You may have to share information about your driving license with the car rental companies to ensure you have a valid one or with your employer as part of the job requirements you should meet. However, it has been confusing for UK drivers since the DVLA stop issuing paper versions of UK driving licenses.
But this isn’t the end! The DVLA actually provides a paperless driving license through its online portal. However, you cannot directly share your driving license information with your employer or car rental companies; instead, you give them a DVLA check code. If you don’t understand what it is or how to get one, thankfully, we’ll show you the information about it below.
What is a DVLA Check Code?
A DVLA check code is a unique code that is issued by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in the United Kingdom. It is basically the online version of your photo card driving license. So, it makes it easier for people to securely and effectively check their driving license.
The DVLA’s online database is designed to facilitate the sharing of driving-related information and directly eliminate the need for paper documents. You can really find overall information about your driving license through the DVLA since they hold your driving records, including penalty points and the types of vehicles you’re allowed to drive.
Read also: How to Check Your Vehicle
How Do You Obtain a DVLA Check Code?
Since it is very important to share your driving license information with certain people, obtaining a DVLA check code is a must. However, it’s pretty straight-forward to get one because it can only be done through the DVLA’s online system.
To get a DVLA check code, you’ll have to prepare:
- Your driving license number
- Your National Insurance Number
- Your Postcode
It may take around two minutes to get your DVLA check code. However, it can also depend on the device you’re using and the stability of your internet connection.
You can perform the following steps to obtain a DVLA check code:
- First, go to the DVLA’s check code page at https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence
- Once you are on the page, you can click “Start Now”
- On the following page, you’ll have to enter your driving license number, your National Insurance number, and your postcode.
- Make sure to agree to the terms and conditions by ticking the box.
- Then, you can click “View Now”
- On the next page, click the “Get your check code” tab and tap “Get a code”
- A new window will appear, showing your DVLA check code.
- You can also get your check code and your driving license in PDF by clicking “Print or save a driving summary”
Congratulations! You’ve successfully obtained a DVLA check code, and you can share it with someone.
It’s important to note that a DVLA check code will be valid for 21 days and can only be used once. If the time is up, you may need to generate a second check code by doing the same steps shown above, but you’ll have to click “Get another code” under your expired codes section.
How Do You Use a DVLA Check Code?
A DVLA check code will typically be needed when you want to check someone’s driving license or share your driving license information with a certain party; it could be an employer, a car rental company, or even a car seller when buying a new car.
When you access the DVLA’s online database using a DVLA check code, you may find the following information:
- Someone’s driving record, such as the vehicles they can drive
- Penalty points, which are on a driving license, or disqualifications someone might have.
- A license check code creation section that allows you to share your driving license record with other people.
To check someone’s driving license using a check code, you can do the following steps:
- First, go to the DVLA’s check driving information at https://www.gov.uk/check-driving-information
- Once you’re on the page, you can click “Start Now”
- On the next page, you’ll have to enter the last 8 characters of someone’s driving license number and their check code.
- Then, click “Check License”
- On the next page, you’ll find someone’s license-related information, including the vehicle they can drive or any disqualifications or penalty points.
Okay, that’s how to check someone’s driving license information.
Just like getting a check code, using it can also be done within 21 days, and you can only use it once. If it has expired, you may have to ask someone to get another check code.
Why Should You Get a DVLA Check Code?
Your DVLA check code will always be needed every time you rent a car. Unlike in other countries, car rental companies in the United Kingdom will always require you to provide a check code to check your driving license information. If you don’t share it, you may not be able to hire a car.
Even though you rent a car from the same rental company, you always provide a new check code since it can only be used once and they will need the information from your driving license. So, it will be better for you to obtain several codes before traveling and use them with different car rental companies.
It is also important for you to understand the policies of the car rental companies when booking a car and before picking it up. However, the terms and conditions regarding the DVLA check code will vary from one company to another. So, you will need to find out about the car rental companies from which you will rent a car and make sure to get a DVLA check code.
A bookworm and researcher especially related to law and citizenship education. I spend time every day in front of the internet and the campus library.
