What is a provisional driving licence in the United Kingdom? You first need the provisional licence before you can have driving lessons. The provisional licence is also required for the theory test, hazard perception, and practical driving test.
Note: Currently, you must be a key worker (e.g. a doctor, nurse, school teacher) to apply for a new provisional licence due to the coronavirus (COVID-19).
PROVISIONAL LICENCE: Having the provisional means you can ride a moped, motorbike, or drive a car on public roads.
But, holding a provisional permit does not allow you to drive on motorways in the United Kingdom. There are several conditions for driving around the roads and highways on a provisional licence.
You must have supervision by a driving instructor or by another qualified driver over the age of 21. In this case the qualified driver must have held a full driving licence for at least 3 years.
You can apply for your first provisional driving licence online or by post. You get it from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in Swansea.
Apply online using your Government Gateway ID. Your ID gets issued during your application if you do not already have one. The same also applies if you need to re-register.
Note: Once you get a provisional driving licence you do not need to reapply to drive a car. This help guide is also available in Welsh language (Cymraeg).
Several steps and conditions apply to get your first provisional driving licence online.
DVLA will send you a confirmation email after you apply online for a provisional licence. Their email may also ask you to participate in their research. There is no legal requirement for this part.
Note: Your first provisional licence should arrive within 7 days when you apply online. There is a way to track driving licence application progress after applying online.
You cannot apply for the first provisional driving licence until you are at least 15 years and 9 months old. These driving licences show you the age limits to start driving different road vehicles. But, once you have a provisional you can:
Note: You can drive a car from age 16 if you get, or applied for, the enhanced rate of the mobility component of Personal Independence Payment.
You can apply for a provisional driving licence by postal service. In this case you should complete a D1 application form which is available from:
Note: UK Provisional Driving Licence application by post may take up to 3 weeks to process.
These are the documents you must include in a postal application.
Follow that by posting your completed application with appropriate payment to this address.
Disclaimer: Information given does not constitute or replace legal advice. Always seek expert guidance from a law firm or professional for matters of importance. Please read the full terms and conditions for further details.