Driving licences go paperless from Monday: the code you'll need to hire a car

If you're hiring a vehicle from Monday, you'll need to visit the DVLA's website first and get a printout of your licence or a 'check code'. Here's how

Car hire could be more difficult while drivers and firms adjust to the new, paperless driving licence from June 2015 

 

By Richard Dyson

1:28PM BST 03 Jun 2015

 

From Monday June 8, the paper part of the UK driving licence – which shows details of restrictions and penalties – will be scrapped.

 

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Instead, the DVLA is warning anyone who needs to view these details to use its online "view your driving licence" service.
 

The effect of the changeover is likely to be worst for those hiring cars, because hire companies could want to access the DVLA's site to check drivers' full records.
 

If you're hiring a car, here's what to do to be safe:
 

• Keep and take with you your old printed counterpart anyway, just in case the car hire firm expects to see it (and doesn't know about the change);
 

• Before you travel, log in to the DVLA's site and print off an updated PDF version of your licence, including penalty details;

• Before you travel (and within 72 hours of hiring the car) log in to the DVLA website and obtain a "check code" like the one shown below, which the hire firm can use to see your online licence.

Get Licence Check Code

 

 

In order to get your licence details via the DVLA's site and request a check code you'll need three bits of information: your full licence number (which usually begins with all or part of your name), your National Insurance number and your postcode.

 

You can only make five code requests in any 72-hour period.

The car hire firm enters the check code, along with several of the letters and digits from your licence number, in order to view your whole licence.