On June 8th the DVLA will abolish the paper counterpart of the UK driving licence. 

From that date the information about an individual’s driving history, including endorsements, etc, will only be accessible directly from the DVLA. 

However, the DVLA has determined that only certain organisations will be able to access the information direct and that does not currently include vehicle rental companies. 

Europcar, the leader in car hire services in Europe, has therefore introduced a number of new initiatives to minimise the impact on its customers’ car hire experience.

For the UK vehicle rental industry the paper counterpart has always been an important component in checking an individual’s driving record in order to ensure they are qualified to drive and for the safety of other road users. 

Because the DVLA has decided that rental companies cannot access a customer’s driving licence data direct it has developed an online system for the individual to obtain a code that can then be used by the rental company to check the licence. 

The code – valid for 72 hours - will be accessible from the DVLA’s ‘Share Driving Licence’ service which goes live on May 19th 2015 on the DVLA’s website. 

Car hire customers simply input their driving licence number, National Insurance number and home postcode to generate the code which they then give to a rental company when collecting their vehicle.

Focused on ensuring the smoothest rental experience for its customers, Europcar has invested in a range of initiatives to help its customers with the new system.

Along with text and email reminders and a 24-hour helpline, Europcar is making tablets and internet access available in its branches to enable travellers to get on their journey without being delayed by the DVLA changes.

Europcar is making the whole process as easy as possible. Customers booking their vehicle online will be directed to the DVLA ‘Share Driving Licence’ service and reminded to get their code no earlier than 72 hours before picking up their car.

Customers booking by phone will be given the same advice.