DVLA Share Code: How to Get Your Driving Licence Check Code (2026)

"DVLA share code" and "driving licence check code" are two names for the same thing: a one-time code that lets someone else — your driving instructor, an employer, a car-hire company, an insurer — view your driving record online. It's free, takes a couple of minutes to generate, and it replaced the old paper counterpart of the photocard licence back in 2015.

What the share code does When you generate a code through GOV.UK's "view or share your driving licence information" service, the person you give it to can check:

Which vehicle categories you're entitled to drive Any endorsements (penalty points) and disqualifications The valid-from and valid-to dates of your licence They cannot see anything else about you — no address, no photo, no personal details beyond the licence record. The system is deliberately narrow.

How to generate a share code Go to GOV.UK and search "view or share your driving licence information". Sign in with your driving licence number, National Insurance number and the postcode on your licence. (Lost your licence number? Our guide to finding it helps.) Choose "share your licence information" and generate a code. Give the code — plus the last 8 characters of your driving licence number — to whoever needs to check. They enter both at GOV.UK's "check someone's driving licence information" page. The whole thing is free. Anyone charging you for a check code is selling you something GOV.UK gives away.

The 21-day rule and single use Each code is valid for 21 days and can be used once. If the recipient doesn't check within 21 days, or you need to share with a second person, generate a fresh code — it takes a minute. Don't screenshot a code and email it around for weeks; it will have expired.

Practical tip: generate the code the day you need it, not a week before. Learners often generate one for a hire car or an instructor and then let it lapse — then scramble on the day.

When learners actually need one Joining a driving school or new instructor who wants to verify your provisional entitlement before your first lesson. Private practice insurance. Some learner-driver insurance providers ask for a check code when you take out temporary cover on a family car. Hiring a car (once you've passed) — hire companies routinely ask for one. Employers — delivery, taxi and driving jobs will check your record before you start. Our companion guide to the driving licence check code covers the same process from the checker's side — what they'll see and what to do if a code doesn't work.

What a share code is not A few misconceptions cause real confusion, so let's clear them up:

It's not your licence number. Your driving licence number is printed on your photocard (item 5) and stays the same for life. A share code is a temporary, disposable code generated on demand — sharing it does not expose your licence number itself, although the checker does need the last 8 characters of the licence number alongside the code to access the record. It's not a one-code-for-life thing. Codes expire after 21 days and die after a single use. If a company asks you for "your code" months later, you'll need to generate a fresh one. It doesn't let anyone change your record. Checking is read-only. Nobody can add points, renew your licence or update your address with a share code. It isn't needed for the DVSA. Your examiner doesn't ask for a share code on test day — you just bring your physical photocard licence. Why the counterpart was abolished (and why the code exists) Until June 2015, every photocard licence came with a paper counterpart that listed your endorsements. The DVLA abolished the counterpart as part of the government's "red tape challenge", moving the endorsement record online. The share code is the replacement mechanism: instead of handing someone a paper document, you generate a code that lets them see the same information digitally. If you still have an old paper counterpart in a drawer, it has no legal status — don't rely on it, and definitely don't hand it to a hire company in place of a code.

Sharing safely The code itself reveals nothing on its own — it only works with the last 8 characters of your licence number — but sensible habits still apply:

Only generate a code when someone with a genuine reason asks (instructor, insurer, employer, hire company). Send the code and the 8-character suffix together, and note when it'll expire (21 days). If you suspect a code has been misused, it doesn't matter much in practice — the record is read-only and the code is single-use — but you can generate a new code at any time, and the service shows you your recent sharing activity when you log in. For instructors and employers: checking a code If you're on the receiving end — a driving school verifying a new pupil's provisional, say — go to GOV.UK's "check someone's driving licence information" page, enter the code and the last 8 characters of the licence number, and you'll see the entitlement and endorsements in seconds. For a learner joining us, this is how we confirm a valid provisional before the first lesson; it takes less time than making the tea.

Troubleshooting "Details don't match." The postcode must be the one currently on your licence record. If you've moved and not updated it, update first (see our change-of-address guide). Code already used. Generate a new one — each code is single-use. Code expired. Same fix: generate a fresh one. Northern Ireland. NI licences are handled by the DVA; the GOV.UK share service covers GB licences. NI drivers use nidirect's equivalent services. A final note: keep your licence details current The share-code service is only as reliable as the record behind it. If your licence shows the wrong address or an endorsement you don't recognise, the code simply broadcasts the error to whoever checks. Once a year — or whenever anything changes — log in, generate a code, and view your own record. It takes two minutes, and it's the same record an insurer or employer will judge you by.

Frequently asked questions How long is a DVLA share code valid? 21 days from generation, and it's single-use. Generate a new one if it expires or you've already shared it.

Is the DVLA share code free? Yes — generating and checking codes is free through GOV.UK. Never pay a third-party site for one.

What do I need to generate a check code? Your driving licence number, National Insurance number and the postcode on your licence.

What does the person checking see? Your licence categories, endorsements/points, disqualifications and licence dates. Nothing else.

Can I use one code for multiple people? No — one code, one use. Generate a separate code for each person who needs to check.

I'm a learner — do I need a share code for lessons? Your instructor may ask for one to confirm your provisional entitlement. It's quick to generate, so have your licence number to hand at your first lesson. See what to bring to your first lesson.