The end is near for the paper part of the driving licence but how will the DVLA's actions affect us?
You may be aware that from 8 June 2015, the paper part of the driving licence will be abolished and no longer issued. From this date, all penalty points will be recorded and have to be accessed electronically via the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) website. The DVLA states the reason for the change is in an attempt to simplify the system and to store everything online.
Going abroad and hiring a car? You will need to check with your hire company before you travel if they will require any evidence of what cars you can drive and any penalty points.
If the car hire company request this information from you, you will need to obtain a unique code from the DVLA website or ring 0300 083 0013 which you either need to pass on to your car hire company or download and print your details depending on their request.
This could potentially cause chaos if the country you are visiting aren’t aware of the changes. The unique code will expire within 72 hours so if you are thinking of hiring a car 3 days into your holiday, bear in mind that you may need to log on to the DVLA website to request a code whilst away.
The DVLA recommends destroying the paper part after 8th June, however Motoring group AA is advising people not to be too hasty as it is likely that some car hire firms are unaware of the new arrangements.
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