One of the most common concerns when hiring a car is what to do if you don’t have both parts of your UK driving licence. Whether you have lost your driving licence or overlooked it when packing for your trip, it may still be possible to hire a car with Avis in the UK or abroad without both parts of your licence.
The current UK driving licence has two parts – a plastic, credit card-sized photo card licence and a green paper counterpart licence displaying any endorsements. Many people still have an ‘old-style’ pink and green paper licence, which are still perfectly acceptable. Licences are issued by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
When renting a car with Avis you need to have:
- A full, valid driving licence that has been held for 12 months or more
- No more than 6 points on your licence
Although Avis require both parts of your licence (or your single old style licence), when this is not possible there are ways to rent with just one part of your licence.
Renting in the UK without a paper counterpart licence
If you collect your car within DVLA opening hours (08.00-20.30 Mon-Fri; 08.00-17.30 Sat) we can call the DVLA to check your license for endorsements (an additional £5 charge applies) and you can take your hire car.
If the DVLA office is closed you may be able to rent by signing an indemnity form declaring that you hold a full, valid licence. This will be at the discretion of the office from which you are collecting your hire car. To find out, contact the rental branch before booking.
Renting in the UK without a photo card licence
If the card part of your licence is out of date you can still hire a car with a valid paper counterpart and photographic identification (e.g. passport).
If the paper part of your driving licence is out of date you will not be able to hire a car.
Renting in the USA
When renting in the USA, you can rent a car with your photo card licence only, or with your paper counterpart licence and your passport. If you have neither part you cannot hire a car from an Avis office in the USA.
If you are travelling with someone else who has their licence, they can hire the car and add you as an additional driver. If the reservation is in your name, you will need to make another reservation in the name of the licence-holder and obtain a refund for your initial reservation by contacting 08445 818181.
Renting in Europe
You can collect your car with a valid paper counterpart licence and photographic identification (e.g. passport).
Many offices will let you take your rental car with only your photo card licence, although this is at the discretion of the local office (officially both parts are required). To find out, contact the rental branch before booking.
Avis Preferred customers
Many Avis Preferred customers are business rental customers. If you are renting on business account using your company’s insurance then it is not imperative for you to show your driver’s licence, as your company should ensure you have a valid licence (although rental agents will normally ask for this for duty of care reasons).
If this is not the case, the usual driving licence requirements apply to Avis Preferred customers.
The address on a licence is out of date
If the address on your driving licence is out of date or different to the billing address that you used to book your car, you can still collect your rental car in the UK or abroad.
October 26th, 2011 at 9:57 pm
Like many people in UK I have a Driving Licence which I need to renew every 3 years because of a medical condition.
I have recently renewed mine which means it has a ‘valid from’ date of less than a year ago – although I have held a full licence continuously for many years.
Will this affect my ability to rent a car in Europe given that most car-hire companies require drivers to have had a licence for at least a year?
what happens if this is queried when picking the car up?
March 22nd, 2012 at 9:56 am
Re.:
”
In the UK you can collect your car with a valid paper counterpart licence and photographic identification (e.g. passport).
If your photo card licence is out of date you will not be able to hire a car.
”
These sentences appear to contradict each other. If you can use your passport in lieu of a photocard, then of course you can hire a car without an up-to-date photocard. Or are you saying that actually you DO need to show a photocard even if you have a passport?
March 26th, 2012 at 9:21 am
Hi Jim-
Well spotted! You’re quite right – it is contradictory.
When renting in the UK the paper part of your licence is the most important. If the card part of your licence expires you can still rent with a valid paper part and photo identification.
I will update the post now.
Thanks for feeding back to us!
Sabrina
April 18th, 2012 at 7:18 am
The above still shows that you can’t rent a car without a photo licence “In order to be accepted, your photo card licence must be in date. Out of date photo card licences are not valid.” Are you going to delete this as seems from your earlier comments that this is not correct? Can you please confirm that you can still hire a car eventhough photo licence is out of date, but your paper licence is valid and you have photo ID (eg a passport)?
Thanks
April 18th, 2012 at 5:09 pm
Hi Simon-
Thanks for highlighting that – I hadn’t removed that point.
I have now and can confirm that if you have a valid paper part and passport you are able to rent a car.
Thanks again for the feedback and I hope you enjoy your rental-
Sabrina
May 17th, 2012 at 2:39 am
Can you still rent a car if the photo on your licence is out of date but the licence is valid ?
May 17th, 2012 at 4:49 pm
Hi Emma,
Yes if the paper part of your driving licence is valid you can still rent as long as you show another form of valid photo ID (i.e. passport).
Hope that helps -enjoy your rental
Sabrina
May 19th, 2012 at 7:10 am
Can I hire a car in Venice with only the paper part of my licence( photo part lost) if I were to obtain a faxed copy of the full licence( both parts from DVLA ).
Faxed direct to Avis in Venice airport ?.
May 25th, 2012 at 1:47 am
HI, I have a Indian driving license. Would that be valid for hiring an Avis Car in London?
Thanks
M
May 28th, 2012 at 12:55 pm
Hi Michael –
Yes you can rent a car if you have a valid paper part of your licence but you must have some form of valid photo ID (i.e. your passport).
Hope that helps – enjoy your rental
Sabrina
May 28th, 2012 at 2:11 pm
Hi Murtaza-
I think we responded to you via facebook but yes, I can confirm that you can rent a car with an Indian Driving Licence as long as writing is in the roman alphabet.
Enjoy your rental-
Sabrina
May 29th, 2012 at 12:52 pm
Hi,
I just swapped over my full NSW Australian license to a full UK drivers license.
It has only been activated from afew weeks ago. Does this mean I cannot hire a car because it has not been 12 months?
If this is the case which I unfortunately think it is, I find this to be completely ridiculous, as I have been a full license holder in Australia for 15 years with full Demerit Point. I have no other way driving in the country without swapping over my license since I want to live here. Cant see why I have to wait 12 months.
June 7th, 2012 at 12:30 am
I am going to lisbon in two weeks and have only just realised my photocard licence has just expired, I have my green paper part of licence, will this be enough(with photo I.D) in portugal? Thank you for your time.
June 7th, 2012 at 10:53 pm
I have hired a car with your company through BA I am the lead name on the booking and the credit card I will use is in my name. My husband will be the driver will this be a problem. I have hired under these circumstances before in USA but I have just noticed something about the driver and credit card holder being the same name. Should have mentioned we will be renting in USA. Hope you can put my mind at ease. Thanking you in advance Louise
June 23rd, 2012 at 7:00 am
hi i have come away with out my driving licence is there any way that i can still hire a car in south africa? can you manage to confirm my licence with the dvla?
June 27th, 2012 at 1:33 pm
Sabrina,
Like the blog. I am travelling to the USA next month. However i am without the photocard part of my licence, will i be able to rent a car with just the paper/counterpart licence and my passport?
Any pointers would be much appreciated- would a photocopy of the above suffice.
I am doing this for Executive travel so want to be absolutly sure that i have no problems securing a car.
Kind regards
Chris
June 27th, 2012 at 2:25 pm
Hi Chris,
Thanks for your comment. Pleased you like the blog!
Yes, you will be able to rent a car as long as the paper part of your licence is valid and you have photographic ID such as your passport. You will, however, need the actual paper licence – not just a photocopy of it.
I hope that helps – enjoy your rental!
Sabrina
June 29th, 2012 at 10:50 am
Hi Fiona,
If you have your passport our location should be able to contact the DVLA on your behalf but you will have to pay a fee for the service.
Hope that helps – enjoy your tavels!
Sabrina
July 4th, 2012 at 11:29 pm
Hi,
I want to rent a car from you in Europe but my photocard part is out of date and needs replacing. I have the paper counterpart and a valid photo passport – will I be able to rent a car?
July 6th, 2012 at 12:44 pm
Hi Sabrina, must say like that you respond so quickly
Quick question just for 100% clarity. My photo card license (I am UK driver/citizen) is expired. However I have the paper counterpart and my passport. Can I still rent a car in the US? Just to be clear, and this is what concerns me, in the UK people when someone has a photo license the paper license is a “counterpart license”. Even though it is a counterpart is it still ok to use along with your passport to rent a car?
July 6th, 2012 at 3:59 pm
Hi Kirtan-
As long as you have a valid paper part and valid photo ID (so your passport!) then yes, you are able to rent in the US.
Hope that helps – have a great trip!
Sabrina
July 9th, 2012 at 10:25 am
Hi Sabrina,
I want to rent a car from you in France but my photocard part is out of date and needs replacing. I have the paper counterpart and a valid photo passport – will I be able to rent a car?
July 10th, 2012 at 3:18 pm
Hi Paul-
As long as the paper counterpart is valid then yes, you will be able to rent a car with valid photo ID such as your passport.
Hope that helps – have a great rental
Sabrina
July 12th, 2012 at 11:03 pm
Dear Sabrina,
My husband & I are travelling to Italy on Saturday & he can’t find his old style licence & I have lost the paper part of mine – I have the photo card.
What can we do? We have already reserved the car through Expedia but want to know if there is anything I can do through the DVLA tomorrow to avoid any problems when we arrive (ie getting the DVLA to fax / email our licences to the Avis office in advance of our arrival?)
We have a small child with us so would appreciate knowing how we can avoid a long wait!
Thanks,
Lisa
July 13th, 2012 at 1:51 pm
Hi Sabrina,
I only have a valid UK Driver’s Licence photocard i.e. no paper counterpart and desperately need to hire a car from late this evening at Heathrow. Apparently the Avis Heathrow branch does not permit an indemnity to be signed and I unfortunately arrive when the DVLA is closed. I spoke to the rental station directly last night and they told me that an advance check would still be possible if I call the DVLA during working hours today to give my consent for Avis to make the check, which I have done. Now I have been told by the Avis call centre that this is not possible and I am therefore not permitted to hire a car, refusing to transfer me to the rental station directly. This is all very frustrating and I do not find it really in the spirit of “We Try Harder”!
Any ideas?
Henry
July 13th, 2012 at 2:09 pm
Hi Lisa-
You will be fine to rent with Avis having just a valid plastic card part of your licence (with photo).
Only in the UK do you need a paper counterpart too.
Have a great rental!
Sabrina
July 13th, 2012 at 2:19 pm
Hi Henry-
You should still be able to rent!
If you have spoken to the DVLA to get an advanced check you can call Heathrow directly on 0844 544 6000.
If they are happy with the info you pass on then there’s no reason you cannot rent. They will let you know if there are any further issues.
Good luck – let us know if it gets sorted!
Sabrina
July 13th, 2012 at 3:20 pm
Thank you Sabrina, spoke to the bookings department this time (option 1) rather than the general enquiries (option 6) and it was no problem! I am happy and now convinced that you do indeed try harder!
July 13th, 2012 at 3:32 pm
Fantastic news -pleased it’s sorted.
Have a great rental Henry!
July 25th, 2012 at 3:32 pm
Hi, just a quick question. I need to book a hire car for Friday from Gatwick and have been told by AVIOS (want to use my AVIOS points) that AVIS require both the photo and paper part of my UK driving license in order to hire the car. I told them that this contradicted info I’d seen on the blog but just wanted to get a final opinion. I live in Dubai and have to come back for a funeral and really need a hire car. Can you help? Thanks.
July 26th, 2012 at 4:30 pm
Hi Sarah-
The information you were given is correct; when renting in the UK you do need both the paper part and photo card part of your licence.
If the card, photo part has expired you can still use the paper part with your passport.
Hope that helps- have a great rental!
Sabrina
August 4th, 2012 at 3:45 pm
I am an Indian national with a valid Indian driving license.
Will I be able to rent a car from Avis on this basis whilst on a one-week holiday in Scotland.
Is it necessary to have an International Driving Permit or will the Indian driving license be sufficient for Avis to rent me a car?
August 5th, 2012 at 6:21 pm
Hi there. We want to rent a car in florida but have just noticed that my husband has old points on his licence that are there from years ago and we have forgotten to send it back to dvla to get them removed. It’s 3 points. Will we still be able to rent?
August 7th, 2012 at 3:32 pm
Hi Sabrina,
We’re going to the US tomorrow and I sent off my driving licence to the dvla to be updated to my married name but it hasn’t come back yet. Can I be an additional driver without either part of my driving licence?
Many thanks!
Helen.
August 7th, 2012 at 3:36 pm
Hi Helen,
I wish I could say otherwise but no, I’m afraid not.
I would recommend that you contact the DVLA and ask them to email/fax a copy of your valid paper licence. If you have that, you should be able to be an additional driver without any problems.
Best of luck. Have a fantastic trip!
Sabrina
August 8th, 2012 at 5:17 am
Hello ,
Iam going to England to see my son , I just moved to northen Ireland this past month . Tried to change my address on both of my licence from the dvla but , they sent it back ,I filled in wrong from . Now my card is out of date my paper licence and card licence has two different address on it . Can I stil hire a car . Yes the paper one is valid .
August 20th, 2012 at 3:57 pm
Hi Indranil – sorry for the late reply. Your Indian driving licence will be fine for renting in the UK. Have a good trip!
August 20th, 2012 at 4:00 pm
Hi Sian – yes that will be fine.
August 20th, 2012 at 4:05 pm
Hi Jacqui – you will be able to hire a car with the paper part of your licence if you bring along some photo ID such a a passport.
September 16th, 2012 at 5:27 pm
Hi, we are travelling to Spain next week and would like to rent a car, however i only have the old style paper licence, is this ok or would i need an “IDP”
Regards
Paul
September 19th, 2012 at 11:18 am
Hi,
My photocard licence has expired and I am abroad now so I don’t have time to renew it. I intend to travel to New Zealand soon and hire a car. Can I hire a car in NZ only with a valid paper counterpart of my licence and my passport as proof of identification?
Thank you
September 22nd, 2012 at 11:53 am
Hi Sabrina,
I found the blog really useful! Please can I just double check that I am ok to hire a hire the US and legally drive it without the paper part of my UK licence. (Both my paper part and my husband’s have gone missing and there is no time for a new one to arrive before we leave.)
We both have the photocard part and they are in date.
Many thanks,
Harriet
September 24th, 2012 at 12:07 pm
Hi Paul, a paper license is fine, just make sure you have some form of photo identification on you (eg. a passport)
September 26th, 2012 at 3:01 pm
Hi Harriet, it is up to the discretion of branch you are renting from, but you should be able to rent a car with the photocard only.
September 26th, 2012 at 3:02 pm
Hi Nikolaos, if you have the paper license then you can rent a car using a passport, at the discretion of the branch you are hiring from- so it is best to check beforehand.
October 25th, 2012 at 9:31 am
Hi Claire, I have a valid Indian Driving License. Will I be able to rent a car in Zurich? Do let me know! Thanks
November 5th, 2012 at 4:10 pm
Hi Sitara,
If your license is in the roman alphabet then it will be accepted at the discretion of the local branch. If it is possible, then an international license is certainly advisable to avoid any possible problems.
November 27th, 2012 at 3:08 pm
Hello, I do not see a reply to this above, could you let us know as I am in a similar situation but for an imminent rental in the USA?
—
Peter Robbins Says:
October 26th, 2011 at 9:57 pm
Like many people in UK I have a Driving Licence which I need to renew every 3 years because of a medical condition.
I have recently renewed mine which means it has a ‘valid from’ date of less than a year ago – although I have held a full licence continuously for many years.
Will this affect my ability to rent a car in Europe given that most car-hire companies require drivers to have had a licence for at least a year?
what happens if this is queried when picking the car up?
–
Thank you
December 3rd, 2012 at 3:15 pm
Hello Thomas,
There is no minimum requirement to hold a license for Avis USA, so this shouldn’t be a problem. Regarding rentals in Europe, it’s best to check for each country as the policy varies.
I hope this helps,
Jordan
January 14th, 2013 at 7:02 am
I am a UK license holder but I live abroad. I am looking ot hire a car from LHR. Firstly, what do I put as my country of residence? Will my country affect my rate? Secondly, I have my photo card but my paper counterpart is back in Bristol. Will a scanned copy of this suffice?
Thanks
January 27th, 2013 at 10:24 am
Hi I am looking to hire a car I passed my test last January but didn’t get my license until the April of the same year do was wondering do I have to wait until April or is the date on the back of my license showing when I passed my test acceptable but on the paper counterpart it’s got April on it so I’m a bit confused whether I can hire a car or not.
Thanks Catherine
January 31st, 2013 at 12:05 pm
Hello Catherine,
The minimum requirements to hire a car with Avis in the UK are: Minimum 3 years Full Driving Licence, at least 1 year Full Clean Licence and a Credit Card at the Driver’s name. Drivers under 25 years of age will be charged a Young Driver Surcharge of £39 incl. VAT per day.
January 31st, 2013 at 12:40 pm
Hello Craig,
Your country of residence will be the one you live in nowadays. As for the paper part of the licence, it’s best to check with the local branch to see if they would accept a photocopy of it or they would run a DVLA check.
February 4th, 2013 at 8:49 am
Hi, im thinking of hiring a car from Avis while I am in the usa. I only have my UK photocard license with me. Is this still acceptable?
Thanks,
Long
February 12th, 2013 at 3:51 pm
Hello there,
You would need to go to the Avis branch where you would like to pick up the car from and see if, at their discretion, they would accept only the plastic part of your driving licence. Usually you will be required to provide both parts of the licence when hiring a car.