Lost driving license: what should you do?

If you need to request a duplicate driving license due to loss, theft or damage, it is important to know that the procedures are quite simple, but you must go to a Traffic Headquarters, whether local or provincial. Also, keep in mind that, depending on the reason for the loss, you must carry certain documentation.

The loss of the driver’s license is a more common problem than you can imagine. The good news is that today, the procedures before the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) are much easier to do and, thanks to the digital age, all the information regarding what you need to do It is even pointed out the existence of certain cases in which it is necessary to request a new driver’s license and these are: due to expiration of the date of issue, for which renewal is requested; for theft or theft and for deterioration of the card.

However, to make your job easier, we took on the task of preparing this post with interesting facts about the things you need to know to apply for a duplicate driver’s license.  

What to do when you lose your driving license?

In the case of loss of the driver’s license, it is necessary to realize it as soon as possible, to make the immediate request and renew the driver’s license due to loss, so they issue us the corresponding duplicate. 

The same happens when the card has expired, it being advisable to renew it as quickly as possible. This is due to the fact that if you drive on the roads without a valid permit, you can be fined 60 euros (although if you make the payment quickly it will only be 30 euros).

In this sense, the Road Safety Law establishes that any individual will be fined for the amount mentioned, if they circulate in a vehicle without having a valid driving license, or the technical inspection card, the circulation permit, or for not exhibiting them when requested by the agent of the authority.

What happens if I have lost my driving license and ID?

Faced with this doubt, you should know that it is mandatory to report the loss of the DNI, as well as the driver’s license; and for this, the Police provides a series of recommendations that must be followed to recover these identity documents as soon as possible. In this sense, the affected person has various methods to contact the Police in a comfortable, fast and simple way. These methods are three:

• Via telephone. The Police puts at your disposal the number 902 102 112, in order to account for the loss of the DNI or driving license. After this call, you have a period of 48 hours to ratify and sign the complaint, for which you need to go to any police station.
• You can also make the notification online. If you do it online through the Police web portal, you need to click on the link “Virtual Complaints Office” , in which you will have to fill out a form where you make your complaint for loss or misplacement of your documents. 
• In person, by going to the police station. In this case, you only have to go to the Police Station that is closest to the place where you are, or failing that, to your home, in order to notify the loss of the DNI or that you have a lost driving license.

On the other hand, we must also consider the relationship between loss of DNI and its price, because the fee to pay for the loss of this document reaches 12 euros, so we need to take this amount into account.

What to do when your driving license is stolen?

The same happens in the case of the theft of the driving license, so at this point it is very important to file a report so that you can renew the driving license due to theft, since it has 3 main functions: 

• Record before the security forces that the theft or loss of the document occurred, in order to put them on notice in the event that an inappropriate use of the driving license could be made .

• It serves as a justification before the authorities that ensure road safety and traffic surveillance, to facilitate the verification task and speed up the procedure.

• And, finally, with the complaint you have the advantage that the payment of the fees is exempted because it is the crime of theft of the driving license.

Now, if your wallet has been stolen and you had your personal documents in it along with the Vehicle Technical Inspection Card , you can also request a duplicate of it at the ITV station closest to your home.

If your vehicle has an electronic ITV, you can request a duplicate at the DGT. It is important to clarify that for this procedure it is not necessary to carry out a new inspection of the car, but until the moment in which the inspection sheet must be renewed. However, you should always make sure that your vehicle is in the best conditions with respect to safety elements, smoke emission, the condition of each tire, among others. 

Let’s talk about the procedures

The request for the duplicate in the DGT has to meet certain requirements for its granting, for which they request the following documents:

• Official form (can be downloaded from the DGT page). It is a special multipurpose paper called “Driver procedures”, which is like a form enabled to carry out different procedures, including the loss, theft or renewal of the driving license.
• The DGT 791 forms, which are the documents in which the fee to be paid for the procedure to be carried out is established.
• Some identity document, understand DNI, passport or a valid residence card.
• The driver’s license or permit is also requested, according to the duplicate required in the original. Remember that you can also apply for a duplicate driving license online, but in this case, you will be asked to present the original permit when the appointment for a duplicate driving license is granted.
• A 32 x 26 mm passport size color photograph; although if your permit is for a card, the photo is not necessary.
• If it is due to theft or theft of the permit, they will request the DGT declaration of loss, but if it is due to loss or misplacement, you must accompany your collections with a sworn statement before the DGT.

Rates of the Central Traffic Headquarters

This point is very important, because the fees that must be paid to duplicate the circulation card are reflected here . For the latter case, if it is a normal circulation card, 20.60 euros must be paid and if dangerous goods are transported in the vehicle, the fee is 10.40 euros (these amounts are based on a revision of prices in April 2022). Generally, these fees are paid at the same Traffic Headquarters, thus being more comfortable for the people who attend to present their cases.

We hope that this explanation has clarified your doubts regarding obtaining a duplicate driving license, so that you can carry out your procedure as soon as possible to recover this important document.