Expired photographs on driving licenses could be the source of a major unnecessary expense for many car insurance holders.

According to a Freedom of Information request obtained by Sainsbury's Finance, 1.6 million drivers' photographs have expired on their licence and a further 2.9 million are due for renewal before the end of 2012.

Despite this, many people are unaware that they need to renew their photo card licence every ten years or risk a fine of up to £1,000. This is applicable whether or not they are drivers and can be enforced by police.

However, there is no direct impact on car insurance unless the licence holder has not been disqualified or told not to drive by the DVLA but it is still very much advisable to stay on the right side of the law in this situation.

Ben Tyte, head of car insurance at Sainsbury's, commented: “The photo card driving licence was introduced in 1998 so it's unsurprising that those issued with a licence around that time may not remember that they need to update their photograph.

“We would therefore encourage all drivers to check when their photo card was issued and ensure that they arrange to update their photo when required to avoid risking a £1,000 fine.”

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