Check Share Code
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Can they work, rent, stay and drive?

Send a share code or DVLA check code from your software. Get the official answer back as JSON, with the PDF.

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  • Work email only
  • No card
  • Sandbox key straight away
  • 10 live checks a month free
Right to work confirmedSample answer, made up

JANE EXAMPLE DOE

They have the right to work in the UK until 1 January 2027.

Valid until
1 January 2027
Check again by
1 January 2027
gov.uk reference
WE-EXAMPLE-12
Checked for
Acme Ltd
Returned as JSON, with the photo and the gov.uk PDF

Four checks, one API

Each check has its own endpoint and sends what gov.uk or DVLA asks for. One account, one key and one monthly allowance cover them all.

Right to work

For employers, recruitment agencies and platforms hiring in the UK.

Their code
From gov.uk/prove-right-to-work, starting with W
You send
Share code, date of birth, your company name
Check again
recheck_date: the day their permission ends
Endpoint
POST /v1/check/right-to-work
Right to work check API

Right to rent

For landlords and letting agents in England, for every adult tenant.

Their code
From gov.uk/prove-right-to-rent, starting with R
You send
Share code, date of birth, your name, landlord or agent
Check again
recheck_date: the later of the end date and a year after the check
Endpoint
POST /v1/check/right-to-rent
Right to rent check API

Immigration status

For banks, lenders, universities, councils and anyone else checking a person’s UK immigration status.

Their code
From gov.uk/view-prove-immigration-status, starting with S
You send
Share code, date of birth, your organisation, job title and why you are checking
Check again
valid_until: the day their permission ends, null when there is no limit
Endpoint
POST /v1/check/immigration-status
Immigration status check API

Driving licence

Uses 2 checks

For fleets, hire companies, couriers and anyone whose people drive for work.

Their code
From gov.uk/view-driving-licence, 8 characters, works once
You send
Licence number and the check code
Check again
Ask for a new code each time. licence_valid_to: when the licence runs out
Endpoint
POST /v1/check/driving-licence
Driving licence check API

Try every check in the sandbox

Pick a check and a test code, then run it. The sandbox answers with the same JSON, photo and PDF as a live check, from test data. Nothing goes to gov.uk or DVLA, and you need no account.

Test code

You send

POST /v1/check/right-to-work
{
  "share_code": "AA1AA1AA1",
  "date_of_birth": "1990-01-01",
  "company_name": "Acme Ltd"
}

The sandbox's answer appears here: the same JSON, photo and PDF a live check returns.

Build against the same sandbox

Sign up and your sandbox key is ready straight away. The same test codes answer your own software, and 10 live checks a month are free.

No password and no card. We email you a sign-in link.

How it works

  1. 1

    You send the code

    A share code with their date of birth and who is checking. Or a driver’s licence number with the check code they made at gov.uk/view-driving-licence.

  2. 2

    We run the official check

    A real session on the gov.uk or DVLA service for that check, the same pages you would fill in by hand.

  3. 3

    You get the official answer

    As JSON, with the photo or the driver’s categories and points, the gov.uk or DVLA PDF to keep as evidence, and the date to check again.

Check Share Code is not affiliated with HM Government, the Home Office, DVLA or gov.uk.

Everything gov.uk and DVLA show, as fields

One JSON shape for each check. ISO dates, arrays for lists, and a clear error code when gov.uk or DVLA can't answer.

  • outcome
    Right to work
    ACCEPTED or REJECTED. No gov.uk record is a NOT_FOUND error.
  • title
    Right to work
    Right to work
  • name
    Right to work
    As gov.uk shows it
  • expiry_date
    Right to work
    When their permission ends, or null
  • recheck_date
    Right to work
    The expiry date
  • conditions
    Right to work
    Always a list, empty when there are none
  • reference
    Right to work
    gov.uk’s reference for this check
  • photo_data_url, pdf_data_url
    Right to work
    The photo to compare, the gov.uk PDF
  • outcome
    Right to rent
    ACCEPTED or REJECTED. No gov.uk record is a NOT_FOUND error.
  • title
    Right to rent
    Right to rent
  • name
    Right to rent
    As gov.uk shows it
  • expiry_date
    Right to rent
    When their permission ends, or null
  • recheck_date
    Right to rent
    The later of expiry and one year after the check
  • conditions
    Right to rent
    Always a list, empty when there are none
  • reference
    Right to rent
    gov.uk’s reference for this check
  • photo_data_url, pdf_data_url
    Right to rent
    The photo to compare, the gov.uk PDF
  • outcome
    Immigration status
    Always ACCEPTED, with gov.uk’s status. No gov.uk record is a NOT_FOUND error.
  • title
    Immigration status
    Immigration status
  • name
    Immigration status
    As gov.uk shows it
  • status
    Immigration status
    gov.uk’s wording for their status
  • valid_from, valid_until
    Immigration status
    When their permission starts and ends, null when there is no limit
  • activities, restrictions
    Immigration status
    What they can and cannot do, always lists
  • reference
    Immigration status
    gov.uk’s reference for this check
  • photo_data_url, pdf_data_url
    Immigration status
    The photo to compare, the gov.uk PDF
  • outcome
    Driving licence
    Always ACCEPTED when DVLA shows a record. A refused code is a CHECK_CODE_UNUSABLE error.
  • title
    Driving licence
    Driving licence
  • name
    Driving licence
    The driver’s full name, as DVLA shows it
  • driving_status
    Driving licence
    DVLA’s words, such as Current full licence
  • points, offences, has_penalties
    Driving licence
    Penalty points and offences on the record
  • entitlements
    Driving licence
    Every full and provisional category, with its dates and its restriction codes in words
  • automatic_only
    Driving licence
    True when category B is limited to automatics (code 78 or 106)
  • licence_valid_to
    Driving licence
    When the licence runs out
  • flags
    Driving licence
    6 or more points, not a full licence, or something running out within 90 days
  • pdf_data_url
    Driving licence
    DVLA’s own PDF, to keep with your check

Hand it to your coding agent

Claude Code, Codex, Cursor or Copilot can build any of our checks from the docs. Pick the check, then paste the prompt with your sandbox key in the environment.

Add UK right-to-work checks to this project using the Check Share Code API. Follow the quickstart: https://checksharecode.co.uk/docs/quickstart.md. Read my API key from the CHECKSHARECODE_API_KEY environment variable. If it isn't set, get a sandbox key yourself with POST https://api.checksharecode.co.uk/v1/agent/signup (send your name and what we are building as name and use_case), store the api_key it returns in CHECKSHARECODE_API_KEY, and give me the claim_url so I can keep the key. Test it with share code AA1AA1AA1 and date of birth 1990-01-01. AA1AA1AA1 is a sandbox test code: it only works with the sandbox key. Keep tests on the sandbox key, and never send a test code with a live key (rtw_live_…): that runs a real gov.uk check, which finds no record and still uses one of my checks.

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Where agents read from

Who builds on it

Right to work

ATS and HR software

Add a right to work step to your hiring flow. Your customers never leave your product.

Right to work

Staffing and recruitment agencies

Check every placement the same way, with the gov.uk PDF filed against the candidate.

Right to work

Gig, delivery and platform work

Right to work checks extend to platform and agency workers from 1 October 2026.

What changes on 1 October
Right to rent

Letting agents

Check every adult tenant from your lettings software, and know when to check again.

Right to rent

Property and tenancy software

Add right to rent to referencing and move in, for the landlords and agents you serve.

Immigration status

Banks and lenders

Check a customer’s status when they open an account or apply for a loan, credit card or mortgage.

Immigration status

Universities and colleges

Check a student’s status at enrolment, and know when their permission ends.

Immigration status

Councils

Check status for homelessness assistance and council housing, with the gov.uk PDF on file.

Driving licence

Fleet and van operators

Check every driver before they take a vehicle, and again on your own schedule, with DVLA’s PDF on file.

Driving licence

Car and van hire

Check the licence before collection: categories, points, and whether they can drive a manual.

Driving licence

Courier and delivery platforms

Onboard drivers with their licence checked in the same flow as their right to work.

Every check

Businesses that run more than one check

Employers with drivers or staff housing, build to rent operators and anyone else: one key for every check.

Pricing

One allowance for every check. Start free, pay when you check more people. Checks gov.uk doesn’t answer are never charged.

Full pricing and examples

Free

£0

10 live checks a month

Then £0.75 a check if you add a card

Pro

£14/month

100 live checks a month

Then £0.25 a check

Scale

£49/month

500 live checks a month

Then £0.10 a check

Enterprise

Custom

Your volume, your rate

Invoiced monthly

Questions developers ask

What is a share code?

A 9 character code a person makes on gov.uk to prove their status: at gov.uk/prove-right-to-work for a job, gov.uk/prove-right-to-rent for a home, or gov.uk/view-prove-immigration-status for anything else, such as a bank account or a course. Right to work codes start with W, right to rent codes with R, immigration status codes with S. With their date of birth, it lets you view their status on gov.uk. A code lasts 90 days.

Is there an official gov.uk API for share code checks?

No. gov.uk has no REST API for right to work, right to rent or immigration status checks, only forms filled in by hand, one person at a time. Check Share Code runs those same checks for you through one API call.

Who is Check Share Code for?

Software that checks share codes: HR, ATS and onboarding platforms, staffing and gig platforms, letting software, and banks, lenders and universities checking immigration status. One account and key run every check.

How long does a check take?

A live check usually takes 15 to 40 seconds, because it runs the real gov.uk check. Set a 60 second timeout, or use async. Sandbox keys answer instantly and are never charged.

What does the API return?

A share code check returns the outcome, gov.uk’s summary, name, date of birth, start and expiry dates, the date to check again by, conditions, restrictions, the gov.uk reference, who checked and when, the photo and the gov.uk PDF in one JSON response. Immigration status returns the status, its dates, and what they can and cannot do instead. A driving licence check returns DVLA’s driving status, points, entitlements, flags and PDF.

Can I get results by webhook?

Yes. POST /v1/check/right-to-work/async (or /right-to-rent/async, /immigration-status/async, /driving-licence/async) queues a check and answers at once with its id. When the check ends, we post the result to your callback URL, signed in the Standard Webhooks format, and retry for about 22 hours until your endpoint accepts it. It works on every plan, sandbox included.

Can I check a driving licence?

Yes. POST /v1/check/driving-licence with licence_number and check_code, the code the driver makes at gov.uk/view-driving-licence. It returns DVLA’s driving status, points, entitlements and flags, and uses 2 checks of your allowance, refused codes included. A check code works once: ask the driver for a new one each time.

Do you store applicant data?

Only briefly. For each live check we keep the gov.uk or DVLA pages it went through, including the result, up to 7 days to investigate a failed or disputed check, then delete them; nothing in the product reads them. A share code check keeps its inputs as long; a licence check keeps only a hash of its inputs, 21 days. We also keep each asynchronous result, encrypted, for 7 days to deliver it to you. Our logs record when you called and the outcome code, never the share code, name or date of birth. Sandbox checks store no applicant data.

Is Check Share Code part of the government?

No. Check Share Code is not affiliated with HM Government, the Home Office or gov.uk. It runs the public gov.uk checks with the share code the person gave you.

What does it cost?

The free tier includes 10 live checks a month with no card. After that, add a card and pay £0.75 for each extra check, or move to a plan. Pro costs £14 a month for 100 checks, then £0.25 a check. Scale costs £49 a month for 500 checks, then £0.10 a check. Checks gov.uk doesn’t answer are never charged.

Can I try it without an account?

Yes. The demo on the home page runs every check in the sandbox with the test codes, with no signup. For real checks, create a free account: you get a sandbox key straight away and 10 live checks a month.

Run your first check today

Sign up with your email. Your sandbox key is waiting, and it runs every check: share codes and driving licences.

Get a free API keyRead the quickstart