Irish Licence not good enough

annascott

I heard on the radio recently that someone could not use his new Irish issued euro driving licence to hire a car as it did not show endorsements. He went on to say that somehow Ireland have got it wrong and all other euro licences contain the information. It was because of this that he was unable to hire a car.
Has anyone here heard of this, or know how to get around it? I am hoping to hire a car in UK in a few weeks time and am really worried.

ardmacha

I don't see how it is different
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_driving_licence

biko

I haven't seen all various EU licences but the ones I've seen doesn't contain endorsement or penalty points info.
As long as it has the categories you can drive on the back you should be good and afaik all EU licences has this on the back.

annascott

I don't think that endorsements are listed on the back - just some scanner thing shows them.

Del2005

annascott wrote: »

I heard on the radio recently that someone could not use his new Irish issued euro driving licence to hire a car as it did not show endorsements. He went on to say that somehow Ireland have got it wrong and all other euro licences contain the information. It was because of this that he was unable to hire a car.
Has anyone here heard of this, or know how to get around it? I am hoping to hire a car in UK in a few weeks time and am really worried.

I take most things people say on the radio as BS, especially if it's talk to Joe or late night, unless it's an expert. Even then they can be wrong or have an agenda.

The new license have been out a good while now so if it was happening it would be in more places than one radio show.

DuckSlice

My dad hired a car in the UK recently with the new licence no problem. i think where the confusion comes in is with the uk licence, you have a counterpart with it that shows all your endorsements, and afaik the irish one does not have this. i know when i hired a car in the uk i had to show this as i have a uk licence, but if i have forgotten it in the past and all they(avis) done was ring the DVLA who could confirm i had a clean licence.

CiniO

annascott wrote: »

I heard on the radio recently that someone could not use his new Irish issued euro driving licence to hire a car as it did not show endorsements. He went on to say that somehow Ireland have got it wrong and all other euro licences contain the information. It was because of this that he was unable to hire a car.
Has anyone here heard of this, or know how to get around it? I am hoping to hire a car in UK in a few weeks time and am really worried.

I don't think such thing as "endorsement" on your licence exists in any other country than Ireland and UK.

After good few years living here, I'm still not sure what actually endorsement on licence is as I didn't find any trustworthy info about it.

You definitely shouldn't have any problem renting a car with Irish licence, especially the new ones credit card size ones.

650Ginge

annascott wrote: »

I heard on the radio recently that someone could not use his new Irish issued euro driving licence to hire a car as it did not show endorsements. He went on to say that somehow Ireland have got it wrong and all other euro licences contain the information. It was because of this that he was unable to hire a car.
Has anyone here heard of this, or know how to get around it? I am hoping to hire a car in UK in a few weeks time and am really worried.

Plonks at Dublin airport would let me hire a car because I only had a UK plastic license. They wanted to see the paper counterpart with all my driving convictions if which there are none.

DuckSlice

650Ginge wrote: »

Plonks at Dublin airport would let me hire a car because I only had a UK plastic license. They wanted to see the paper counterpart with all my driving convictions if which there are none.

To be fair, most the rental companies do say if using a uk licence you need the counterpart. I've rented with most of then at this stage and they all the same.

ABajaninCork

I have a UK licence. I've found a bit of both sides actually. With Streetcar, all they did was hold a three way conference call with myself and the DVLA to confirm my licence was clean.

Other hire companies have insisted they see the paper counterpart before I can hire. (Green Motion who I usually use; Enterprise, Budget)

DuckSlice

ABajaninCork wrote: »

I have a UK licence. I've found a bit of both sides actually. With Streetcar, all they did was hold a three way conference call with myself and the DVLA to confirm my licence was clean.

Other hire companies have insisted they see the paper counterpart before I can hire. (Green Motion who I usually use; Enterprise, Budget)

will they ring the DVLA if you were hiring a car in ireland tho?

ABajaninCork

etxp wrote: »

will they ring the DVLA if you were hiring a car in ireland tho?

Dunno. I have an Irish reg car here, so have never needed to hire. The insurance have the opportunity (I assume) to call the DVLA to verify too, but never have.

challengemaster

etxp wrote: »

will they ring the DVLA if you were hiring a car in ireland tho?

Data protection means they probably wouldn't get anywhere even if they did ring DVLA

ABajaninCork

challengemaster wrote: »

Data protection means they probably wouldn't get anywhere even if they did ring DVLA

If you give permission - written or otherwise; yes they can.

Fridge

annascott wrote: »

I heard on the radio recently that someone could not use his new Irish issued euro driving licence to hire a car as it did not show endorsements. He went on to say that somehow Ireland have got it wrong and all other euro licences contain the information. It was because of this that he was unable to hire a car.
Has anyone here heard of this, or know how to get around it? I am hoping to hire a car in UK in a few weeks time and am really worried.

Haven't heard of this issue before. I haven't tried renting in the UK but I've hired cars in two other European countries without a problem using my Irish licence.

swarlb

annascott wrote: »

I heard on the radio recently that someone could not use his new Irish issued euro driving licence to hire a car as it did not show endorsements. He went on to say that somehow Ireland have got it wrong and all other euro licences contain the information. It was because of this that he was unable to hire a car.
Has anyone here heard of this, or know how to get around it? I am hoping to hire a car in UK in a few weeks time and am really worried.

I don't have a 'new type' driving licence, as I renewed my old one a few weeks before they were issued. So, therefore I wont have one for another 10 years. The old one does not show endorsements.
I've been hiring cars on and off when ever I'm abroad, mostly the UK or France. I've never had a problem.
The most recent hire was last weekend (I'd booked it with my flight) at Heathrow. As it happened I did not have my licence with me, only a passport.
Not only did I get the car, I actually got an upgrade.

wonski

swarlb wrote: »

I don't have a 'new type' driving licence, as I renewed my old one a few weeks before they were issued. So, therefore I wont have one for another 10 years. The old one does not show endorsements.
I've been hiring cars on and off when ever I'm abroad, mostly the UK or France. I've never had a problem.
The most recent hire was last weekend (I'd booked it with my flight) at Heathrow. As it happened I did not have my licence with me, only a passport.
Not only did I get the car, I actually got an upgrade.

The old one does show endorsements. And You should have your licence when renting a car, lucky escape if they let you go without one.

Most, if not all of the credit-card type licences do have limited information printed on it. Nothing wrong with the Irish one. Whoever was on the radio was talking BS.

CiniO

wonski wrote: »

Most, if not all of the credit-card type licences do have limited information printed on it.

But no information in relation to endorsements.

wonski

CiniO wrote: »

But no information in relation to endorsements.

By limited I meant no endorsements or anything like this. It is pretty much standard EU license with all the necessary info.
Anyway I am sure the Irish one comply with all the rules and allows you to hire a car.

CiniO

wonski wrote: »

By limited I meant no endorsements or anything like this. It is pretty much standard EU license with all the necessary info.
Anyway I am sure the Irish one comply with all the rules and allows you to hire a car.

Oh definitely.
As I mentioned earlier, UK and Ireland are probably the only countries in EU that have such things as "driving licence endorsements", and UK by now is probably the only one that has 2 part licence.
Having just credit card style licence without any extra documents is standard across the EU.

Cookie_Monster

It's more expensive to hire a car using an Irish licence in my experience

I have an Irish and Kiwi licence and last time I was home to hire on the Irish licence (which I had to to match the country of the credit card) was about 5% more expensive.

The J Stands for Jay

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

It's more expensive to hire a car using an Irish licence in my experience

I have an Irish and Kiwi licence and last time I was home to hire on the Irish licence (which I had to to match the country of the credit card) was about 5% more expensive.

Car hire company's websites in the States always quote lower rates for foreigners. Wonder of this is something similar.

Matt Simis

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

I have an Irish and Kiwi licence and last time I was home to hire on the Irish licence (which I had to to match the country of the credit card) was about 5% more expensive.

Remind me, when you get your Kiwi license, they dont take away or hold your Irish one at all then, even temporarily?

Cookie_Monster

Matt Simis wrote: »

Remind me, when you get your Kiwi license, they dont take away or hold your Irish one at all then, even temporarily?

They are supposed to take and keep them. My wife didn't get hers back but the girl on the AA desk clearly wasn't aware of it and I got mine back

swarlb

wonski wrote: »

The old one does show endorsements. And You should have your licence when renting a car, lucky escape if they let you go without one.

Most, if not all of the credit-card type licences do have limited information printed on it. Nothing wrong with the Irish one. Whoever was on the radio was talking BS.

My old license does not show any endorsements. I got penalty points recently and they are not stated on my license. How do you get an endorsement anyway, do you have to send in the licence for it to be stamped. My 'old old' licence from before they put photos on them, had extra blank pages for endorsements.
'Lucky escape' its only a rental car, If I didn't get one its no big deal. Public transport is just as efficient abroad.

wonski

swarlb wrote: »

My old license does not show any endorsements. I got penalty points recently and they are not stated on my license. How do you get an endorsement anyway, do you have to send in the licence for it to be stamped. My 'old old' licence from before they put photos on them, had extra blank pages for endorsements.
'Lucky escape' its only a rental car, If I didn't get one its no big deal. Public transport is just as efficient abroad.

Endorsement are not for penalty points I think. Drink driving and other bans show up there I think... Never had any either, so not sure how it works tbh...