In 2015, paper driving licences will be phased out and instead, all licensing information will be held by the DVLA digitally.

But what will the change actually mean for drivers and critically, how can ADIs check that the photocard licence they’re being shown is valid and whether there are any endorsement/entitlement issues? Thankfully, the DVLA’s new vetting process looks set to be relatively straightforward:

– Learners will be able to obtain and share a copy of their driving record with ADIs either electronically by email or by printing off a copy.

– Instructors can either accept the copy at face value or they can check licence information against the DVLA’s new digital enquiry service (currently in development) as long as they have permission from the licence holder.

– The validation process will require the ADI to enter the unique code featured on the licence copy via gov.uk and in return, they will be given all the latest endorsement and entitlement details about the learner’s history direct from the DVLA database. The service will be available 24/7.

For drivers in general, the change poses no major hurdles either:

– Your paper licence will remain valid until its renewal date when a photocard will be issued instead.

– You will not be charged for moving over from a paper licence to a photocard.

– You face a £1,000 fine if you are found to be not in possession of a valid licence.

– Your driving record won’t be effected, i.e. all penalty points, entitlements, etc. will remain.

We want to make it as easy as possible for motorists to access government services. Getting rid of needless bits of paper, making changes to free up drivers’ time, while saving money for the taxpayer, is all part of our commitment to cut unnecessary red tape.

That is why we are introducing new and easy-to-use digital services that will allow drivers and businesses to check driving entitlement and endorsements. This means there will no longer be a need for the paper counterpart of the driving licence which will save drivers over £5m every year.'

– Official statement from the DVLA about the changes.