‘Destroy your paper licence counterpart on June 8’
Er, might just hold onto it if it’s all the same to you, DVLA
THE Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency has set a date for us to tear up the paper counterparts to our driving licences – again.
The DVLA says the paper counterpart will be scrapped on June 8 next year. No new ones will be issued from that date and existing ones should be destroyed, according to the government agency. Details held on the counterparts such as endorsements will instead be accessible in an online database.
Last month the DVLA said we should destroy the counterpart ‘in 2015’ and then had to clarify that the exact date had not been set and was not January 1.
The last time Visordown reported on the matter, some readers commented that they’d rather hold onto the counterpart in case data is lost by the DVLA.
One wrote: ‘Never, ever, ever destroy or surrender anything sent to you by the DVLA. It's your only evidence when Computer Says No.’
The latest release from the DVLA said: ‘From 8 June 2015, the photocard licence counterpart will not be valid and will no longer be issued by DVLA.
‘When DVLA stops issuing the counterpart, you should destroy yours but you still need to keep your current photocard driving licence.
‘You’ll still be able to use the counterpart driving licence to change your address with DVLA. You can also change your address online.’
The agency said paper driving licences issued before 1998 would remain valid and should not be destroyed.
