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Driving Licence Check Code requirement


BruceM

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I’ve just received an email from my insurer (SAGA) outlining the documents I must carry when motoring abroad from 1st Jan.

 

Under:

 

Other important documents

 

When driving abroad, you need to be able to produce driving and identification documents immediately. You will need to have these with you:

 

It includes

 

A copy of your DVLA driver record and licence check code, which has replaced the paper counterpart

 

I was under the impression that this was only required if hiring a vehicle abroad. Any views?

 

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Information on the UK driving licence ‘check code’ can be found here

 

https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence

 

Applying on-line for a code is simple enough and the information displayed prior to a code being produced is quite interesting. (I applied for a code out of curiosity...)

 

Presumably - should one be abroad for longer than the 21 days that a check code is valid for and the initial code has expired - you just apply for another code.

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The IDP issued in AU last for 12 months. That is the only document I need to drive a rental or private vehicle in UK/EU. I would expect that a UK driver in EU would be only require an IDP after the separation. I would expect car registration/insurance docs would be additional. Cheers,
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rajohno - 2020-12-21 8:46 PM

 

I would have thought an international driving permit and equivalent of a green card for insurance would have all the relevant details as it did before we were fully in the EU.

Needs further investigation i think.

 

As stated on the link I provided above, the ‘check code’ allows a 3rd-party (eg. a vehicle-hire company) to access the data held by the DVLA for a UK person’s driving licence. Although a physical driving licence and IDP will carry some of those data, it won’t carry information about penalty points or disqualifications that used to be shown on the photocard licence’s paper counterpart that was abolished in 2015.

 

This Saga webpage provides guidance on driving in Europe

 

https://www.saga.co.uk/insurance/car-insurance/eu-cover

 

and includes the advice shown on the image attached below. The significant thing is the ”if needed” wording.

 

1643183796_Sagacheckcode.png.cf4775c64929d53a772240bfc2a90fab.png

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The email from SAGA says differently.

 

Other important documents

 

When driving abroad, you need to be able to produce driving and identification documents immediately. You will need to have these with you:

• A valid, full driving licence

• A copy of your DVLA driver record and licence check code, which has replaced the paper counterpart

• Your original, not a photocopy, of your vehicle registration certificate (V5C)

• Your car insurance certificate

• Travel insurance documents

• And your passport, which must be valid for at least six months after your return date.

 

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I do wonder whether this advice has simply been trawled from generic Government advice (though I can find nothing that doesn't simply state that you need your driving licence).

 

It has always been the case (since dropping the paper counterpart) that a licence check code might be needed in certain restricted circumstances, most notably when hiring a car in order to check that any conditions of hire are not infringed, but I can think of no circumstances where such provision would be critical when driving one's own vehicle, on one's own insurance abroad.

 

 

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I have just taken this off the RAC Site Driving in Europe checklist | RAC Drive

1. Full, valid driving licence and national insurance number

2. Proof of vehicle insurance

3. Proof of ID (passport)

4. V5C certificate (the 'log book')

5. Travel insurance documents

6. European Breakdown Cover policy number and documents

7. Before you travel ensure your vehicle’s tax and MOT are valid and up-to-date

8. Crit’air sticker if driving in France (find out if you need one here)

You may also need to carry other documents with you following the UK's exit from the European Union, namely:

• an insurance green card, available from your insurer - these need to cover both your car, and anything you are towing

• one or more international driving permits

• a separate GB sticker

 

There’s no mention of the Licence Check Code.

I shall have to have a note of my NI number in future – something I’ve never done before.

 

Cattwg :-D

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colin - 2020-12-22 8:03 AM

 

The email from SAGA says differently.

In his original posting BruceM quoted the relevant wording of the SAGA email that clearly stated that a driving licence 'check code’ would be needed when driving abroad - and (quite rightly) Bruce was wary of that statement.

 

I gave a link to one SAGA webpage that contains check code advice, but reference to the code also appears in this other SAGA webpage.

 

https://www.saga.co.uk/magazine/motoring/cars/enjoying/driving-abroad-tips

 

This advises as follows:

 

Photocard paper counterpart

 

In England, Scotland and Wales, the paper counterpart to the photocard licence was abolished on 8 June 2015 and information about penalty points is now held on the DVLA's driver record. However Northern Ireland retains a two-part licence composed of a photocard and paper counterpart.

 

It's worth printing your own driving licence record from DVLA's website as you'll need to know your driving licence number, national insurance number and postcode. You can also create a licence ‘check code’ to share your driving record with the car hire company you intend to use, if hiring a car.

 

If you’re driving outside Europe, you might also need an International Driving Permit - and you definitely will need one after Brexit. They’re cheap and easy to obtain, but the process does take time, so it’s worth checking early. You'll need a Green Card from your insurer too after Brexit.

 

You should also carry your car’s insurance certificate, registration document (V5), and MOT certificate if applicable. Company car drivers also need a letter from the registered owner of the car giving permission for it to be taken abroad.

 

But even that wording is iffy in my opinion as I believe the 1st sentence of the 2nd paragraph should read It's worth printing your own driving licence record from DVLA's website (you'll need to know your driving licence number, national insurance number and postcode.)

 

 

Aa Robiinhood has said, the requirement for a driving licence check code will primarily relate to vehicle hiring (which is what the gov.uk website mentions) and SAGA insurees driving their own vehicle abroad are very unlikely to need the code.

 

(There’s no doubt that the check code statement of the SAGA email is (at best) misleading and it would be sensible for recipients to point this out to SAGA.)

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Derek Uzzell - 2020-12-21 6:04 PM

 

Information on the UK driving licence ‘check code’ can be found here

 

https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence

 

Applying on-line for a code is simple enough and the information displayed prior to a code being produced is quite interesting. (I applied for a code out of curiosity...)

 

Presumably - should one be abroad for longer than the 21 days that a check code is valid for and the initial code has expired - you just apply for another code.

I’ve used check codes frequently for hiring cars although I’ve only ever been asked to produce one in the UK. And, yes, you can apply online for another code anytime during your trip. I’d assume this requirement will only be needed for hiring.

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Evidently the ‘check code’ used to be valid for just 72 hours, but - when the photocard driving licence’s paper counterpart was scrapped in 2015 - the validity period was extended to the current 21 days.

 

As well as vehicle hire, an employer might ask for a code to check an employee’s driving licence details. It also appears from the following link that an insurance provider might ask for a check code

 

https://www.first.co.uk/manage-your-policy/driving-licence-check-code

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In fact, it may be quite common nowadays for insurance providers to ask for a DVLA check code. This Adrian Flux webpage refers

 

https://www.adrianflux.co.uk/blog/2018/11/why-do-insurance-companies-check-your-driving-licence.html

 

(I’d not come across the ‘check code’ until now, but it’s probably worth everybody using the on-line check code application just to confirm that the driving licence data the DVLA is holding are correct.)

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