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The DVLA has extended the time limit for a driving licence checking code from 72 hours to 21 days due to feedback from the public.
Last month, the DVLA axed the paper counterpart and replaced it with an online licence-checking tool, Share Driving Licence.
The free tool allows users to view the vehicle categories they're entitled to drive and any endorsements or penalty points accrued.
The service allows driving licence holders to share information held at the DVLA with others - such as rental companies, or fleet managers - while ensuring they stay in control of who sees it, the DVLA said.
It also enables users to share licence information with third party companies via a unique single-use code, which the third-party can use to access licence information.
To check if a driver has the correct licence, the driver must request an access code from the DVLA using their postcode, driving licence number and National Insurance number, and the code remained active for 72 hours.
As of today, it will now remain active for 21 days following public feedback, a DVLA spokesman told BusinessCar.
"We listened to feedback from the public, and we decided to extend the time limit to 21 days," the spokesman said.
Once generated, the code is then provided to the employer or rental company, who uses the online service to make the check on whether the driver has a valid licence, how many points they have and which vehicles they are allowed to drive.
The service can be found here.
The RAC welcomed the move:
"The move to three weeks is sensible as it provides sufficient flexibility for people hiring a car in the second or third week of a holiday or business trips," said Pete Williams, RAC head of external affairs."The big question is why was the validity of the 'share your licence' code fixed at three days in the first place, particularly as the system was brought in on the back of the abolition of the paper counterpart which the DVLA typically far longer to update with new endorsements."
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