There are recent changes being implemented in the upcoming months with regards to driving licences, so the team here at Caversham Vehicle Hire thought we’d use this as an opportunity to share the news with you, so you can be kept in the know and ahead of the game ready for when the changes are finally introduced.

The Overview

As of 8th June 2015, the paper counterpart of the driving licence will no longer be valid or hold any legal status.

The paper counterpart was originally introduced to display details that couldn’t be included on the individual photo cards, such as penalties, endorsements etc. So why is it being abolished, you might wonder? Well, it’s in an attempt to simplify the services that the DVLA provides and it actually forms part of the wider DVLA Strategic Plan.

What do I need to do?

After 8th June, you should destroy the counterpart of your licence safely by shredding it – but make sure you keep the photocard part! If your counterpart was issued before the photocard was brought in, in 1998, then you should NOT destroy it and it will still be valid as a legal driving licence. If this applies to you but the counterpart holds invalid information about you, for instance if you have married and your name has changed or of you have moved house and have a new address then you will be issues with a photocard only.

What else is changing?

• Penalty points will be held on DVLA’s driver records and no longer on the driving licence itself.
• DVLA have a free driving licence service where you can log in and view all your details. Alternatively, if you don’t have access to the internet, you can also ring them up to get hold of the same information

• If your occupation involves driving or you are hiring a vehicle and get asked to show evidence of your driving records, you can again do this online with access to Share Driving Licence service. – this service can be used by either photocard or paper counterpart holders. You can also download a copy to print and share.
• If you need to check licences for an organisation or business, you can also take advantage of the Share Driving Licence service to carry this out.

Please note: Northern Ireland are exempt from this licence change.

Caversham Vehicle Hire

For rental companies like Caversham, you will need to be aware of these changes and learn how to use the online system to now check that your customer’s licences are valid. Please click here to see more details on how you can do this.

If you’d like more information on the rental services we offer at Caversham, please feel free to give us a call today and our team will be happy to help.