Figures from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) show that online applications now account for nearly four out of five provisional driving licence applications and about half of all driving licence renewals. These figures have increased by about 10 per cent over the past three years.

A provisional licence costs £43 when applying by post, but only £34 online. Renewals cost £17 by post and £14 online. It’s free to renew a licence at the age of 70 or older, irrespective of the route chosen.

But many drivers missed out on the savings last year with more than 1.2 million drivers posting their applications to the DVLA.

Julie Lennard, DVLA chief executive, said: “Each year, more and more people are choosing to use our online services and it is always cheaper and quicker to renew your driving licence on GOV.UK. It’s also the quickest way for those who have lost or misplaced their licence to apply for a replacement.”

Beware copycat websites

Drivers who apply for or renew a licence online should only use GOV.UK so they can be sure of dealing with DVLA directly.

Drivers can apply for a provisional licence by visiting gov.uk/apply-first-provisional-driving-licence and renew an existing licence at gov.uk/renew-driving-licence.

Beware of misleading third party websites passing themselves off as DVLA. These sites might, for example, offer to help you apply for a driving licence, tax your car, or register your vehicle as off the road (SORN).

These sites will often charge additional fees for services that you can get for free or at a lower cost on GOV.UK.