On the green form it says keep them together. Of course, that is completely impractical and nobody does it. So – has anybody ever actually been asked to show the green form?

When hiring a car, or presenting for a test, or getting a producer from the police.

What he said

For work vehicle insurance purposes.

..or pretty much any time it is being used as proof of Identity (to prove address)

..or pretty much any time it is being used as proof of Identity (to prove address)

Is that so? It must be so much easier than having ID cards. 😀

I’ve only got the green paper bit, never had a photocard.

fubar – Member

..or pretty much any time it is being used as proof of Identity (to prove address)

FWIW I used to work in a high street bank and we only asked for (and only accepted) the photocard part.

That’s the first time I’ve heard of the photcard bit being any use at all!

hiring a car definitely, can’t speak for the rest.

Obviously, if you don’t have the photocard bit, you still have the green paper bit that you need for hiring a car, like when you’re abroad or your car is broken or you need something bigger like a van.

Needed it for the last car I bought at a dealer.

The other questions is: why are you carrying your driving license around with you? You don’t need to. You may be asked to produce it at a Police station within a set time, but you are not obliged to carry it.

We keep our driving licenses attached to the counterparts in a file, and use them when we need to provide ID. You might want to consider doing the same.

By the way, if you have one of the old licenses, it’s only valid if you still live at the same address listed on the license. You might want to check that one, Simon. I was very reluctant to get a photocard driving license, but realised that I had to.

I carry both parts in my wallet. It’s the only form of ID I have on me, although some clever clogs could no doubt unlock my phone. I’m considering one of those ID tags, at whoch point I’ll probably leave the license at home.

im a bus driver, i have to carry both parts whenever im driving a bus, its a legal requirement.

Is that not the bit they put your points on.

what points?

The other questions is: why are you carrying your driving license around with you?

I keep the paper in the car the other in my wallet, the reason I have experienced is that if your car ever breaks down / has an accident and you want /need to hire a car to get home you need to show both parts to the hire company.

and you want /need to hire a car to get home you need to shore both parts to the hire company.

I’ve got friends. 😉

I carry both as I hire vehicle a lot (about £3000 worth a year typically) and the hire co’s are only really interested in the paper half as thats the bit that shows any endorsements – or proves that you don’t have any. Tool hire co’s usually want to see both parts too although I don’t know what they want to see on the paper thats not on the card. The result is the paper part ends up in tatters pretty quickly. My current one has fallen apart into 3 or 4 tatty fragments. I can understand to a certain extent why there are two parts as courts need to be able to write endorsements on and you can’t do that to the card – but….. theres not really a reason for the paper bit to be such a big bit of paper if you’re going to carry it around – theres not really very much important info on it. It could be the size of a library ticket.

and you want /need to hire a car to get home you need to shore both parts to the hire company.

I’ve blagged it without, but the guy was clearly fed up and at the end of a long shift. He made me promise I didn’t have more than the three points I told him about.

I’ve blagged it without, but the guy was clearly fed up and at the end of a long shift. He made me promise I didn’t have more than the three points I told him about.

they’ll be used to it – usually they’ll call the DVLA to verify any points or non-points but they can only do that with you present and when the DVLA are open. The time I’ve wasted queing behind some schmuck convinced that their failure to bring their license with them is somehow the hire company’s fault

Mine was united airlines fault. I was in heathrow, my bags were in Newark…

In all other European countries they only have the photo card. Why does the UK insist on the totally pointless paper bit!!??

In all other European countries they only have the photo card. Why does the UK insist on the totally pointless paper bit!!??

really we only have the paper bit so it can be written on – other countries might have a different penalty system, perhaps, or another way of recording penalties.

So we have a paper counter-part and a photocard with a barcode on it and then the ANPR systems… but it seems that the most important bit is a piece of paper that stuff can be printed on. Whatever next, a unique ID # which can hold information about you interconnected by.. copper wires maybe?

The other questions is: why are you carrying your driving license around with you? You don’t need to. You may be asked to produce it at a Police station within a set time, but you are not obliged to carry it.

We keep our driving licenses attached to the counterparts in a file, and use them when we need to provide ID. You might want to consider doing the same.
How bloody inconvenient. I guess, then, that you’ve never, ever, been asked to produce some form of ID, like at a Post Office when picking up a parcel? Happens to me a lot, and I’ve had any number of occasions when I’ve been asked for ID.
The real question is, why wouldn’t you? It’s credit-card sized, specifically to carry in a wallet, so to not carry it seems to be just making things difficult for yourself, just to make some sort of obscure point!
Hello Mr member-of-the-Awkward-Squad. 🙄

The paper bit is the license, the photocard isn’t actually a license IIRC?

Plus, if you ever buy a car on finance, don’t try turning up with just the card.

The paper bit is the license, the photocard isn’t actually a license

^ this.

Counter part and insurance in the sun visor and photo ID in my wallet, like CountZero I don’t understand why you wouldn’t.

I don’t recall the last time I personally hired a car in the UK but I get loads of hire cars delivered to me though work and they don’t ask to see any licence at all.
Personal hires outside of the UK have only ever needed the photo card.

Generally, I don’t tend to carry any ID at all

I think it’s actually a legal requiem to have one in you position when you are driving. The fact that many don’t and the police allow us to produce it at the station is them being nice.

I keep the paper in the car the other in my wallet, the reason I have experienced is that if your car ever breaks down / has an accident and you want /need to hire a car to get home you need to show both parts to the hire company.

Not necessary. Just get AA membership and they’ll get you to where you need to be.

I think it’s actually a legal requiem to have one in you position when you are driving

No. It is not. You are simply wrong. 🙂

How bloody inconvenient. I guess, then, that you’ve never, ever, been asked to produce some form of ID, like at a Post Office when picking up a parcel? Happens to me a lot

Yep. All the time. 95% of the time it’s Royal Mail sand they are happy with a credit card and the card the postie left. If its someone else, they need the card they left, so it figures you’ll be at home because that is where the card is..? So it’s easy enough to get your license if needed isn’t it? The last one we had from a courier said they needed photo ID and a utility bill. Do you carry a gas bill with you all the time as well? When you’re at home anyway, picking up said delivery card….? 😉

The real question is, why wouldn’t you? It’s credit-card sized, specifically to carry in a wallet, so to not carry it seems to be just making things difficult for yourself, just to make some sort of obscure point!
Hello Mr member-of-the-Awkward-Squad.

Nothing like that at all. It’s just not necessary to carry it at all. For any purpose that specifically requires a driving license rather than just ‘any ID’ the card alone without the paper part, isn’t sufficient anyway! You need both bits. 🙂

The real question is, why wouldn’t you? It’s credit-card sized, specifically to carry in a wallet, so to not carry it seems to be just making things difficult for yourself, just to make some sort of obscure point!
Hello Mr member-of-the-Awkward-Squad.

I don’t carry a wallet 95% of the time either, I’ve never found things difficult

I’ve got a driving license about somewhere – one of the paper ones. I don’t think I’ve ever needed it for anything. Certainly never needed it for ID – for collecting parcels and the like, an out-of-date university library card does the trick, for serious ID stuff like opening a bank account I have a couple of passports.

Dont have one just the paper one i got 21 years ago,i never carry it.

P.s been driving 21 years. And i didnt get it at 17,much later.im off too count my grey pubes

I don’t recall the last time I personally hired a car in the UK but I get loads of hire cars delivered to me though work and they don’t ask to see any licence at all.

If your company has an account with the hire co the likelihood is your company is insuring you to drive rather than the hire co, so in that circumstance the co will be disinterested in your entitlement to drive or insurability

If your company has an account with the hire co the likelihood is your company is insuring you to drive rather than the hire co, so in that circumstance the co will be disinterested in your entitlement to drive or insurability

Yes I know, you truncated my point in the quote, I was making the point that it’s only personal UK hires that seem to need it.

I’d image our de-merit system doesn’t translate into other territories so the endoresments can’t be meaningfully applied – ie -we have a 12 point accrual system, starting with no points – in italy you start with 20 and loose them for infractions, but gains them as bonuses for time-served ( 2 points every two years) so the points are merits rather than penalties. So the paper part of our license is just gobbledegook in that context.