uk driving

In the United Kingdom, a driving licence is the official document which authorises its holder to operate motor vehicles on highways and other public roads. It is administered in England, Scotland and Wales by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and in Northern Ireland by the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA). A driving licence is required in England, Scotland, and Wales for any person (except the sovereign) driving a vehicle on any highway or other "road", as defined in s.192 Road Traffic Act 1988, irrespective of the ownership of the land over which the road passes. Similar requirements apply in Northern Ireland under the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981.
Prior to the UK leaving the European Union on 31 January 2020 and during the transition period which ended on 31 December 2020, a UK driving licence was a European driving licence, adhering to Directive 2006/126/EC and valid throughout the European Economic Area. A new updated design has been issued from January 2021, now simply reading "UK" in larger blue letters, where the EU flag with the circle of stars surrounding the "UK" code was.
Since July 2015, all UK driving licence photo-cards issued by the DVLA have displayed the Union Flag, and since December 2021 also the Royal Coat of Arms on the front of the driving licence. This does not apply to driving licences issued by the DVA in Northern Ireland.
Individuals with a GB address can not apply for a Northern Ireland (DVA) issued driving licence and individuals with a Northern Ireland address can not apply for a GB (DVLA) issued driving licence. Both forms of the licence are considered as a full UK driving licence and have equal status.
In Northern Ireland, the paper counterpart is still issued and must be produced when a licence is requested by the PSNI or when taking a practical driving test. If this counterpart is lost, stolen or damaged, a replacement licence must be ordered. This will replace both the photo-card and counterpart.
There is no UK identity card; a photographic driving licence can serve as proof of identity in non-driving contexts, such as proof of identity (e.g. when opening a bank account) or of age (e.g. when buying age-restricted goods such as alcohol or tobacco).

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