The Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency has announced that with effect from 8 June 2015 the paper counterpart to the photocard driving licence will not be valid and will no longer be issued. The paper counterpart was introduced to display driving licence details that could not be included on the photocard. These additional details include whether the licence holder is entitled to drive some additional vehicle categories and any endorsement/penalty points. The DVLA is advising that the paper counterpart should be destroyed after 8 June 2015. Licence holders still need to keep their current photocard driving licence.
Those with a paper driving licence (issued before the photocard was introduced in 1998) need to be aware that these licences will remain valid and should not be destroyed. However where a licence holder needs to update their licence photocard licences will be issued.
From 8 June 2015 new endorsements will be recorded electronically, and will not be printed or written on either photocard licences or paper driving licences.
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 a licence holder may have. This information will instead be held on DVLA's driver record, and can be checked online, by phone or post.
This change does not affect photocard licences issued by DVA in Northern Ireland.
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