Car hire abroad... Be Aware - New Licence rules!

I picked up a car whilst in Palm Springs last week from Alamo (booked via VH) and I did request the share code thing online before I got there, but never needed it.

All they wanted was my licence photo card, credit card and accommodation details.

Same as usual then....

Just seen some useful info about this on the Hertz UK website (obviously only applies to Hertz!)..

The Licence Summary is required for car hire in the UK, Angola, Bahrain, Balearics, Botswana, Canaries, Croatia, Namibia, Oman, Portugal, South Africa, Sweden and Tunisia.
The Licence Summary/Unique Code is NOT required for the US, Canada, Mexico, Latin America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, rest of Africa, rest of Middle East, and rest of Europe.

I hired a car with Sixt in France on Thursday & they did not want a code. OK, I am a Sixt Express member (frequent rental scheme) so they have my details on file. Just handed over the Sixt Express card, credit card & driving licence photo card & was on my way in under 5mins.

Yes, I also rented 2 cars at Palm Springs airport, one from Alamo, and later a one way Hertz rental, also a Vegas rental.
They are only interested in the photo card license.
When the paper part was valid, they never asked for that, clearly the info on the paper part was of no interest to them, so there is no reason why they would start now.
In addition, I cannot imagine an agent at a busy rental desk going online with a code to check the info on the DVLA site.

The whole thing set up by the DVLA was based on the assumption that the rental companies were checking the paper counterpart, I suppose that might be true in some countries, but I have never seen it.

Just seen some useful info about this on the Hertz UK website (obviously only applies to Hertz!)..

The Licence Summary is required for car hire in the UK, Angola, Bahrain, Balearics, Botswana, Canaries, Croatia, Namibia, Oman, Portugal, South Africa, Sweden and Tunisia.
The Licence Summary/Unique Code is NOT required for the US, Canada, Mexico, Latin America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, rest of Africa, rest of Middle East, and rest of Europe.

I hired a car with Sixt in France on Thursday & they did not want a code. OK, I am a Sixt Express member (frequent rental scheme) so they have my details on file. Just handed over the Sixt Express card, credit card & driving licence photo card & was on my way in under 5mins.

Does Hertz think the UK is abroad then ?

The time that the code is valid has been extended to 21 days.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/driv ... to-21-days

Dick D

The thing is, but for this thread which reminded me, I would forget about this totally. I rent in the US all the time and they never ask (with Hertz so no need according to Hertz). I would love to have been in that room when the DVLA mandarins came up with this.

Maybe other countries are not aware about our 2 part licences.
God forbid if involved in an accident & the insurance companies use it as an excuse to say your not covered.

Just thinking the worst!

That's a very fair point!

So are we supposed to offer up this code when collecting a car or only do so if asked? We have Dollar Express, they've never asked for the paper counterpart of a licence, but I wouldn't want to fall foul by not offering the code. What does the team think????

I took the code with me.
Hertz never asked me for it.

And you didn't offer it to them either???

My OH has a Gold membership with Hertz, so they have his standard details online, but not this code for the counterpart license that needs to be generated. We rented a car in San Diego(we had pre-booked it) and he didn't even have to show his license when picking it up, so definitely wasn't even asked about the code.

Will let you know what happens this weekend have a car booked with Alamo at mco done by check in online have the code to give wasn't intending taking but had to borrow a car from main dealership last week so needed the code that will still be valid when I arrive at mco

Thanks. Be interesting to see if you're asked for it. I suspect though, as previouslyy said, that most of this will have passed most hire companies by. Will get a code anyway, just in case.....

We picked up from MIA/Alamo, didn't even know we were supposed to have a code, no one mentioned it.

I have rented about 20 cars this year in the US and Spain (1 car) and never been asked for it all. I am currently in California and wasn't asked this time, ie. nothing had changed up until Saturday.

Collected car from Alamo mco only asked for credit card rental agreement and driving licence photo I'd no code so no asking for code at the moment

Seems to be pretty much what everyone's experiencing. No doubt we'd be the ones to be asked, so think I'll get us a code anyway! I guess that will have to be a code for each of us...

I guess if a code is asked for everyone driving the car will need their code

Just booked our rental car via the VS website (alamo) and the terms state quite clearly that (a) counterpart not required and (b) customers will NOT need a code from the DVLA. So as already said elsewhere, just the contract and the plastic card or old paper type licence. Probably more trouble than its worth for the rental companies to pester customers for the codes, they just want to get on with business.

Below is the actual wording

Please note: All of our car suppliers: Alamo in the USA and Canada, Avis in South
Africa, Drive-a-matic in Barbados, St Lucia and Antigua, and Thrifty in New
Zealand and Australia, will only require to see a valid plastic photocard or old style
paper licence. Customers DO NOT need to provide a DVLA print out of their
endorsements prior to travel.

I received my new license a few days ago and it came with a whole pamphlet on the subject of the counterpart being required whilst hiring a car and that you can print out a drivers record online or give a company/your employer (?) access to the record should you wish - can't imagine how that would be helpful. Reading the thread, it appears this isn't accurate - got to love the DVLA. Bureaucratic savings? I think not

And you didn't offer it to them either???

no, but there was only one person booking the cars out with a queue outside the door!

Just booked our rental car via the VS website (alamo) and the terms state quite clearly that (a) counterpart not required and (b) customers will NOT need a code from the DVLA. So as already said elsewhere, just the contract and the plastic card or old paper type licence. Probably more trouble than its worth for the rental companies to pester customers for the codes, they just want to get on with business.

Below is the actual wording

Please note: All of our car suppliers: Alamo in the USA and Canada, Avis in South
Africa, Drive-a-matic in Barbados, St Lucia and Antigua, and Thrifty in New
Zealand and Australia, will only require to see a valid plastic photocard or old style
paper licence. Customers DO NOT need to provide a DVLA print out of their
endorsements prior to travel.

I've totally misunderstood this! Thought the requirement was only to have a code available, not to print anything off!

So, I decided to ask usrentacar, as we are using them for our upcoming hire. Below is their reply, seems to echo what VRgin is saying about car hire:

'Our suppliers have confirmed that our customers will not require a code from the DVLA or their counterpart license. Our customers will just need to provide their photo ID card part of their license as the agents on the desk will have no way of checking for any endorsements.'

So, I decided to ask usrentacar, as we are using them for our upcoming hire. Below is their reply, seems to echo what VRgin is saying about car hire:

'Our suppliers have confirmed that our customers will not require a code from the DVLA or their counterpart license. Our customers will just need to provide their photo ID card part of their license as the agents on the desk will have no way of checking for any endorsements.'

Looks like a reply which should put an end to any further speculation then!

Hopefully. Will be making sure I have that email to hand...