Updates and advice to motorists on abolition of the counterpart to the photocard driving licence.
Driving licence photocard and counterpart
From 8 June 2015, the paper counterpart to the photocard driving licence will not be valid and will no longer be 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.
Please note, this does not affect photocard licences issued by DVA in Northern Ireland.
What this means for you
Customers with existing paper counterparts
If you already hold a paper counterpart, after 8 June 2015 it will no longer have any legal status. You should destroy your paper counterpart after this date but you still need to keep your current photocard driving licence.
Customers with paper driving licences
Paper driving licence
Paper driving licences issued before the photocard was introduced in 1998 will remain valid and should not be destroyed.
If you need to update your name, address or renew your licence, you will be issued with a photocard only.
Penalty points (endorsements)
From 8 June 2015 penalty points (endorsements) will no longer be shown on driving licence. This information will be held on DVLA’s driver record, and can be checked online, by phone or post.
How to check your driving licence details
Our free View Driving Licence service lets you see what details are on your licence, including what vehicles you can drive and any penalty points you may have.
Confirming your driving record to an employer or when hiring a vehicle
After 8 June 2015 if you are hiring a vehicle or you drive for a living and you are asked to provide evidence of your driving record (entitlements and/or penalty points), you will be able to do this online for free by accessing our Share Driving Licence service. This service is currently in development but will be available before the counterpart is abolished. The service should be used by both paper and photocard driving licence holders and will also allow you to download a summary of your licence record which can be printed or shared.
Alternatively you can call DVLA and leave permission for your driving record to be checked verbally by a nominated person/organisation.
Organisations and businesses that check the driving licence counterpart
If you rely on the counterpart to check the driving record of customers or employees then the free online Share Driving Licence service will be available before the counterpart is abolished.
This new service will be offered in addition to the existing services, but is designed for those who have a business need for real-time access to the information, and may not wish to call DVLA or be in a position to use an intermediary.
Driving licence information via Share Driving Licence will only be made available with the consent of the driving licence holder.
DVLA stakeholders and commercial customers can keep up to date with developments of these services by following our blog on GOV.UK.
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.
