Abolition of the Counterpart to the Photocard Driving Licence
From 8 June 2015, the paper counterpart to the photocard driving licence will not be valid and will no longer be 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 the licence holder is entitled to drive and any endorsement / penalty points that they have. Note: Paper driving licences issued before the photocard was introduced in 1998 will remain valid.
Penalty Points (Endorsements)
From 8 June 2015 new penalty points (endorsements) will only be recorded electronically. This means that from 8 June 2015 neither the photocard driving licence nor the paper licence will provide an accurate account of any driving endorsements that a driver may have. Instead, this information will be held on DVLA’s driver record, and can be checked online, by phone or post.
Organisations and Businesses that Need to Check Driving Records
If you rely on the counterpart to check the driving record of employees then the DVLA’s free online Share Driving Licence service (this will be available before the counterpart is abolished) can be used. The online Share Driving Licence service is designed to give real-time access to driving records. Note: Driving licence information via Share Driving Licence will only be made available with the consent of the driving licence holder.
Legal Requirements and Guidance: –
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 requires employers to take appropriate steps to ensure the health and safety of their employees and others who may be affected by their activities when at work. This includes the time when they are driving during the course of the work, whether this is in a company or hired vehicle, or in the employee’s own vehicle. This includes ensuring that drivers are competent and capable of doing their work in a way that is safe for them and other people. This can partly be achieved by checking the validity of driving licences on recruitment and periodically afterwards.