Driving Licence Check Code: What It Is and How to Get One

Since June 2015, the UK driving licence has had no paper counterpart — your penalty points, endorsements and entitlements live on a DVLA database, not in your glovebox. The check code (officially called a share code) is how someone else gets a legitimate look at that record: a car hire desk, an employer, or an insurer. This guide explains what the code does, how to generate one in a few minutes, and the timing mistakes that catch people out.

What a check code actually does A check code lets a third party view your driving record once, on GOV.UK's "check driving information" page, using the code together with your surname and driving licence number. It shows them:

Your licence status — valid, expired, revoked or disqualified The vehicle categories you're entitled to drive, with start and end dates (for example category B for cars — see our explainer on licence categories) Any endorsements — the offence code, date of conviction and number of points Any disqualifications, including the dates Each code is valid for 21 days, can only be used once, and there's no limit on how many codes you can generate — you create a separate one for each organisation that needs it. The service is completely free.

Why you'd be asked for one Hiring a car. Rental desks routinely ask for a check code instead of the old paper counterpart, so they can confirm your entitlement and check for points. UK rental companies normally want to see the code before handing over keys. Starting a driving job. Employers who need you to drive for work — delivery, field service, care work — check your licence as part of onboarding and often re-check periodically. Insurance. Insurers sometimes ask for a code when adding you as a named driver on someone else's policy. Booking lessons or a test with your own car. Some instructors and schools check a learner's record before taking them out. How to generate a check code You'll need three things: your driving licence number, your National Insurance number, and the postcode registered with DVLA for your licence. If you don't know your licence number, our guide to finding your driving licence number shows where it sits on the photocard.

Then:

Go to GOV.UK's "View or share your driving licence information" service. Enter your driving licence number, National Insurance number and the postcode on your licence. Your record appears — it's worth a quick check that the details, categories and any endorsements look right. Choose the option to create a share/check code. The code appears on screen immediately. Write it down or screenshot it straight away — then give the code, plus your licence number, to whoever asked for it. The whole thing takes under five minutes, and no Government Gateway account is required.

The timing trap: don't generate it too early The 21-day, single-use design catches people out in predictable ways:

Don't create the code when you book the hire car. If the booking is a month away, the code will expire before collection day. Generate it the day before you travel — or on the morning itself. One code per organisation. If your new employer and a rental company both need to check you in the same week, generate two separate codes. A code already used by one party won't work for the other. An expired code can't be revived. It simply expires after 21 days; generate a fresh one. Creating new codes doesn't cancel any codes already active. Troubleshooting: when the service won't let you in The most common failure is a postcode mismatch — the postcode you type must be the one DVLA currently holds, not necessarily the one you live at now. If you've moved house and haven't updated your licence address, the system will reject you. Fix the address first (it's free and takes a few minutes online), then generate your code.

Other common issues:

Wrong National Insurance number. Check it against a payslip, P60 or HMRC letter rather than typing from memory. Old paper licence holders (pre-photocard) can use the same service, though you may need extra ID alongside the code when hiring a car. If you're the one doing the checking The other side of the system: if you're an employer, a hire company, or simply adding someone as a named driver and they've given you a code, you check it on GOV.UK's "check someone's driving licence information" page. You'll need the code plus the driver's surname and licence number. The check is free and takes a minute.

A few practical points for checkers:

Check before, not after. A code checked after someone has already started driving for you defeats the purpose — endorsements and disqualifications are exactly what you need to know first. Record the check. Employers typically note the date, who checked, and the result. If an insurer later asks how you verified a driver's record, "we checked the code on this date" is the answer they want. Re-check periodically. A clean record in January can gain points by June. Annual re-checks are normal practice for driving roles. The code is the driver's to give. You can't generate a code for someone else — they must create it themselves through the view/share service. If a driver says they can't get one, the usual cause is a postcode mismatch with DVLA's records (see troubleshooting above), which they can fix free by updating their licence address. What the code does not do A check code shares your record, not your identity documents — the person checking still needs to see your photocard or another accepted form of ID at a hire desk. It also doesn't replace the licence itself: if your licence is lost, stolen or expired, a check code won't fix that — you need a replacement or renewal through DVLA.

And a note on who does what: the check code system is run by DVLA (licences and records), not the DVSA (tests and instructors) — our DVLA vs DVSA explainer untangles the two agencies if they blur together.

If you're a learner working towards your licence, the record behind the code is exactly what your instructor and, later, your examiner will rely on — see how to get your licence for the full route from provisional to full licence.

Frequently asked questions How long is a driving licence check code valid for? 21 days from when you generate it. After that it expires permanently and cannot be extended — you simply create a new one.

How many times can a check code be used? Once. Each code is single-use, by one organisation. If two different organisations need to check your record, generate a separate code for each.

What do I need to get a check code? Your driving licence number, your National Insurance number and the postcode registered with DVLA. The service is on GOV.UK ("View or share your driving licence information") and is free.

What can someone see with my check code? Your licence status, the vehicle categories you're entitled to drive, any endorsements and penalty points, and any disqualifications — the same information the old paper counterpart used to show.

Why won't the GOV.UK service accept my details? Usually a postcode mismatch: you must enter the postcode DVLA currently holds for you, which may be an old address if you haven't updated your licence since moving. Update the address first, then try again.

Is there a charge for a check code? No. Generating and sharing check codes is free, and there's no limit to how many you can create.