Date set for driving license change
8th January 2015
The Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency has decided to switch the abolition of the driving licence paper counterpart to 8 June 2015.
Previously it had been expected that the change would come in from January. However, trade organisations such as the British Vehicle Rental & Leasing Association were worried that they would have trouble verifying customers’ driving licence details.
The head of the BVRLA, Gerry Keaney, said the six-month delay would give the rental industry “vital breathing space to test and develop new processes for verifying customer details. The DVLA has responded to our call for a real-time, online driver details checking service to be developed before the abolition by promising ‘technical solutions that provide fit-for-purpose alternatives to the paper counterpart’.”
From 8 June, the paper counterpart licences will no longer be valid and no more will be issued. Only the photocard will be valid. Anyone with a paper driving licence as well as a photocard will be able to dispose of the former as it will no longer be needed, although it can still be used to change the address on your licence.
Drivers who only have a paper licence (issued before 1998) should retain it, as it will remain valid. However, endorsements and penalty points will no longer be recorded on these licences from 8 June. The data will be stored online instead. The licence holder will be issued with a photocard the next time they renew or change their licence.
Under the new system, drivers will be able to access information about their licence (such as what they’re allowed to drive, and any endorsements they might have) online – as will anyone with a legitimate reason to see it, such as employers or car hire firms.
When you are required to provide proof that you have a valid licence – if you are going on a track day for example – instead of having to show your paper counterpart, the information will be available to view on the online database (much like the one that is now used for road tax).