If you wish to learn to drive a car on public roads you must be at least 17 years old (as an exception, if you are receiving Disability Living Allowance, you are allowed to start driving at 16).
You must be able to read, in good daylight, a motor vehicle number plate from a distance of 20.5 metres.
The Provisional Driving Licence
If you need a provisional driving licence, you can do this online here at the Direct.gov website. You can also obtain an application form D1 from a Post Office or order one here
- The licence fee is currently £50
- Issue of the provisional driving licence usually takes 10 to 14 days,
- You may apply before your 17th birthday, but the licence will not be valid until you are 17.
In order to learn how to drive on UK roads you must be in possession of a signed valid provisional driving licence and be accompanied, when driving, by a driver who is at least 21 years old and who has held a FULL EC/EEA driving licence for at least three years for the type of vehicle you are driving and who still holds that licence. Driving licences are issued by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
Until you pass your driving test you must display L Plates which conform to legal specifications and are visible from the front and rear of the vehicle.
The car you drive must have a DVLA registration certificate and must be in roadworthy condition. Once the car is three years old it must have an MOT certificate issued by an official VOSA Vehicle Testing Station - the vehicle must thereafter be taken for an MOT test every year to check that it is still in roadworthy condition.
Learners are allowed to drive on any type of road EXCEPT motorways. (New laws are expected to come into force during 2012 which allow a Learner driver to drive on motorways ONLY if accompanied by and Approved Driving Instructor (ADI). Once you pass your practical driving test you will be allowed to drive unaccompanied on any type of road, including motorways.
You would be very wise to consider extra training for Motorways once you have passed your test. The Pass Plus scheme is designed to prepare the new driver for driving on motorways, in busy towns, on country roads and also in varying weather and light conditions. There is no test at the end of the course but candidates who complete all of the course modules successfully may benefit from a reduction in their motor car insurance premium.