1. FAQs
  2. Licensing

Licensing

Question: I recently got married, but my licence is in my maiden name. Does this matter?

Answer:

Yes. You must notify the DVLA immediately if any of the information on the licence changes e.g. if you change your name or address, or if you lose either the photocard or the paper counterpart licence. You could be fined up to £1,000 if you do not notify the DVLA of any changes.

Question: I recently applied for my first provisional driving licence and received a sort of credit-card. Will this show any endorsements I might have in the future?

Answer:

Your provisional licence used to be in two parts but it is only the Photocard that remains, which shows your name, date and place of birth, the issuing authority and the date of expiry and Driving Licence number as well as the holder’s permanent UK address and the categories of vehicles for which the licence is valid.

Until June 2015 there also used to be a paper Driving Licence Counterpart that listed the details of any endorsements you might have and some other details about your licensing entitlement. However, the information previously contained in the paper counterpart is now available online and may be required to be printed out if you were to (say) hire a car or needed to provide information to the police or any other authority requiring that information.

More information at https://www.gov.uk/penalty-points-endorsements/overview

Question: I’m applying for my driving test soon but I can only find the photocard part of the licence. Does this matter?

Answer:

The paper part of the old 2 part driving licence licence document (introduced in 1998) was abolished in June 2015, so No, you now only need to take the photocard on your test to both the theory and the practical tests, (although full paper driving licenses held before 1998 are still valid).

However, if you’ve mislaid your photocard you’ll need to apply for a replacement before you take your test.