Changes to driving licence due to take force

Did you know the paper counterpart to a driving licence is to be abolished in June? From June 8th 2015, it will no longer be valid or issued by the DVLA – but what does that mean for you?

Did you know the paper counterpart to a driving licence is to be abolished in June? From June 8th 2015, it will no longer be valid or issued by the DVLA – but what does that mean for you?

If you already have a paper counterpart, you should destroy it after this date but still retain your current photocard driving licence.

If you have a paper driving licence, it will still remain valid and should be retained. If you need to update any information or renew your licence, you will be issued with a photocard only.

Penalty points, also known as endorsements, will only be recorded electronically from June 8th 2015. They will no longer be printed or written on either photocard or paper driving licences.

If you commit an offence after this date, you will still have to pay any penalty fines and submit your licence to the court, but the way the paperwork is dealt with will change. The information will then be held on the DVLA’s driver record that can be checked online, by phone or by post.

If you’re taking your theory or driving test, you won’t need to take your paper counterpart with you, just your photocard or old-style paper licence.

When hiring a vehicle or supplying a driving licence to an employer, you’ll be able to access the DVLA website and ‘share’ your licence, meaning others can view it easily.

For those who need to prove what vehicles they are legally allowed to drive, the gov.uk website will provide a unique code which can then be checked by the hire company within 72 hours.

With the DVLA making these changes to fit their new strategic plan, it means a lot of information will now be stored online.

Share this article