If you want to check driving licence information online, the official DVLA service makes it possible to view important details about a driving record in England, Scotland and Wales. Whether you want to confirm which vehicles you can drive, check penalty points, review disqualifications or share your driving information with an employer or car hire company, knowing how the process works can save you time.
A check driving licence search can mean different things depending on what you need. You may want to check your own licence, check another driver’s licence with their permission, or generate a temporary DVLA check code so that an organisation can verify your driving record.
This guide explains how to check driving licence information, what details you need, how DVLA check codes work, what information can be viewed and how to deal with incorrect licence information.
Important: This article provides general information. For an official driving licence check, use the appropriate GOV.UK DVLA service.
For more information about UK driving licences, visit UK DVLA Driving Licence.
What Does “Check Driving Licence” Mean?
The phrase check driving licence generally refers to accessing or verifying information associated with a driver’s official driving record.
For licences issued in England, Scotland and Wales, the official DVLA online service allows drivers to:
- View their driving record
- Check which vehicles they can drive
- Check penalty points
- Check disqualifications
- Create a licence check code
- Share their driving record with another person or organisation
This can be useful for everyday drivers as well as employers, car hire companies and other organisations that need to verify driving entitlement.
If you are looking for broader information about the licensing system, explore our UK driving licence guide.
How to Check Your Driving Licence Online
If you want to check driving licence information that belongs to you, you can use the official DVLA online service.
Before starting, you will generally need:
- Your driving licence number.
- Your National Insurance number.
- The postcode shown on your driving licence.
Once your details have been entered and verified, you can access your driving record.
Step-by-Step Guide to Check Driving Licence Information
The basic process is:
- Visit the official GOV.UK service for viewing or sharing driving licence information.
- Enter your driving licence number.
- Enter your National Insurance number.
- Enter the postcode recorded on your licence.
- Access your driving record.
- Review your licence information.
- Generate a check code if you need to share your record.
The official service is available for driving licences issued in England, Scotland and Wales.
For additional information, visit our DVLA driving licence resources.
What Information Can You Check?
When you check driving licence information through the official DVLA service, you can view several important aspects of your driving record.
These include:
1. Vehicles You Can Drive
Your driving record shows the vehicle categories you are entitled to drive.
This is particularly useful if you are unsure whether your licence covers a particular type of car, motorcycle, van or other vehicle.
2. Penalty Points
Your driving record can show penalty points and endorsement information associated with your licence.
Checking this information can be especially important if you have recently received a penalty or are applying for a job that involves driving.
3. Disqualifications
The service can also show relevant driving disqualifications.
If you are unsure about your current entitlement to drive, checking your official record is preferable to relying solely on your physical photocard.
4. Licence Information
The online service allows eligible drivers to view information held about their driving licence and use that information when they need to prove or share their driving status.
Why Should You Check Your Driving Licence?
There are many reasons why someone might search for check driving licence information.
Check Your Driving Entitlement
You may simply want to confirm that your licence allows you to drive a particular vehicle category.
Check Penalty Points
Checking your record can help you keep track of endorsements and penalty points.
Check for Disqualifications
If you have been involved in a driving-related legal matter, checking your record can help you understand what is currently recorded.
Prepare for Car Hire
Car rental companies may ask you to provide a DVLA check code before allowing you to collect a vehicle. GOV.UK specifically identifies car hire companies as an example of organisations that may need to view a driver’s record.
Provide Information to an Employer
If driving is part of your job, an employer may need to verify your driving entitlement.
Confirm Your Information
Checking your record can also help you identify information that may need updating or correcting.
For more useful information, visit our UK driving licence information.
How to Check Someone Else’s Driving Licence
Checking your own driving record and checking someone else’s record are different processes.
If you want to check driving licence information belonging to another person, you need their permission and the appropriate information from them.
According to GOV.UK, you need:
- The last eight characters of the driver’s licence number
- A check code provided by the driver
The check code must be used within 21 days and can only be used once.
Can You Check Someone’s Licence Without Permission?
No.
You must have the driver’s permission before obtaining their personal driving information. GOV.UK states that obtaining someone else’s personal information without permission is a criminal offence.
This requirement protects drivers’ privacy while still allowing legitimate checks by employers, vehicle rental companies and other organisations.
What Is a DVLA Check Code?
A DVLA check code is a temporary code generated by a driver when they want to share certain information from their driving record with another person or organisation.
For example, you may need to generate a check code if:
- You are hiring a car.
- Your employer needs to verify your driving record.
- You are starting a job that involves driving.
- An organisation needs to confirm your driving entitlement.
The official DVLA service allows you to create a check code after accessing your driving information. The code is valid for 21 days.
For more information, read our DVLA licence check guide.
How to Generate a DVLA Licence Check Code
If you need to share your driving information, you can generate a check code through the official service.
The process generally involves:
- Accessing your driving record.
- Selecting the option to share your driving licence information.
- Creating a check code.
- Giving the code to the person or organisation that needs to check your record.
- Providing the last eight characters of your driving licence number when requested.
The check code is designed to provide temporary access to relevant driving information while protecting the driver’s privacy.
How Long Does a DVLA Check Code Last?
A DVLA check code is valid for 21 days.
It can only be used once. If another check is needed after the code has expired or already been used, a new code must be generated.
This is particularly important when hiring a vehicle. If you generate a code too far in advance, it may expire before the organisation uses it.
Check Driving Licence for Car Hire
One of the most common reasons people search check driving licence is because they are hiring a vehicle.
A car hire company may want to verify your:
- Driving entitlement
- Penalty points
- Disqualifications
- Relevant driving-record information
You may therefore be asked to provide a DVLA check code.
GOV.UK specifically recommends using a check code to share driving licence information with organisations such as car hire companies.
Before travelling to collect a rental vehicle, check with the hire company to find out exactly what documentation it requires.
Check Driving Licence for Employment
Employers may need to verify a driver’s licence when driving is part of their role.
This can apply to jobs such as:
- Delivery driver
- Van driver
- HGV driver
- Bus or coach driver
- Fleet driver
- Taxi or private-hire driver
- Company vehicle driver
A check code allows the employer to verify relevant information directly through the official service.
Companies can also use the DVLA’s D888/1 process to request information about a driver’s entitlement.
Check Driving Licence and Penalty Points
Penalty points can have an important effect on your driving entitlement.
If you have recently received penalty points, checking your driving record can help you understand what has been recorded.
You may want to check driving licence information if you:
- Recently received a fixed penalty
- Were convicted of a motoring offence
- Are applying for a driving job
- Need to hire a vehicle
- Want to confirm your current driving status
Keeping track of your driving record can help you avoid surprises when an employer or rental company performs a licence check.
Check Driving Licence and Disqualifications
Driving disqualifications can affect your legal entitlement to drive.
If you have been disqualified, you should not assume that you can drive simply because you still have a physical photocard.
Your official driving record is an important source of information about your driving status.
The DVLA online service specifically allows eligible drivers to check disqualifications.
If you are uncertain about your legal entitlement following a disqualification, obtain appropriate professional or official advice before driving.
Understanding Driving Licence Codes
The back of a UK driving licence contains codes that can indicate conditions applying to your driving entitlement.
For example, code 01 relates to eyesight correction such as glasses or contact lenses, while other codes can relate to vehicle adaptations or restrictions.
Understanding these codes can be useful when you check driving licence information and want to understand what particular restrictions mean.
If you are unsure about a licence code, check the official DVLA guidance rather than assuming what it means.
Check Driving Licence Using a Driver and Vehicles Account
DVLA also offers a Driver and Vehicles account.
Depending on your circumstances, the account allows you to access a range of driving and vehicle services, including:
- Viewing your driving record
- Checking penalty points
- Checking disqualifications
- Renewing a photocard driving licence
- Replacing a lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed licence
- Changing the address on your licence
- Viewing a photo of your licence
- Creating a licence check code
- Managing certain vehicle information
The account can be particularly useful if you regularly need to manage your driving and vehicle information.
However, GOV.UK also confirms that you can view or share your driving licence information without creating an account.
Check Driving Licence Without a DVLA Account
You do not necessarily need to create a Driver and Vehicles account to check driving licence information.
The official “View or share your driving licence information” service allows eligible drivers to access their information directly.
You will need your:
- Driving licence number
- National Insurance number
- Licence postcode
This can be convenient if you only need to check your driving record occasionally.
What If You Cannot Check Your Driving Licence?
Sometimes a driver may have difficulty accessing their record.
Possible reasons include:
- Incorrect licence number
- Incorrect National Insurance number
- Incorrect postcode
- Personal details that do not match DVLA records
- A licence issued outside the DVLA system
If your information does not match the records held by DVLA, check the details you have entered carefully.
You should also remember that the DVLA online service applies to licences issued in England, Scotland and Wales.
Northern Ireland has a separate driving licence system operated by the Driver & Vehicle Agency.
Check Driving Licence: Great Britain vs Northern Ireland
The term “UK driving licence” can sometimes cause confusion because licensing arrangements differ within the UK.
DVLA administers driving licences in:
- England
- Scotland
- Wales
Northern Ireland has its own licensing authority.
Therefore, if you are searching for check driving licence online, first make sure you are using the correct licensing service for the location where your licence was issued.
What If Your Driving Licence Information Is Incorrect?
After you check driving licence information, you may discover that something appears to be wrong.
For example:
- Your personal details may be incorrect.
- Your vehicle entitlement may not look right.
- Penalty points may appear unexpectedly.
- A disqualification may be recorded.
- A licence restriction may need clarification.
Do not ignore information that you believe is incorrect.
The appropriate process depends on the type of information involved. You may need to contact DVLA or, for certain endorsement matters, the relevant court or authority.
For general information about managing your licence, visit our DVLA driving licence guide.
Check Driving Licence After Changing Address
If you have recently moved, it is sensible to ensure your driving licence information is up to date.
After changing your address, you can check your licence information to confirm that the relevant details have been updated.
Changing the address on a GB photocard driving licence is currently free through the online DVLA service.
For more information, see our driving licence information and related guides.
Check Driving Licence After Replacing a Lost Licence
If your licence has been lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed, you can apply for a replacement.
The current replacement fee for a GB driving licence is £20.
Once your replacement has been processed, checking your driving licence information can help you confirm that your record remains accurate.
You can also read our lost or stolen driving licence guide for additional information.
Is Checking a Driving Licence Free?
For your own driving record, the standard online DVLA service is available without a separate licence-check fee.
However, there are other methods of requesting driving information that can involve a charge. For example, GOV.UK states that a company can use form D888/1 to check a driver’s entitlement, while the individual postal service has its own requirements and fees.
For most drivers who simply want to view their own record or generate a check code, the online service is the most straightforward option.
Check Driving Licence: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check my driving licence online?
Use the official DVLA “View or share your driving licence information” service. You will normally need your driving licence number, National Insurance number and the postcode recorded on your licence.
Can I check my driving record online?
Yes. Eligible drivers can view their driving record online, including information about vehicles they can drive, penalty points and disqualifications.
How do I check someone else’s driving licence?
You need the driver’s permission, their check code and the last eight characters of their driving licence number.
How long does a DVLA check code last?
A DVLA check code is valid for 21 days and can only be used once.
Can an employer check my driving licence?
Yes. An employer can request permission from the driver and use the appropriate check process to verify relevant driving information.
Can I check my licence before hiring a car?
Yes. This can be useful because some car hire companies require a DVLA check code before releasing a vehicle. GOV.UK specifically identifies car hire companies as an example of organisations that may need to view driving records.
Can I check my penalty points online?
Yes. The official DVLA service allows eligible drivers to check penalty points and disqualifications recorded on their driving record.
Do I need a DVLA account to check my licence?
No. GOV.UK provides a direct service for viewing or sharing driving licence information without requiring you to create a Driver and Vehicles account.
Does the DVLA online check work for Northern Ireland?
The DVLA service applies to licences issued in England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland operates a separate licensing system.
Final Thoughts
Knowing how to check driving licence information online is an important part of managing your driving record.
Whether you are checking your vehicle entitlements, reviewing penalty points, confirming disqualifications, preparing for a car rental or providing information to an employer, the official DVLA service gives eligible drivers a convenient way to view and share their driving information.
Remember that when checking another person’s licence, you must have their permission. A driver must provide the required check code and the last eight characters of their licence number, and the check code must be used within 21 days.
If you want to learn more about UK driving licences, DVLA checks, licence renewals, replacements and other driving-related services, visit UK DVLA Driving Licence.