Since 8 June 2015, the paper counterpart to the photocard driving licence isn’t valid and is no longer issued by DVLA.
The counterpart was introduced to display driving licence details that could not be included on the photocard. These details include some vehicle categories you are entitled to drive and any endorsement/penalty points.
– What this means for you?
If you already hold a paper counterpart, since 8 June 2015 it no longer has any legal status. The DVLA have advised that you should destroy your paper counterpart after this date but do state that you still need to keep your current photocard driving licence.
– What if i have a paper driving license?
The DVLA have advised that paper driving licences issued before the photocard was introduced in 1998 will remain valid and should not be destroyed.
– What if i have/gain penalty points (endorsements)?
Since 8 June 2015 new penalty points (endorsements) are only recorded electronically, and won’t be printed or written on either photocard licences or paper driving licences. From this date, if you commit an offence you’ll still have to pay any applicable fine and submit your licence to the court but the way the court deals with the paperwork has changed.
For photocard licences, the court will retain the paper counterpart and only return the photocard to you.
For paper licences, the court will return it to you but they won’t have written or printed the offence details on it.
This means that since 8 June 2015 neither the photocard driving licence nor the paper licence provides an accurate account of any driving endorsements you may have. Instead, this information is held on DVLA’s driver record, and can be viewed online, by phone or post.
The courts are unable to respond to queries about the destruction of your paper counterpart. Any concerns about this process should be directed to DVLA.
– What if i need to confirm my driving record to my employer?
If you drive for a living and you’re asked to provide evidence of your driving record (entitlements and/or penalty points), you can do this online for free by accessing the official DVLA Share Driving Licence service. The service should be used by both paper and photocard driving licence holders. You can generate a ‘check code’ to pass to the person or organisation that needs to view your driving licence details.
If you cannot generate a code online then you can call 0300 083 0013 and DVLA will provide you with a code.
Alternatively you can call DVLA on 0300 790 6801 and leave permission for your driving record to be checked verbally by a nominated person/organisation.
– Why is the counterpart being abolished?
The decision to abolish the counterpart was as a result of the government’s Red Tape Challenge consultation on road transportation. It also aligns to DVLA’s Strategic Plan which includes commitment to simplifying our services.
(all information has been provided directly from the website www.gov.uk – please refer to this website if you have concerns or questions regarding the new driving license changes).
