As of June the 8th this year (2015), the UK have done away with the paper counterpart to driving licences.
Whilst this may mean you can tear up that old slip of paper, you shouldn’t become any less protective of your driving licence, and that’s where Driving Licence Insurance comes in.
But first, a little bit about paper counterparts.
Paper counterparts
First of all, it’s important to remember that what we’re referring to here is the counterpart to your plastic driving licence, and not your paper driving licence, if this is the form you have it in. We wouldn’t advise you to go ripping that up just yet. This is, of course, how licences used to be issued, and these paper versions are still valid. However, it’s important to note that if you do have to renew your licence or update your name or address, you’ll be issued with a new plastic photo-card instead, along with a note from the DVLA welcoming you into the 21st century. Okay, maybe not the note, but you get the picture.
The photo-card licence along with its paper counterpart were first introduced in 1998. The benefit of having it in this form was that any endorsements could be printed on the paper to show clearly whether the driver had received any points. It was also useful for noting the the categories of vehicles that the driver was able to drive.
Nowadays, all of this information is stored electronically by the DVLA, making things a lot more unified and accessible, especially for the police. This does mean however that you will have to access the DVLA’s Share Driving Licence service and print out your details if you ever need to provide them to a car hire company or an employer.
This isn’t ideal in all situations, especially if you’re far from anywhere to print, so you can also call the DVLA and give your verbal permission for a third party to access your licence details. When it comes to vehicle hire abroad, you’ll require a code from the DVLA to allow the company to check your licence. This code only lasts for 72 hours, so timing is essential – learn more about it in this blog post.
Driving Licence Insurance
So it’s time to wave goodbye to your paper counterpart and embrace the advantages of having an electronic database. This new paperless freedom, however, doesn’t mean you should take any less care over your licence – with the instant access the police will now have to your details, protecting your licence is more important than ever.
Driving Licence Insurance provides defence if you’re prosecuted for an alleged motoring offence. In cases which may lead to you being immediately disqualified, including where you’ve totted up 12 points or more, you’ll receive representation from a trained legal professional to defend your rights and avoid you losing your licence. This is an invaluable benefit to have in cases like this, as navigating the minefield of legal jargon is a difficult job at the best of times.
If you’ve received prosecution defence but still lose your licence, you will be entitled to a monthly benefit. This can range from anywhere between £500 a month to £2,000, and is paid directly to you to help ease the adverse effects of being without your driving licence. The benefit is most often used to fund alternative transport costs – for high-mileage professionals with clients to see, travel from A to B can be an expensive affair, and being without a safety net could seriously affect their livelihoods. Whatever it is you use the benefit for, though, driving licence insurance can be a great source of peace of mind whilst out on the road.