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Your UK Driving Licence Number Explained


UK Driving Licence Sample
Ever peered at your driving licence and wondered what that jumble of letters and numbers actually means? It might look like a random string of characters, but it's actually a clever code that holds key details about you. And because your licence is packed with important info like penalty points and expiry dates, businesses often need to check these details – that's where services like licencecheck.org come in handy.

But first, let's have a bit of fun and see if we can crack the code of your UK driving licence number:

Breaking it Down

Your UK driving licence number has 16 characters, a mix of letters and numbers. Each bit tells a story:

  • Characters 1-5: Your Surname This is the most straightforward bit! The first five characters are taken from your last name. If your surname is shorter than five letters, they fill the gaps with the number '9'.

  • Character 6: The Decade You Were Born This single digit tells us when you were born, but only the decade. So, if you were born in 1985, this would be an '8'.

  • Characters 7-8: Your Birth Month These two digits show your birth month. But here's a quirky fact: they add a little twist for female drivers. They add 5 to the first digit for women. So January is '01' for men and '51' for women, February is '02' for men and '52' for women, and so on. Sneaky, eh?

  • Characters 9-10: Your Birth Day Simply the day of the month you were born.

  • Character 11: The Year in the Decade This digit gives us the final part of your birth year. So, if you were born in 1985, this would be a '5'.

  • Characters 12-13: Your Initials These are the first two initials of your name. If you only have one first name, they use a '9' for the second character.

  • Character 14: A Random Number This is usually a '9', but it can be something else.

  • Characters 15-16: The Checker These two digits are like a secret code that the computer uses to check if the licence number is valid. It helps prevent errors and fraud.

  • Characters 17-18: How Many Licences? These last two digits show how many driving licences you've had. Every time you get a new licence, this number goes up.

Let's See it in Action!

Imagine a chap called John Smith, born on 15th December 1985. His driving licence number might look a bit like this:

SMITH812155JS9XX99

Why So Complicated?

This clever system is designed to:

  • Make Sure Every Licence is Unique: No two are the same!

  • Keep Things Accurate: The 'checker' digits help to make sure there are no mistakes and that the licence is genuine.

  • Help with Identification: It's like a mini code that holds your key details.

A Little Secret: Even though you can work out some parts of your licence number, you can't figure out the whole thing just from your name and birthday. There are too many other bits involved!

Keeping the Roads Safe with Licence Checks

It's really important for employers and companies who hire drivers to make sure their drivers have valid licences and good driving records. That's where licencecheck.org comes in. We help businesses quickly and easily check lots of driving licences at once. They can find out about:

  • Penalty Points: This helps make sure drivers are safe and meet the rules.

  • Driving Restrictions: Some drivers might have limits on what vehicles they can drive.

  • Expiry Dates: It's important to know when licences need renewing to avoid any problems.

Hopefully, this has helped you understand a bit more about your UK driving licence number. It's not just a random jumble – it's a clever code that helps keep our roads safe!

Fancy a look around? Head over to licencecheck.org to find out more about what we do and how we can help your business.