Driving licence changes

13th July 2015

Since 8 June 2015, the paper counterpart to the photocard driving licence isn’t valid and is no longer issued by DVLA. The counterpart was introduced to display driving licence details that could not be included on the photocard. These details include some vehicle categories you are entitled to drive and any endorsement/penalty points. View our infographic for information about the driving licence changes.

What this means for you:

If you already hold a paper counterpart, since 8 June 2015 it no longer has any legal status. You should destroy your paper counterpart after this date but you still need to keep your current photocard driving licence.

Customers with paper driving licences:

Paper driving licences issued before the photocard was introduced in 1998 will remain valid and should not be destroyed.

If you need to update your name, address or renew your licence, you will be issued with a photocard only.

Penalty points (endorsements)

Since 8 June 2015 new penalty points (endorsements) are only recorded electronically, and won’t be printed or written on either photocard licences or paper driving licences. From this date, if you commit an offence you’ll still have to pay any applicable fine and submit your licence to the court but the way the court deals with the paperwork has changed.

For photocard licences, the court will retain the paper counterpart and only return the photocard to you.

For paper licences, the court will return it to you but they won’t have written or printed the offence details on it.

This means that since 8 June 2015 neither the photocard driving licence nor the paper licence provides an accurate account of any driving endorsements you may have. Instead, this information is held on DVLA’s driver record, and can be viewed online, by phone or post.

The courts are unable to respond to queries about the destruction of your paper counterpart. Any concerns about this process should be directed to DVLA.

How to view your driving licence details

Our free View Driving Licence service lets you see what details are on your licence, including what vehicles you can drive and any penalty points you may have.

Taking your theory or driving test

Since 8 June 2015, you don’t need to take your paper counterpart with you when you go for your theory or driving test. You must still take your photocard, or your old-style paper licence – your test will be cancelled and you’ll have to pay again if you don’t.