Driving Licence Changes.....Driving Abroad
On 8 June 2015, the paper counterpart to the photocard driving licence was abolished. The counterpart
contained information such as any penalty points you have. Similarly, old-style
paper licences, issued until 1998, are still valid but they won’t be updated
with penalty points. Instead, you can now view all your up-to-date driving
licence information using DVLA’s View Driving Licence service.
These changes do not affect licences
issued by DVA in Northern Ireland.
When hiring a vehicle
When collecting a vehicle from a hire
company many only ask to see your photocard licence or your pre-1998 paper
licence – but some also want to check whether you have any penalty points. They
may ask for a code so that they can check your licence online or for a printout
of your licence details.
Getting a code or printout for the
hire company
You can go online to obtain a code to
give to your hire company. Each code is valid for 21 days from the date you
obtain it and it can only be used once (to protect your privacy). You can have
up to 15 active check codes at any given time.
To obtain a code or a printout:
2. Enter your driver
number and postcode, as they appear on your driving licence, and your National
Insurance number.
3. Click on the ‘Share
your licence information’ tab – then the ‘Create a code’ button.
4. You will now be
shown a code that you can pass on to your hire company. You’ll also have the
option to print out your licence information.
