opening driving licence

[Gerry123]

Is it legal for a line manager or a police officer to open your driving licence to see if there are any points on it?. I would have thought this would bias their option about you.

[jackthehat]

If you have presented your licence for scrutiny, I would have thought that they are perfectly entitled to open it to scrutinise...........?

Perhaps if you could explain in more detail ?

[Gerry123]

what i meant was on the old licence you could see all the necessary details on outer pages. but to open it up would reveal any points. if a policeman stopped you for speeding and opened it up he would see the points and that would influence his judgement. in courts they don't normally read out your previous until a guilty not guilty verdict has been announced.

[dzug2]

All the necesary details for WHAT?

[hc4361]

Of course it is legal.

[jackthehat]

If a Policeman stopped you for speeding, it would be because, in his opinion (or that of his equipment), you HAVE been speeding.

Seeing points on your licence is not going to make him 'believe' that he has made the correct call............

[daftgrandad]

When you go to hire a vehicle,the hirer is perfectly entitled to look at all of your
licence.This is to determine any recent disqualifications,you may have had.

[ummmm]

What's the point of putting them on the license if someone can't view them?

[bobjugs12]

Gerry123, I would expect (and welcome) the presence of points on a driving licence to influence a coppers decision. If you haven't been a prolific speeder then maybe a roadside b0llocking would be a better route than tickets etc. However, if you've already got 37,003 points (slight exageration) on your licence the PC Plod is gonna know your a driving biff, with as much capability behind the wheel as an elepahnt on crack cocaine!

[mccfluff]

? i'm a fleet manager and one of my jobs is to check licenses for points, i have to know
a/ if they are licensed to drive
b/ if they are likely to be a risk to the business

[New Judge]

There is very little point in recording details of driving convictions on a driving licence if those entitled to see the licence are not permitted to see the conviction details.

As has been said, if you drive as part of your job your manager is obliged to see your licence and any record of driving convictions you may have. This is almost always needed to satisfy the conditions of the company’s insurance policy (many insurers will not allow company cars they insure to be driven by employees with a number or specific type of convictions).

A police officer is entitled to know your history (which he can easily obtain anyway, without looking at your driving licence). It may modify his opinion of you and it may lead him to believe that you have a propensity to commit certain types of offence. But then that is what policing is all about – apprehending people whom they suspect may have broken the law. Examining their history before deciding whether to make further enquiries is part of that process.

Of course if the matter should go to court, although there are some provisions for them to be raised in certain circumstances, details of your “previous” would not normally be provided to the court unless you are convicted.

Perhaps it would help if you explained the circumstances more.

[ChuckFickens]

I thought they were meant to be folded in such a manner that the address details and entitlements are visible on one side and the endorsements were visible by simply turning it over.

[New Judge]

Sorry, a number of answers were posted whilst I was preparing mine!

[Gerry123]

so if you are inclined to speed you are better off not carrying your licence with you. why would a policeman be allowed to see points. if a court isn't allowed.

[jackthehat]

What did you do...............?

[hc4361]

Gerry, a quick pnc check will give the police details of your points within seconds.

[ummmm]

They can always phone the DVLA if you don't have your license with you.

[Gerry123]

i didn't do anything i just don't like the idea of a line manager discussing this and that about you. i am sure if you gave your driving licence to the insurers they would be able to contact DVLA to find out about points bans etc.. what is to stop someone keeping a duplicate licence and showing at work?