Paper counterpart of driving license scrapped-DVLA June 8th

Did anyone see this newspaper article today? : From June 8th 2015 the paper part of driving licence is being axed: Britons heading to Europe face being unable to pick up hire car upon arrival.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is supposedly doing away with the paper counterpart that accompanies all UK plastic photo-card licences.

Information about penalty points will be held only on the DVLA’s database, and will have to be checked online, by phone or by post.

But motoring groups fear the switch to a fully online system will make it more difficult for car hire firms to check drivers details.

See the article here:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... rival.html

I only heard about it for the first time today Jan and was particularly interested as I've hired a car on my next trip over and have a photocard licence, so this change will apply to me. It would appear that, although those who still have the old style paper licence (like my OH) have been told there is no change to their licence per se, the DVLA will no longer be adding any written penalty to points to those either so I am assuming (until I read further bumpfh!) that paper licence holders will also be required to obtain this 72-hour code before collecting their hire car.

Somehow I can't see this system change proving too popular

Gilly

THE DVLA have issued important new advice to all motorists intending to hire cars in future.
From
The paper counterpart has always contained details of any driving convictions or penalty points, but from June onwards, this information will have to be obtained online before you try to hire a car.
June 8, the paper counterpart of UK photocard driving licences will be abolished.

The DVLA has produced this video to help drivers ensure they are prepared for the changes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn2A8E2xo1I

scubydoo wrote:THE DVLA have issued important new advice to all motorists intending to hire cars in future.
From
The paper counterpart has always contained details of any driving convictions or penalty points, but from June onwards, this information will have to be obtained online before you try to hire a car.
June 8, the paper counterpart of UK photocard driving licences will be abolished.

The DVLA has produced this video to help drivers ensure they are prepared for the changes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn2A8E2xo1I

Hi Scubydoo, I have put your topic with this one from a few days ago as they are talking about the same thing. Thanks for the youtube video.

Someone on our facebook said it doesn't matter as the hire companies hardly ever ask for the paper counterpart but that's not entirely correct as they always do the first time of hiring from a new company and really should each time. We hire regularly from the same company and they don't always look at it, although we give it to them each time.

Jan

In over 20 years of hiring cars in USA, France, Italy, Spain and UK I have never been asked for the counterpart. The only concession I made was to change to the photocard when it came out. Now I have a Spanish license I have no problems in hiring one out in USA and UK with it.
Why UK is unique in having a separate part to the license I have no idea.

If you have an old licence, it was issued before the new two part licence came out and your circumstances have not changed this will not affect you. This only applies to holders of the new, 10 year renewable, two part licence. I believe.

Just a reminder that the rules come in today 8th June 2015 for the abolition of the paper counterpart to the UK driving license. Those who are hiring a car abroad any time after today may need to keep this in mind.
There are a couple of links below that explain about it:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/driv ... ce-changes

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/no-m ... -each-year


Jan

hi everybody
From the info i have seen today regarding the change in the driving licence i am sure it will cause a lot of confusion and probably arguments at the hire desks . Just a quick point i have been told that if your licence is pre 1988 which did not have photo id cards then this is still valid and no action is
required just hope someone as told the spanish as i believe from this you do not need to print off a 72 hr code . As anyone else been told this

I have been having a lot of correspondence with DVLA and car hire firms in Spain. Both my wife and I have old style driving licences (pre 2 part licence) they were both issued before 1998, we have had no changes to our names, addresses and circumstances. I have been told by DVLA that our licences are fully legal and we are entitled to hire cars anywhere within the EU. Now here's the problem, my wife flew out on Saturday with her fully legal and compliant driving licence and was told by the car hire company (a well known, large company) that she will not be able to hire a car in future unless she changes her licence. I am afraid that although we and many others have legal entitlement to drive, car hire companies are not aware of the rules on old style - pre 2 part licence. I think that this will go on for a while.

Well, this is working out really well

DLVA Code

Looks like strike 1 for yet another government IT system.