

Dilbert75

This is bad news. Mine expires at the start of March and I posted my application off yesterday, standard post, thinking it'll be grand. Now I'm worried.

CiniO

This is getting ridiculous.

I mean not the waiting times that they are long. They always were and it was obvious that introducing new system won't make it any faster, but even slower.

But the fact that you have to surrender your old licence for exchange purposes and in fact you are left without a document for weeks or months.

While Irish Garda will understand the circumstance, but foreign police force - won't.

So what about all those people who do travel abroad. Once you submit your licence applicator for renewal, you won't be able to drive anywhere abroad, not even mentioning renting a car. All this for few weeks or months.
This is the most flawed system I've ever seen.

ABajaninCork

I couldn't agree more. As I mentioned earlier on in the thread, there is NO set procedure to follow whilst waiting for the licence to arrive. In fact, after the triumphal launch, not a dicky bird has been said since. It also seems the delays are getting longer.

Under the old procedure in Cork, if you applied in person, the licence would be handed to you the same time. In fact, we did this when the husband's permit was accidentally washed and they issued immediately.

God knows what'll happen when the photo booths come in. I can't wait for the fireworks!

MeIsGod

Sent mine into Ballymun motor tax office 2 weeks ago and hoped to have it back this week, just checked website and they are saying a 3-4 weeks.

CiniO

I remember in 1999 when they were introducing card licences in Poland delays were also long. It was about 7 weeks for your licence to arrive.
Only difference was that when renewing or exchanging licence, you could fill in and send documents, and once your licence was ready, you could go to the office, submit your old licence and pick up new one. That way you were not left without your licence at all.
I can't understand why this can't be done here - at least for people who need to have their licence with them at all times.

ABajaninCork

CiniO wrote: »

at least for people who need to have their licence with them at all times.

The law says you must have your licence on you at all times when driving. So that puts people waiting for a licence on a sticky wicket.

God help you if you get a producer. It'll take considerably longer than 10 days to do so, as there are delays.

Del2005

CiniO wrote: »

I remember in 1999 when they were introducing card licences in Poland delays were also long. It was about 7 weeks for your licence to arrive.
Only difference was that when renewing or exchanging licence, you could fill in and send documents, and once your licence was ready, you could go to the office, submit your old licence and pick up new one. That way you were not left without your licence at all.
I can't understand why this can't be done here - at least for people who need to have their licence with them at all times.

This is Ireland. If there's an easy way and a hard way to do something your guaranteed our leaders will still pick the wrong way, as can be seen from this.

ABajaninCork wrote: »

The law says you must have your licence on you at all times when driving. So that puts people waiting for a licence on a sticky wicket.

God help you if you get a producer. It'll take considerably longer than 10 days to do so, as there are delays.

The worst part is that while your details will more than likely be on the RSA system the Gardaí will still do you for no licence. Left hand not even acknowledging the right hand. You'll have to get a letter from the RSA to say you have a licence etc. instead of the Gardaí just cross referencing the RSA database to verify you've handed it in.

Gumbo

MeIsGod wrote: »

Sent mine into Ballymun motor tax office 2 weeks ago and hoped to have it back this week, just checked website and they are saying a 3-4 weeks.

I got mine back from ballymun within 3 weeks of posting.