UK DVLA Driver's License Number Regex for JavaScript

What this pattern does

This page provides a well-structured, multi-part regular expression for matching uk dvla driver's license number, ported and verified for JavaScript. Identity and credential patterns need both correctness and safety, since they're frequent targets for adversarial input. The snippet below is ready to drop into your JavaScript project — whether you're validating in an Express middleware, a Next.js API route, or a client-side form.

Javascript Implementation

// UK DVLA Driver's License Number
// ReDoS-safe | RegexVault — Identity & PII > Driver's License Numbers

const ukDvlaDriversLicenseNumberRegex = /^[A-Z9]{5}[0-9]{6}[A-Z9]{2}[A-Z0-9]{2}[A-Z]{1,2}[0-9]$/i;

function validateUkDvlaDriversLicenseNumber(input: string): boolean {
  return ukDvlaDriversLicenseNumberRegex.test(input);
}

// Example
console.log(validateUkDvlaDriversLicenseNumber("SMITH691203A99AB5")); // true

Test Cases

When to use this pattern

This pattern is drawn from the Identity & PII > Driver's License Numbers category and carries a ReDoS-safe certification. That matters for JavaScript developers because especially critical in long-running Node.js event loops where a ReDoS vulnerability can block the entire process. RegexVault audits patterns against known backtracking attack vectors, ensuring you have the necessary context before using this regex in a high-stakes production environment.

Common Pitfalls

Technical Notes

UK DL structure: surname (first 5 chars, padded with 9), birth decade digit + DOB (MDDYM where M is month, padded for females with 5 added to month), initials + suffix digits. Encodes surname, DOB, and gender — extremely information-dense PII.