NDLS - National Driver Licence Service centres (Qs, waiting times, etc)

Esel

Normally, collection is not allowed.

If you could give a fictitious address, and then collect...

Phone and explain your situation.

RichyX

I'm in the same boat. Away to England this Friday but no license for 5-8 working days from today.
Thinking of canceling the car and changing flights around.

bear1

I've a bit of a predicament.
So my licence expires in August and I'm generally based abroad with my car with me.
I need my car every single day and at the beginning of June I'm coming back home for a few days and I will go to the NDLS.
Now, I know it's not the best idea but I'm planning on declaring my licence lost so that I can keep it while I'm abroad and renew the licence without handing the old one back in.
My address in Galway is still the same so I understand that I don't need to show proof of address but I just simply need to bring the form stamped by the police plus my passport/photos which are signed and pay the 55e fee.
Is this all that's needed?

El Inho

biko wrote: »

Afaik there is nothing you can do to speed things up, and it's unlikely it will be ready until a few weeks.
Do you need licence while away?
You can try ringing them but tbh it's not them, it's the manufacturing process that takes a long time.

Yeah I'm going to rent a car.

Herself can drive of course, but I was looking forward to taking a spin meself.

I'll give them a bell tomorrow and ask.

El Inho

RichyX wrote: »

I'm in the same boat. Away to England this Friday but no license for 5-8 working days from today.
Thinking of canceling the car and changing flights around.

I was told there was an outside chance I'd have it by Monday. I'm not going to hold my breath. Sure tis only my own fault for waiting. Really thought they'd issue on the spot.

robbie99

I recently had to renew my license. My old paper based one was expiring in April 2016 and I dropped into the Santry NDLS office without an appointment February 2016. When I took the ticket, the estimated wait time was 2.5 hours and I was thinking that I didn't want to wait that long. After going to a shop for a can and coming back up 10 minutes later, the estimated wait for my ticket number was down to 1.5 hours! Clearly a lot of people didn't want to be waiting that long and were abandoning the queue. In the end I was only waiting 45 mins total before being seen to.

But they took a photocopy of my old license rather than keeping it so maybe things have changed here. When they posted out my new license there was a note saying that I should now return the old license but I don't remember any address or instructions for doing so being included. I still have it.

SarahS2013

bear1 wrote: »

I've a bit of a predicament.
So my licence expires in August and I'm generally based abroad with my car with me.
I need my car every single day and at the beginning of June I'm coming back home for a few days and I will go to the NDLS.
Now, I know it's not the best idea but I'm planning on declaring my licence lost so that I can keep it while I'm abroad and renew the licence without handing the old one back in.
My address in Galway is still the same so I understand that I don't need to show proof of address but I just simply need to bring the form stamped by the police plus my passport/photos which are signed and pay the 55e fee.
Is this all that's needed?

I had to renew mine a few weeks ago. Made an appt using their online system (do this weeks in advance to get the slot you want). They take your pic, copy your old licence and take proof of your PPS number and gave my licence back to me with a receipt proving I'd applied to renew it in case it overlapped.

bear1

SarahS2013 wrote: »

I had to renew mine a few weeks ago. Made an appt using their online system (do this weeks in advance to get the slot you want). They take your pic, copy your old licence and take proof of your PPS number and gave my licence back to me with a receipt proving I'd applied to renew it in case it overlapped.

They gave you the licence back? I'm reading a lot that they keep the licence with them?
Yep I made the appointment today for June 11th 9am.

SarahS2013

bear1 wrote: »

They gave you the licence back? I'm reading a lot that they keep the licence with them?
Yep I made the appointment today for June 11th 9am.

Yep for sure. That was the Santry centre if it helps.
When they posted out my new licence there was an accompanying letter asking me to post my old one to a PO Box address.....which I still haven't done! In fact it's still floating around the end of my handbag!

Surely reporting it as lost/stolen you'd also have to provide them with a garda report which would then mean you're driving on a "lost/stolen" licence and could wind you up in even bigger trouble if you got stopped?

biko

I renewed just a few weeks ago
My licence was taken and I was told to show receipt to any Garda.

SarahS2013

Bizarre...seems you get different treatment at different times.
Was yours already expired by any chance?
Mine still had 2 weeks on it...

bear1

SarahS2013 wrote: »

Yep for sure. That was the Santry centre if it helps.
When they posted out my new licence there was an accompanying letter asking me to post my old one to a PO Box address.....which I still haven't done! In fact it's still floating around the end of my handbag!

Surely reporting it as lost/stolen you'd also have to provide them with a garda report which would then mean you're driving on a "lost/stolen" licence and could wind you up in even bigger trouble if you got stopped?

Well if I'm stopped it would be abroad and I'd doubt they'd know.
Besides I could just say I found it again.
Yes I will need to have a form stamped by the Guards for it but at least then I'm covered abroad.
Absolutely stupid that you need to give them the old one back.
I wouldn't be able to chance telling them I'm just renewing cause if they take my old licence I've got no car then for possibly weeks on end.

_Kaiser_

SarahS2013 wrote: »

Bizarre...seems you get different treatment at different times.
Was yours already expired by any chance?
Mine still had 2 weeks on it...

I renewed mine a fortnight ago (had booked online and was in and out in 10 mins.. very efficient I have to say )

My old license is still good till the end of next month so I was given that back and now I have the credit card one that doesn't kick in till then anyway.

bear1

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

I renewed mine a fortnight ago (had booked online and was in and out in 10 mins.. very efficient I have to say )

My old license is still good till the end of next month so I was given that back and now I have the credit card one that doesn't kick in till then anyway.

So is it that if your licence is still valid then you keep it and once expired send it back in and use the new one?
Bloody confusing all of this.
Cant even find a phone number to contact them

_Kaiser_

bear1 wrote: »

So is it that if your licence is still valid then you keep it and once expired send it back in and use the new one?
Bloody confusing all of this.
Cant even find a phone number to contact them

That's how I'm going to do it anyway as the Valid Date on the new one doesn't start until the old one runs out.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

bear1

Anyone have a phone number for them? I'll call and clarify it.

cantdecide

El Inho wrote: »

Howdy all,

Quick advice needed.

I'm away on holidays next Tuesday and just applied for a replacement license. Of course I'm renting, and didn't know they would take my old one.

Any ideas on my chances of getting it in time? Or does anyone have experience of getting it faster by calling/collecting in person etc.

They should only have taken your old licence if it was expired.

Esel wrote: »

Normally, collection is not allowed.

If you could give a fictitious address, and then collect...

Phone and explain your situation.

Collection is not possible and you have to show proof of address for any address change.

bear1 wrote: »

I've a bit of a predicament.
So my licence expires in August and I'm generally based abroad with my car with me.
I need my car every single day and at the beginning of June I'm coming back home for a few days and I will go to the NDLS.
Now, I know it's not the best idea but I'm planning on declaring my licence lost so that I can keep it while I'm abroad and renew the licence without handing the old one back in.
My address in Galway is still the same so I understand that I don't need to show proof of address but I just simply need to bring the form stamped by the police plus my passport/photos which are signed and pay the 55e fee.
Is this all that's needed?

If the old licence is currently valid, they'll let you keep it.

SarahS2013 wrote: »

Surely reporting it as lost/stolen you'd also have to provide them with a garda report which would then mean you're driving on a "lost/stolen" licence and could wind you up in even bigger trouble if you got stopped?

The report that you make is in the app form itself. You fill everything out as normal and simply have the relevent section stamped and signed by a Guard. That's as far as it goes. There is no follow up. However, the 'lost' licence will be declared void on making the new application.

There is no method of speeding up the processing time itself or an express option. The only thing that you can really do is to follow up a few days after the application is made and assuming the processing section haven't found any problems, just get them to confirm if the card was issued to be printed on time. If there is a problem with the application, you can make sure to get any new documents in ASAP and follow up asking them to escalate it so it doesn't sit around waiting to be issued.

RichyX

How many days is it generally taking for licenses to arrive?
The not very helpful young woman in the Citywest office said 5-8 working days.

ohnonotgmail

RichyX wrote: »

How many days is it generally taking for licenses to arrive?
The not very helpful young woman in the Citywest office said 5-8 working days.

those figures seem right. mine took a week

_Kaiser_

Yep about a week for mine as well.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

SarahS2013

Nearly 2 weeks for me

shinikins

bear1 wrote: »

I know it's not the best idea but I'm planning on declaring my licence lost so that I can keep it while I'm abroad and renew the licence without handing the old one back in.

I would only advise you do this if you are VERY confident that you would win a court case. Your signature on the application form is legally binding proof that the information you gave is true and correct at the time of application. If your licence still has time remaining on it, and is undamaged, it will be photocopied and handed straight back to you, and you will have the new license within 8 working days via post.

_Kaiser_ check the dates on your new licence, the issue date is the date you applied in a centre, it does not take over from the day after your previous one expires. Your previous licence is now obsolete and should be returned to the RSA as the letter includes with the new license stated. You should only be carrying your new licence with you.

bear1

shinikins wrote: »

I would only advise you do this if you are VERY confident that you would win a court case. Your signature on the application form is legally binding proof that the information you gave is true and correct at the time of application. If your licence still has time remaining on it, and is undamaged, it will be photocopied and handed straight back to you, and you will have the new license within 8 working days via post.

_Kaiser_ check the dates on your new licence, the issue date is the date you applied in a centre, it does not take over from the day after your previous one expires. Your previous licence is now obsolete and should be returned to the RSA as the letter includes with the new license stated. You should only be carrying your new licence with you.

I wish they would state that on their website tbh.
Mine expires two months after my appointment so it would be great if i could.keep it until then.
Thanks though for that!!

bear1

So I called the NDLS center in Mayo and they couldn't give me much info but said the licence must be surrendered to them on the spot no matter what.
So I'm back to square one.

dashcamdanny

When I was with them they insisted I wrote my place of birth was in another country even though I was born in Antrim.
And they would reject it if I wrote Ireland. Instead of N.Ireland.

Unconstitutional.

RichyX

dashcamdanny wrote: »

When I was with them they insisted I wrote my place of birth was in another country even though I was born in Antrim.
And they would reject it if I wrote Ireland. Instead of N.Ireland.

Unconstitutional.

No matter what you identify as Antrim is technically in Northern Ireland.

Kotek Besar

dashcamdanny wrote: »

Unconstitutional.

Nope. Nothing in the Irish constitution makes claim that Northern Ireland is part of the state of Ireland.

Kotek Besar

dashcamdanny wrote: »

they insisted I wrote my place of birth was in another country even though I was born in Antrim.

And they were incorrect.. How? :rolleyes: