DVLA extends driving licence code to 21 days

Updated
man taking car key
man taking car key



Good news for those planning to hire a car on their holidays: the DVLA has extended the window for the new driving licence code from just three days to three weeks.

The government scrapped the paper counterpart last month in a bid to save money, meaning most of your information is now stored online.

Of course, the counterpart was required by many car hire firms, so you now have to download a code to hand over instead (note some firms are happy to just accept your photo licence, so make sure you check with your specific company first).

Given that the code was only valid for 72 hours, you had to make sure it was one of the last things you did before flying off or risk having it expire. By extending this period to 21 days, it'll hopefully make the process far less rushed.

A welcome move

Hannah Maundrell, editor-in-chief of money.co.uk described the extension as "wonderful news" for motorists, but stressed the process still needed improving – particularly the requirement that you have your NI number to hand when generating a code.

"The abolition of the paper counterpart of the British driving licence has caused the chaos we predicted, particularly for drivers hiring cars overseas.

"Today's announcement is wonderful news and should help resolve some of the teething problems. This means that travellers generating the code before they leave the UK will not have to complete the same process again if they don't hire a car immediately.

"However, the second issue that the DVLA still hasn't addressed is the fact that drivers need to use their National Insurance number to generate the code. This is a piece of information that many people do not have to hand, particularly when they travel.

"To truly simplify this service, the DVLA should rethink the information required to generate the code without compromising security. There's definitely an argument that going forward more research and testing should be done before a major policy change is implemented."

If you cannot get a code online then you can call DVLA on 0300 083 0013. You'll need to answer some security questions to validate your identity

Chris Evans: 'I Have Never Driven More Carefully'
Chris Evans: 'I Have Never Driven More Carefully'



Read more on AOL Money:

Driving licence online database could cut car insurance premiums

Revealed: the top car hire tricks to avoid

Driver fined for missing tax disc - even though they no longer exist

Advertisement