Driving Licence Changes
From 8 June 2015, the photocard licence counterpart will not be valid and will no longer be issued by DVLA.
What does this mean for you?
Photocard driving licence holders
When DVLA stops issuing the counterpart, you should destroy yours but you still need to keep your current photocard driving licence. Entitlements and the status of your driving licence won’t change.
Paper driving licence holders (those issued before 1998)
These will remain valid, and should not be destroyed. The next time 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 licences. This information will be held on DVLA’s driver record, and can be checked online, by phone or post.
Organisations and businesses that check the driving licence counterpart
DVLA is developing new digital enquiry services for launch later this year that will allow organisations and businesses (such as employers and car hire companies) to view information they can currently see on the driving licence counterpart.
These new services will be offered in addition to the existing services, but are 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 these services will only be made available to those who have a right to see it, and with the knowledge of the driving licence holder.
Why is the counterpart being abolished?
The driving licence counterpart was introduced in 1998 to display information that could not fit on the photocard driving licence. Predominantly, it gives information on penalty points and provisional vehicle entitlement. After 17 years of dutifully doing its job the counterpart will be abolished on 8 June 2015.
This means that from the 8 June 2015, DVLA will stop issuing the paper counterpart. Those in circulation after this date will no longer have any legal status and should be destroyed.
The reason for abolishing the counterpart is to reduce burden on motorists. For most drivers there simply isn’t a need to have this information on a piece of paper when it is now freely and easily available online. It also saves drivers from paying £20 to replace a lost or damaged counterpart. 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.