DVLA confirms paper counterpart licence to be abolished 8th June

It has been confirmed that the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has delayed the abolition of the paper licence  counterpart until 8^th June 2015.

From that point, the paper counterpart – introduced in 1998 as part of the photocard driving licence to display information that could not be included on the photo card – will not be valid and will no longer be issued by the DVLA.

When the DVLA stops issuing the counterpart, riders and drivers should destroy theirs, but they must keep their current photocard driving licence.

The decision to abolish the counterpart was as a result of the government’s Red Tape Challenge consultation on road transportation, and falls into line with the DVLA’s Strategic Plan which includes simplifying its services.

If you have a paper licence issued before 1998, these will remain valid, and should not be destroyed. From 8 June 2015 endorsements/penalty points will no longer be recorded on these driving licences. This information will be held on DVLA’s driver record, and can checked online, by phone or post.

The next time you need to updater renew your licence, you will be issued with a photocard only.