UK car hire using paper licence

[Deleted User]

We live abroad in the EU and my wife has a paper UK driving licence but no photo one.
Next week she'll be travelling to the UK and wishes to hire a car at Bristol Airport for 10 days.
Is the paper licence sufficient or is something else needed as well and what sort of ID will be required.
I usually hire all our cars using my photo licence but can't accompany her on this trip.
Many thanks in advance.

HappyMJ

The paper licence and her passport should be sufficient. Why don't you call the car hire company?

[Deleted User]

HappyMJ wrote: »

The paper licence and her passport should be sufficient. Why don't you call the car hire company?

I haven't started the booking process yet so don't have a particular company in mind.I thought the paper licence has been phased out ? Also,do I need these new code thingies to hire a car.Sorry to be so vague but I've only just discovered there has been some changes in the licensing system.

soolin

Deleted_User wrote: »

I haven't started the booking process yet so don't have a particular company in mind.I thought the paper licence has been phased out ? Also,do I need these new code thingies to hire a car.Sorry to be so vague but I've only just discovered there has been some changes in the licensing system.

It is the paper part of a photo Id license that has changed, the fully paper license is still valid.

Iceweasel

Everything should be fine - the recent changes affect only the paper counterpart of a photocard licence.

But be careful with your booking -my wife has dual nationality and we occasionally have problems with documents showing different addresses for her.

A booking made from outside the UK showing a home address elsewhere in the EU and then producing a licence with a UK address may be questioned.

I would check carefully/ask the hire company directly to make sure that there will be no problems at the pick-up desk when she shows her licence.

Your wife's pre-98 old style paper licence is still valid - there has never been any requirement to change/replace it with a photocard licence as long as one's personal details have remained unchanged.

Along with a passport for visual identity purposes that should be sufficient.

However ...... believe it or not - some young people have never seen a paper licence, and the car-hire reception desk may query it / check it carefully.

It may not be the actual licence format, but rather the address which could cause a delay.

As she has obviously not changed the address on her licence since obtaining it - is the UK address on it still one at which she can be contacted.

Has she a British passport?

My wife and I have learned from bitter experience that what we assume to be logical and common sense explanations can on occasion be seen as 'suspicious' these days.

Car_54

What hasn't changed is the requirement to notify DVLA of any change of address, and AFAIK they won't accept non-GB addresses.

For future use, your wife should exchange her licence for a local one where you live.

Iceweasel

[quote=[Deleted User];68769952]What hasn't changed is the requirement to notify DVLA of any change of address, and AFAIK they won't accept non-GB addresses.

For future use, your wife should exchange her licence for a local one where you live.[/QUOTE]

The solution to that of course is to use a relatives address - no problem in doing that if you live outside the UK.