Driving licence changes came in to effect on the 8th June 2015 these changes meant that your licence consists of just the photocard and no paper counterpart, (no change for the old style paper licence at present).
The counterpart used to show all endorsements, penalty points and driving bans However, these will no longer be recorded on driving licences, but will instead be accessible online at the gov.uk web site.
For insurance purposes, your Driving Instructor is required to check your full licence details to see the vehicles you’re allowed to drive and to check for penalty points and disqualifications before your first driving lesson.
The consequences for not checking the above are very serious.
Before your 1st lesson please follow these simple steps to either generate a code which will allow your instructor to check your licence details or to download a copy of your licence status.
Firstly you will need
- Your driving licence
- Your national insurance number
- Your home postcode
Then click on the link below
www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence
Step 1: enter the details required.
Step 2: click on “share licence information”. This creates a code, this code is case sensitive, can only be used once, and is only valid for 28 days. Or click on download a copy of the status.
Step 3: pass the code to your Driving Instructor together with the last eight digits of your driving licence number via email or text.
This needs to be done at least 48 hours before your first driving lesson or if you licence status changes. This will allow your Driving Instructor to view your licence details. Your Driving Instructor will save a screenshot as evidence of the licence entitlement check.