<P> Until 1973, driving licences (and tax discs) were issued by local authorities and had to be renewed every three years . In 1971, the decision was taken to computerise the licensing system to enable it to be linked to the Police National Computer and to extend the life of the licence up to the driver's 70th birthday, extendable at intervals thereafter provided the driver can prove fitness . </P> <P> Except for Northern Ireland, driving licences issued before July 1998 did not have photographs on them . Anyone who holds a licence issued before this date may retain their photo-less licence until expiry (normally one's seventieth birthday) or until they change address, whichever comes sooner . The new plastic photocard driving licences have to be renewed every ten years, for a fee . Until 2015, the licence consisted of both the photocard and a paper counterpart which detailed the individual's driving entitlements and convictions ("endorsements"). The counterpart was abolished on 8 June 2015 and the information formerly recorded on it is now available online via the View Driving Licence service, except in Northern Ireland where the counterpart must be kept with the photocard . </P> <P> Licences issued to residents of England, Northern Ireland and Scotland appear only in English, while those issued to residents of Wales appear in both English and Welsh . </P> <P> Each licence holder in England, Scotland and Wales has a unique driver number, which is 16 characters long . The characters are constructed in the following way: </P>

Where is the driver number on a uk paper driving license