United Kingdom
Want to know the ins and outs of the UK driving license? You’ve come to the right place
As well as being a key form of identification, the UK driving license gives you the right to drive a car, plus certain types of other vehicles. But as the license is full of information, codes and categories, you might be after an explainer on both what the front of the driving license shows, and what the details on the back of a driving license mean. This guide will explain all this.
Front of the driving license explained
The front of the driving license displays a photograph of the license holder with the license expiry date printed on top, as well key information about them, and the types of vehicle their license permits them to drive.
Each section on the front of a driving license is numbered, with each number showing the following information:
1. Your surname
2. Your first name(s)
3. Your date and country of birth
4a. The date your license was issued
4b. The date your license expires
4c. What agency issued your license (usually DVLA)
5. Your driving license number*
6. Although not numbered on the license, your photograph is 6
7. Your signature
8. Your address
9. The categories of vehicle you’re permitted to drive
Back of the driving licence explained
A number of categories are displayed on the back of your driving licence, displayed in a table with four columns, labelled 9-12.
Column 9 shows the code and an image representing classes of vehicle
Column 10 is date from which your license for that class of vehicle is valid
Column 11 is date from which your license for that class of vehicle expires
Column 12 shows driving license codes – EG ‘115’ means organ donor (see section after next).
GET THE UK DRIVING LICENSE ONLINE NO TEST REQUIRED
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