I am totally confused with this new DVDL coupon thing. My wife got her new plates and renewed her vehicle licence to December 2018. The new fiddly little coupon clearly shows 2017 and DVDL tells me that’s correct. Why would it not show December 2018 as the new expiry date? I’m totally confused and as far as I know there hasn’t been a clear explanation in the media. Help!
Auntie’s answer: I’m happy to report that I can clear things up, thanks to help from the same Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing. From now on new coupons will all carry the date of renewal, not the date of expiration, so in your wife’s case, her coupon’s date is correct.
The reason for this change is that new coupons contain a microchip, like the new licence plates, so the expiration date is built in, as it were. These chips have a useful life of at least five years, the DVDL official explained, adding that not having to issue a new coupon with a new expiration date every year also saves money.
When you renew, though, you will be issued a receipt that contains the expiration date for both the licence and inspection.
If the microchip stops functioning, the DVDL will replace the coupon.
I relicensed in Oct 2017 and brought in my old yellow plates in to exchange for new ones: “Not ready yet Sir…but should be ready in next 5 to 6 weeks…someone will call you”. “Can I just get a new plate number, I have no special attachment to the old number?”…”No, you have to wait”. Of course, nobody called, and having read their lament that there is a stack of unclaimed plates, I dutifully went back last week (end of January 2018), and, incredibly, they still aren’t ready. “They should be ready by next relicensing in October and we’ve stopped calling people”, was the latest communiqué.
What I want to know is why there are still cars driving around with temporary plates. Why aren’t those drivers being ticketed?
I have seen a Mercedes SUV with a temporary plate since last year October.
Absolutely no reason for them still to have one.
I also saw some moron with their new plate inside the car behind the back seat, you could barely see it much less make out the number.
I’m totally in awe they even took the time to display the plate in the Merc’ back window at all , rather than just leave it bare. There is a Chev’ truck driving about here with a Florida tag on it , at least the driver is displaying a plate !
What a mess in DVDL. Poor RCIPS were not even given any equipment to check the chip in the coupon before DVDL issued them. What about the different points along the road that would check coupons and license plates to ensure they correspond? I hear nine months has gone by and they still waiting. Somebody needs to take responsibility for this mess and call it quits. Take your package and enjoy the sun, sea and sun.