When you take out car insurance or van insurance, you will have to let your insurer know how long you’ve held your licence.
If you passed your test some years ago, you might not be able to remember exactly when you first got your licence.
How Long Have I Held a Driving Licence?
First, look at your physical driving licence.
On the reverse you’ll see a table. This table outlines all the vehicles your licence allows you to drive.
Look at columns 10 and 11. These columns indicate when your licence is valid from, and when it expires.
In the vast majority of cases, the date in column 10 will be the date on which the DVLA issued your driving licence. This will be about the same time you passed your driving test.
So to work out how long you’ve had your driving licence, just subtract this date in column 10 with the current date. Easy!
Another Way To Check How Long You’ve Had Your Driving Licence
If you’ve ever had a driving conviction or a driving ban, you may have had to retake your test at some point. In which case, your driving licence may state when the DVLA issued your second licence, rather than your first.
So for a clear picture of how long you’ve had your driving licence, you can use a service on the government’s website.
This will allow you to:
- View your driving record
- Check if there are any penalty points on your licence. And if you have a disqualification, check how long your disqualification has to last
- Generate a licence “check code”. This will allow you to share your driving record with someone else, such as an insurer or a car hire company
To use the government’s driving licence checking system, you’ll need:
- Your driving licence number
- Your National Insurance Number
- The postcode on your driving licence
Though please note that you can only use this service if your driving licence was originally issued in England, Scotland, or Wales.
Head here to use the government’s driving licence checking system.
What If I Can’t Find My Driving Licence?
If your driving licence has been lost, stolen or damaged, you can apply online for a replacement.
You can only apply for a replacement if you’ve not been disqualified from driving for any reason. Once again, you may have to provide your driving licence number, your National Insurance number, and a passport number. You will also have to provide the addresses where you’ve lived for the last three years.
In most cases, DVLA can use your passport photo for your driving licence photo. But if they need a new photo, they’ll send you a form to complete.
If you find your old licence after having applied for a new one, you’ll have to send it to the DVLA.
You can apply for a new driving licence online on the Gov.uk website.
Or use this service to apply for a new driving licence if you live in Northern Ireland.
