Digital photo for a driving licence
It’s now possible to take a photo for your full or provisional driving licence at home—ready in just 3 minutes and compliant with all official requirements.
As seen in
Driving Licence Photo—Specifications
Printed size
35x45 mm
Digital size
600x750 pixels
Head height
29–34 mm
Resolution
600 dpi
Background colour
Plain cream or light grey
Recency
Last 6 months
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Driving Licence Photo—All You Need to Know
In the UK, you can start driving a car—or any other proper vehicle—as soon as you’re 15 years and 9 months old. Apart from excellent driving skills, good eyesight, and knowledge of traffic rules, you must also prepare a driving licence application with a compliant photo.
Here, you’ll learn everything about a UK driving licence photo and where to take it.
Understanding driving licence photo requirements in the UK
If you’re applying for your driving licence by mail, you must send one colour photograph along with your application. Thankfully, driving licence photo requirements are well known—the DVLA requests future drivers to submit passport-type photos for their licences.
The table below briefly summarises the most crucial criteria for UK driving licence pictures.
| Requirement | Description |
| Size | 35x45 millimetres. |
| Head height | 29–34 millimetres. |
| Background Colour | Plain cream or light-grey. |
| Quality | High-quality without blurs. |
| Print Paper | High-quality plain photographic paper. |
| Digital Alterations | No digital alterations allowed. Your photo must be taken in such a way as to avoid the red-eye effect without interfering with the picture. |
| Recency | Last 6 months. |
While most requirements for a driving licence photo are exactly the same as for the UK passport photo, please note that you don’t have to sign your photograph while applying for a driving licence.
If you’re applying online, the DVLA will use your digital UK passport photograph and submit it to your application. If they cannot do that, you’ll have to send one colour photo via mail.
Important: While renewing your full driving licence by mail, you must provide a photograph taken within the last month from your application date.
Now that you know what a good driving licence photo should look like, let's take a look at some examples of what to avoid.
Provisional driving licence photo
As mentioned, you can obtain a driving licence right before your 16th birthday. That’s a provisional driving licence photo—getting a full driving licence happens after you pass the practical driving test.
The requirements for provisional driving licence photos are exactly the same as for the full driving licence, and they rely on the UK passport photo regulations. See the table above to revise the most essential photo requirements.
💡 No need to remember all the requirements. Let us do the job for you. Get your UK driving licence photo from home in just 3 minutes!
I was able to have control over the photo rather than trust someone else to take it. I was confident that it will be accepted for my driving licence renewal and the process was very fast. Thanks again. I'll certainly use you again and recommend you to my friends.
Mrs S E Bell (GB)
Where to get your driving licence photo
If you’re looking for a local photo provider, one of your options is to type “driving licence photo near me” into your preferred search engine. You’ll get the list of photo-taking spots in your closest area. This might be a good choice for printed photographs.
In the case of a digital photo for your driving licence, try using photo booth services. Together with your photo prints, you’ll also receive a digital image sent to your email address. Some photo booths also have an option to insert a USB key and download the image right there.
While all of these options are widely available, you can speed up the process of getting your driving licence photo and make it much more convenient. Use the advantage of modern technology and try professional ID photo tools—take your DL photo from home within minutes!
Sources:
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FAQ
In the UK, the DVLA requests for driving licence photos that are in line with the passport photo regulations. Thus, remember that your photo should be 35x45 mm with a plain cream or light grey background.
The price of your driving licence photo depends on where you’ll get it from. As of 2023, the cost varies between £4.50 (in the Post Office) and £20.00 (professional photography studios). You’ll also have to pay the driving licence fees depending on your application type.
Yes—as with other photo documents, a driving licence can be used for identification. That’s why you need a proper biometric photograph for your driving licence.
You can change your driving licence photo anytime. If you’re renewing your licence by mail, send a new photo (in colour) that’s not older than one month. While renewing online, the DVLA will take your digital passport photo and add it to your application.
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