Here's an illustrated guide showing how to "View your driving licence information" and get the "licence check code" you will need to show to your driving instructor

• Your Driving Licence number
• Your National Insurance number
• The postcode on your driving licence

Note: Number in the brackets represents the number on the screenshot images.

1. Start here: https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence and then click the "Start Now" (1) button to continue.

2. You'll then be asked to enter your Driving Licence number (2), National Insurance number (3) and the Postcode (4) on your driving licence. You will also have to tick the consent (5) before you click "View Now" (6) button at the bottom of page.

3. You're then shown a page with several tabs, on which you can view your licence details, your current penalty points and disqualification history, and a complete list of vehicles your are entitled to drive. Click on each tab to see the information.

4. However, the fourth option (7) (right-hand side) is the one you will need for your driving instructor: "Share your licence information". Click on the "Create a code" (8) button to create a licence check code.

Then you will be shown your "Check Code" (9)

Remember:

• Code is case sensitive
• These codes are only valid for 21 days
• Code can only be used once
• You will still need your driving licence photocard when you come to do your first driving lesson.

5. I'd suggest you use the 'View, print or save your licence information' (10) link to print out full details of the check. This opens up in a new window as a PDF file (Acrobat Reader file). Save this PDF file and then you can then print this out and show it to the driving instructor, who can choose whether to go online and use the check code or accept your print out.

Once you have printed the information this is what it looks like.

(Please note these images were taken on June 2015 - the actual pages may have changed)