DVLA Check Code for Car Hire
Some hire companies check your driving record before they hand over the keys. Here’s how to get a DVLA code for car hire and when to do it.
Key Facts for Car Hire
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Do you need one in the UK? |
Often. Many hire companies use it to check what you can drive and any points on your licence. |
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What do you give the hire company? |
The check code, plus the last 8 characters of your driving licence number. |
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How long does it last? |
21 days from the moment you create it. |
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How many checks does one code cover? |
One. Another check needs another code. |
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Where do you get it? |
GOV.UK’s DVLA service, or your driver and vehicles account. |
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What about hiring abroad? |
It depends on the company. Check your booking confirmation. |
How to Get a DVLA Check Code for Car Hire
It takes a few minutes online. Have these three details ready first.
Driving licence number
The 16-character number on your photocard licence.
National Insurance number
Lost it? GOV.UK explains how to find your National Insurance number.
Postcode
Use the postcode on your driving licence.
Open the DVLA service
Go to gov.uk/view-driving-licence and select “Start now”.
Enter your details
Add your driving licence number, National Insurance number and postcode.
Create the check code
Select “Get your check code”, then “Get a code”. The code appears on screen.
Copy it
Paste the code into your notes or an email to yourself. Pasting avoids typing slips.
Send it to the hire company
Share the code, plus the last 8 characters of your driving licence number, when the company asks.
When to Get Your Code
Get it a day or two before you collect the car.
AThe code lasts 21 days from the moment you make it, so timing matters. Advice ranges from three weeks ahead to 24 to 48 hours before collection. A day or two before gives you time to fix any problem, and the code stays well inside its 21 days.
Booking day
Hold off, unless the company asks for it at booking.
1 to 2 days before
Get your code and save it somewhere easy to find.
Collection day
Give the company the code and the last 8 characters.
A common mistake
You book a car in March for a June trip and get your code the same day. By June it has expired, and the desk asks for a new one. Wait until your trip is close.
When the Hire Company Asks for It
Companies don’t all ask at the same stage. Some ask for the code when you book. Others email you before collection. Some wait until you reach the desk. Your booking confirmation and terms usually say which, and customer service can confirm if they don’t.
If you arrive without a code
A few branches let you get a code on a tablet or their wifi, and some companies can check your record by phone if you give permission. MoneySavingExpert warns that a phone check can bring call charges or extra fees, so ask before you agree. Neither option always works, and without a code the company may delay your hire or refuse it.
What the Hire Company Sees
GOV.UK says the check shows the vehicles you can drive, your penalty points and any disqualifications. The company uses that to confirm you can drive the vehicle you booked and to decide whether to hand over the keys. You make the code yourself and decide who gets it.
Each hire company sets its own rules on points and offences, and those rules sit in its terms and conditions. Points don’t always stop a hire, but policies vary. If you have points, read the company’s driver policy before you pay a deposit.
The hire company runs its check through a separate GOV.UK service. Our page on how to check someone’s driving licence explains that side.
One Code Covers One Check
GOV.UK’s rule is simple: a code works once, and another check needs another code. Hire from two companies and you need two codes. A second booking after the first check needs a fresh code too.
Some hire sites say one code can cover several rentals until it expires. GOV.UK’s guidance says otherwise, so follow GOV.UK.
Hiring a Car Abroad
Rules vary by company and country, so check your booking confirmation first. Many hire desks abroad only ask to see your photocard licence. MoneySavingExpert advises getting a code anyway, even though firms often don’t ask for it. In the US, desks rarely use DVLA codes and usually look at your photocard licence, passport and payment card.
If your company does ask for a code abroad:
Each hire company sets its own rules on points and offences, and those rules sit in its terms and conditions. Points don’t always stop a hire, but policies vary. If you have points, read the company’s driver policy before you pay a deposit.
Some countries also want an International Driving Permit. Check GOV.UK’s driving abroad page for your destination.
DVLA Share Code for Car Hire: Is It the Same Thing?
Yes. People say check code, share code or licence code, and they all mean the code you make through GOV.UK’s DVLA service. A Home Office share code is different. It proves right to work or immigration status. If a hire company asks about your driving record, it wants the DVLA one.
Northern Ireland and Other Licences
GOV.UK’s DVLA service covers licences issued in England, Wales and Scotland. If your licence comes from Northern Ireland, use the Northern Ireland service on nidirect instead. If you hold a licence from another country, ask the hire company what it needs from you.
If Your Code Doesn’t Work at the Desk
Four things can stop a code working: it has expired, someone has already used it, you made a typing slip, or the company used the wrong checking service. Generate a fresh code and try again. For a full list of fixes, read our DVLA check code not working page.