DVLA and Driving
Last reviewed: 23 July 2026
TL;DR
A Great Britain driving licence number is 16 characters long and appears in section 5 of the photocard. It encodes the first 5 letters of the surname, the date of birth in a scrambled decade format, and the holder's initials. The issue date is shown in section 4a and the expiry in section 4b.
Photocard driving licence fields
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Source: GOV.UK, Driving licence categories
KEY FACTS
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How is the 16 character driving licence number built?
The 16 characters combine the first 5 letters of the surname, a 6 digit encoded date of birth, the holder's initials, and 3 trailing characters used by DVLA for uniqueness and checking.
Characters 1 to 5 take the surname, padded with the number 9 where the name is shorter than 5 letters, so a holder named Lee appears as LEE99. Characters 6 to 11 encode the date of birth: the decade digit of the birth year, then the month, then the day, then the final digit of the year. In licences issued under the traditional format, 5 is added to the first month digit for women, so a March date of birth reads 53 rather than 03. Characters 12 and 13 carry the first and middle initial, with 9 as a filler where there is no middle name, and the final 3 characters are DVLA assigned to keep the number unique.
Because the number is derived from personal details, it changes only when those details change, such as after a name change. It is the primary reference DVLA, insurers, courts and employers use to identify the driving record, which is why the online services for tax, licence checks and endorsement viewing all key on it.
Where is the issue date on a driving licence?
The issue date is section 4a on the front of the photocard, immediately above the 4b expiry date, and it refers to the current photocard rather than the date the holder first qualified.
Section 4a resets every time a new photocard is produced, whether for a 10 year renewal, an address change, a name change or a replacement for loss. This trips up many form fillers, particularly for car hire and insurance applications that ask for the licence issue date: the answer they usually want is 4a as printed on the card in hand, not the date of first passing the test.
The dates each driving category was first obtained live on the driving record itself. They are visible through the free view driving licence service on GOV.UK, which lists every category with its valid from and valid to dates. Where an application specifically asks how long the holder has held a full licence, that category start date is the correct figure.
What do the other photocard sections mean?
Sections 1 to 3 carry identity details, 4a to 4c cover dates and the issuing authority, 5 is the driver number, 7 the signature and 9 the vehicle categories.
Section 9 is the practically important one: it lists the categories the holder may drive, such as B for cars, A for motorcycles and C1 for medium goods vehicles, with national codes on the reverse describing restrictions like 01 for eyesight correction. The reverse of the card also shows the valid from and valid to dates per category in a table, which is where provisional entitlements for higher categories appear.
Older photocards may show the address field in a slightly different layout, and paper licences issued before photocards carry the same driver number without the card fields. Any licence details that no longer match the holder, such as a surname after marriage, must be updated with DVLA free of charge, since driving with inaccurate details risks a fine of up to £1,000.
How can a licence number be found without the photocard?
A lost licence number can be recovered through the DVLA view driving licence service using identity details, or by requesting a replacement photocard which costs £20.
The view driving licence service authenticates with the National Insurance number and postcode, then displays the full record including the driver number, so the number itself is recoverable in minutes without the card. This is enough for insurance quotes and employer checks, which use the number plus a share code rather than the physical card.
A physically lost, stolen or damaged photocard still needs replacing, which costs £20 online and arrives within about a week. Stolen cards should also be reported to the police, since a driving licence is a common identity theft target. The replacement carries a new 4a issue date but the same driver number and entitlements.
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DISCLAIMER This guide is for general information only and is not legal or financial advice. Rules, rates and processes are set by DVLA, DVSA and HM Treasury and can change. Always confirm current requirements on GOV.UK before acting. |
Frequently asked questions
Is the driving licence number the same as the licence check code?
No. The driver number is the permanent 16 character reference in section 5. A check code is a temporary 8 character code generated in the view driving licence service to share the record, and it expires after 21 days.
Does the licence number change when the photocard is renewed?
No. Renewals, replacements and address changes produce a new card with a new 4a issue date, but the 16 character driver number stays the same unless personal details such as the surname change.
Why does the licence number show a different month for women?
In the traditional GB format, 5 is added to the first digit of the month for female holders, so October reads 60 rather than 10. It is an encoding convention, not an error.
Where is the date the holder passed the driving test?
It is not on the photocard. Category start dates are held on the driving record and shown in the free view driving licence service on GOV.UK.
What does 4c mean on a driving licence?
Section 4c names the issuing authority, which for Great Britain licences is DVLA. Northern Ireland licences are issued by DVA and follow a different numbering format.
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