The paper counterpart to the driving licence has been replaced by an online service.
The changes, which came into effect on June 8, mean the paper driving licence will not be valid and will no longer be issued by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
The counterpart was introduced to display driving licence details that could not be included on the photocard.
These details include some vehicle categories drivers are entitled to drive and any endorsement or penalty points.
This information will now be available to view online and motorists can download and print the information if they need it.
Motorists should destroy their existing paper counterpart, but they still need to keep their photocard.
Paper driving licences issued before the photocard was introduced in 1998 will remain valid and should not be destroyed.
Last year DVLA had to replace around 445,000 counterparts because drivers had lost them, for which they were charged £20 each to cover the cost.
Transport Minister Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon explained why the changes were introduced.
He said: “Replacing the counterpart with an online service will save motorists money and reduce unnecessary red tape.
“It will also benefit employers and vehicle hire companies. Relying on the counterpart meant relying on a potentially out of date piece of paper.
“Now, when the driver chooses to share it, those organisations will be able to see completely accurate information direct from DVLA’s records. This will reduce their risk and improve road safety.
“The paper counterpart includes information on a driver’s penalty points along with details of what vehicles they can drive.
“Drivers still need to keep their actual driving licence, whether it is a plastic photocard licence or an old style paper licence which was issued before 1998.”
Explaining the new system Oliver Morley, Chief Executive of DVLA, said: “It’s very easy to view and share your driving record. Just go to GOV.UK and search for ‘view driving licence’. You can view your information electronically and generate a check code which you can then share with people who need to see your details (such as an employer or car hire company). If you want to, you can also download and print a summary.
For more information on the changes visit Gov.uk and search for ‘no more counterpart’.