Is old green drivers licence still legal?

[Polome]

Hi Still got a couple of years to run on my green paper driving license. I used it with hire cars a year ago with no problems but a friend now says they are no longer legal . Anybody have a definitive answer , I am hiring a car in US west coast in October and wouldn't like to think I'd be refused due to inappropriate license . Thank you in advance. Ian

[stevensdrs]

They are still legal providing the address is correct in the UK. I have no idea whether foreign hire car companies will accept them but you will still be able to get the passcode from the GOV website to allow hire companies to check your endorsements.

[PBDirector]

On which note... I'd like to swap my paper cert for a photo card.

...but the online form requires you to fill out the last 3 years' address, all of which are not the address on my licence.

Am I going to get fined due to self incrimination? Appreciate I don't have much option now....

[mph1977]

stevensdrs said:

They are still legal providing the address is correct in the UK. I have no idea whether foreign hire car companies will accept them but you will still be able to get the passcode from the GOV website to allow hire companies to check your endorsements.

this

[Mandat]

Polome said:

Hi Still got a couple of years to run on my green paper driving license. I used it with hire cars a year ago with no problems but a friend now says they are no longer legal . Anybody have a definitive answer , I am hiring a car in US west coast in October and wouldn't like to think I'd be refused due to inappropriate license . Thank you in advance. Ian

Your friend is referring to the paper counterpart of the card licence. which was withdrawn a few years ago.

[br d]

Used mine to hire cars in 3 European countries this summer, no problem at all.

[tr7v8]

Use mine to hire cars in the US & Europe with no issues.

[bimsb6]

tr7v8 said:

Use mine to hire cars in the US & Europe with no issues.

Me too

[4rephill]

Mandat said:

Polome said:

Hi Still got a couple of years to run on my green paper driving license. I used it with hire cars a year ago with no problems but a friend now says they are no longer legal . Anybody have a definitive answer , I am hiring a car in US west coast in October and wouldn't like to think I'd be refused due to inappropriate license . Thank you in advance. Ian

Your friend is referring to the paper counterpart of the card licence. which was withdrawn a few years ago.

+1

Just to add that it's not a case that the counterpart is no longer "legal", it's just obsolete now.

[PurpleMoonlight]

4rephill said:

+1

Just to add that it's not a case that the counterpart is no longer "legal", it's just obsolete now.

What's the difference?

[spitfire-ian]

PBDirector said:

On which note... I'd like to swap my paper cert for a photo card.

...but the online form requires you to fill out the last 3 years' address, all of which are not the address on my licence.

Am I going to get fined due to self incrimination? Appreciate I don't have much option now....

So you now live at a different address to the one on the licence?

Just use the change of address form and they'll send you a photo card back with your new address on it. I seem to recall it being free too.

[alangla]

Polome said:

Hi Still got a couple of years to run on my green paper driving license. I used it with hire cars a year ago with no problems but a friend now says they are no longer legal . Anybody have a definitive answer , I am hiring a car in US west coast in October and wouldn't like to think I'd be refused due to inappropriate license . Thank you in advance. Ian

It's probably worth taking an International Driving Permit with you if you don't have a photocard - there was a brief spell where they were mandatory for hires in Florida, but that law has since been rescinded. I took one with me in 2014, but didn't need it in the end. They only cost £5.50 & you can get one from one of the larger post offices - http://www.postoffice.co.uk/international-driving-...

[98elise]

bimsb6 said:

tr7v8 said:

Use mine to hire cars in the US & Europe with no issues.

Me too

Same here. I've just hired a car in the US with mine, and it's more sellotape than paper

[PBDirector]

spitfire-ian said:

Just use the change of address form and they'll send you a photo card back with your new address on it. I seem to recall it being free too.

OH YEAH

(Sometimes I surprise myself at how thick I am)

[pim]

They wanted to see my photo licence in the States.Florida a while ago.

[Mill Wheel]

pim said:

They wanted to see my photo licence in the States.Florida a while ago.

My local post office wanted to see mine when I went to pick up a parcel that they had tried to deliver while I was out.
They didn't believe I didn't have one, and told me it was a legal requirement!

The only photo ID I have is my passport.. which always works when required.

[TooMany2cvs]

Mill Wheel said:

My local post office wanted to see mine when I went to pick up a parcel that they had tried to deliver while I was out.
They didn't believe I didn't have one, and told me it was a legal requirement!

Bearing in mind that the only people who still have pre-photocard licences are those who are over 35 but under 70, and haven't changed any of their details - including address - in the last 18 years, it's no real surprise that there's not many still about, hence people's surprise and confusion.

[Red Devil]

More than you might think actually - https://insidedvla.blog.gov.uk/2015/03/24/advice-f...

The paper version was due to die on 19th January 2033 in conformity with a EU Directive - http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri...
Of course Brexit may alter that. However the Secretary of State has the power to change his/her mind about the UK validity of existing paper D/Ls at any time.

[TooMany2cvs]

Red Devil said:

More than you might think actually - https://insidedvla.blog.gov.uk/2015/03/24/advice-f...

7m out of about 32m. Just over 20%...

[Red Devil]

Or 1 in 5 in old money. If you consider that to be 'not many', all I can say is that your definition of it differs greatly from mine.