The DVLA has warned motorists could end up paying more to renew their driving licence with those above the age of 70 likely the most affected.
Officials raised awareness of unrelated websites which charge a “premium” for free DVLA services.
It means motorists renewing their driving licence may be slapped with unnecessary fees in a blow amid the cost of living crisis.
Older drivers are more likely to be caught out as they renew their licence more often.
All motorists above the age of 70 need to renew their photocard every three years meaning there is more chance to fall for a dodgy site.
Earlier this week, the DVLA posted the warning on social media site X, formerly Twitter.
They explained: “Due to renew your driving licence? Only use GOV.UK and avoid third-party websites which charge a premium.”
Some of these third-party websites look almost identical to GOV.UK but are in no way affiliated with the organisation.
After taking payment, these firms will usually start an application for a driver and then pass these over to the DVLA to be processed.
For this basic service drivers have previously been asked to pay exorbitant handling fees of over £80.
Going direct to the DVLA will cut out the middlemen with motorists having to pay just £14 to renew their driving licence online.
Meanwhile, those over the age of 70 can renew for free and will never be asked to fork out on GOV.UK. Figures from 2021 reported that 803 drivers above the age of 70 had renewed through a third-party site.
Julie Lennard, DVLA Chief Executive said: “Drivers looking to renew their licence at 70 and over should use our online service which is secure, free of charge, and also the quickest and easiest way to transact with DVLA.
“Customers usually receive their driving licence in just five days. Always remember to always use GOV.UK when using any of DVLA’s many online services.”
The DVLA has revealed there is some hesitation among road users to go through the driving licence renewal service online despite the quicker processing time. Paper applications will take a lot longer than five days with photocards usually arriving three weeks later.
However, data gathered by the group team found a whopping 20 percent of customers stated they would prefer to speak to someone about their situation.
However, officials have claimed that 90 percent of road users who use online services do not go back to using paper applications.
