Ok, so from the 8th of June 2015 you will no longer require your counter part driving licence, that’s the piece of paper your photo card was attached to, yes the one you lost 4 years ago.
Finally the DVLA have moved away from the 90s and are now providing an online version of the document, which means it now near on impossible to loss.
Why do we need a counterpart, well in laymans terms it’s a breakdown of your license details; your address and birth details , the class of car/bike/lorry you can legally drive plus the Maximum Authorised Mass MAM for each category not forgetting any penalties points or restrictions you may have. Its all very important information, most of which can be seen on your photo card, but penalty points will be updated on to your counterpart document.
The problem is, it’s required when you hire a car or van, when you take driving lessons or taking a driving test to name but a few. But people tend to lose it, leaving them in a little bit it of a situation when it comes to doing any of the above.
I aways make sure my students have their counterpart found and in a safe place weeks before a driving test but i see way too many people rocking up to a driving test centre without the appropriate counterpart, Basically poring money down the drain.
So how do i hire a car or a van with out my counterpart licence, well finally you won’t have to route around the sofa, in your draws or hunt in piles of paperwork, its simply a few details online.
Firstly, make sure you use the correct website, in the past search engines have been flooded with fake sites, which appear at the top of your search page with one purpose, to rip you off. The London Congestion Charge, Driving Test booking and Theory Test Bookings sites have all been a victim of this, so make sure you use the OFFICIAL page.
It will show the official logo and depending on what browser you use, the site name will turn green. Dont just try and find it in a search engine, as it will only be a matter of time before fake pages pop up filling any search you do for “counterpart licence website” with loads of fake results, possibly taking your NI and Driving Licence details.
So now the counterpart is fully online, its going to be easy for some but not everyone body.
So when you are next hiring a car or taking your first lesson, this is what you need to do.
1 You will need your driving licence number, NI number & Postcode.
Firstly you need your driving licence number ( this is on the photo card ) Then find your National Insurance card, which I know is often lost weeks after receiving it, so if thats the case find a pay slip or HMRC document plus you will need your post code
2 Go to the official government website.
Go to this web address, it will give you the opportunity to view your online counterpart but more importantly give you the opportunity to raise a “ Licence Check Code ”
https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence
3 Fill in your details.
Fill in the details on the page and once you have complete.
4 Your Online Counterpart Licence.
Here will find your online counterpart licence, you will see on the top right of the screen ” Share you Licence Information ” button, this will enable you to get your ” Licence Check Code ”
5 Save your ” Licence Check Code “
Screen grab, print or use a pen ( if you can find one ) to note down the ” Licence Check Code ” but REMEMBER this will only last for no longer than 72Hours, so time this well. It will be required when you pick up your hire car or van, or at the start of your first driving lesson. Plus take a note of your NI number at this point too, you might need this later.
6 So You Have Very Bad Time Management Skills.
Ok, so you have got a little confused, times got the better of you and your code has ran out. Don’t panic, i told you to make a note of your NI number, so simply go back to this web address https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence while sitting in the hire car waiting room or while getting ready for your first driving lesson and produce a new “Licence Check Code”
7 Finally.
The hire company, driving instructor, bank or whoever requires this information will go online and use the ” Licence Check Code ” to confirm your entitlement to drive or confirm your identification. You won’t need a ” Licence Check Code ” for a driving test, thankfully the Driving Standards Agency will already know your driving status, so no more lost driving tests due to a lack of paperwork.
Lastly
I’m very aware that some people struggle with computers and may still be reeling from the “Road Tax” change on the 1st October 2014, so if you know someone who isn’t very well up on a computer, why not go help them with your new found knowledge; not only will you have a friend for life but you might even find a christmas card on the door step later in the year.
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