On the 8th of June 2015 the UK changed its standard driving licence to no longer include a paper counterpart. You can now easily access the information on your driving licence as and when needed online 24/7 at GOV.UK.
You will have to provide your National Insurance number, Postcode and Driver number to enable you to find out the information that is held about your driving record on the site. (Sessions time out very quickly)
The site is not case-sensitive and the first page brings up your personal details. It is easy to navigate and self-explanatory. Giving you quick access to your driver status. The dates your licence is valid from and to. Also from this page you can update or renew your driving licence details:
- Change the name on your driving licence
- Change the address on your driving licence
- Change the photo on your driving licence
- Compare old and new driving licence categories
- Renew your driving licence
- Replace a lost, stolen or damaged driving licence
But you will have to register and receive a Government Gateway ID to do this.
You can find out which vehicles you can drive and what the restrictions are, including the start and end dates on your licence for these purposes. It also shows the penalties and disqualifications held on your licence. And it enables you to allow someone else to have access to your information. Some insurance companies ask to be allowed to do this.
Get a licence check code
You can get a check code to share your driving licence information with someone else, like your employer or a car hire company. You may need to do this if you want to hire a car.
You must also give them the last 8 characters of your driving licence number.
Your code will be valid for 21 days.