Provisional Driving Licence
Whether you’re looking for HP, PCP, or no deposit loans, we’re here to help you get the best available car finance deal from a wide panel of lenders. No matter whether you’ve just passed your test and are in the market for your first car or you’re an experienced driver hoping to finance an upgrade.
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Lessons
Tests
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How much is a Provisional Licence UK?
The cost of a provisional licence UK depends on how you apply, online or by post:
An online application costs £34
A postal application will cost £43
Watch out for scams!!!
Several third-party sites offer to handle the provisional licence application process for you. The cost for a licence with these websites is often several times the value of the provisional licence for the privilege.
Be warned: these sites also offer other, primarily unnecessary, services, such as vehicle tax. Don’t be fooled into giving them your money.
As seen below, applying for a provisional licence is not difficult. So don’t waste your hard-earned cash; use the Gov.UK website.
How much is a provisional licence NI?
Unfortunately, a Northern Ireland provisional licence cost is £62.50, which is dearer than the remainder of the UK!
Who sorts out Driving licences in the UK?
You’ll need a provisional licence before you can start learning to drive. In England, Scotland and Wales, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) on the GOV.UK website.
Northern Ireland is the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA) on the NI DIRECT website.
How to apply for a provisional driving licence online UK
You can apply online for your first provisional driving licence for a car, motorbike or moped from DVLA. Applying for a provisional licence online is the simplest, quickest, cheapest way. To do so, you’ll need a valid biometric UK passport.
If you have a biometric passport, your provisional driving licence photo online is sorted, and you won’t need to provide a photo as DVLA use the same one from your passport.
However, you must apply by post if you don’t own a passport; see below.
You must:
- Be at least 15 years and nine months old.
- Be able to read a number plate from 20 metres away.
- I have legally lived in the UK for at least 185 days in the past 12 months.
To apply for a provisional license online, you’ll need the following:
- A biometric passport for an online application.
- Address for the last three years.
- You may have to give additional information, such as your National
- Insurance number.
- The licence fee of £34 to apply online. You can pay by MasterCard, Visa, Electron, Delta debit, or credit card.
Your licence should arrive within one week if you apply online. Unless DVLA requires additional checks, it may take longer.
Apply for a provisional licence NI.
Are you a resident of Northern Ireland? If so, you must use a different website and apply to nidirect for a provisional licence.
You can apply for your NI provisional driving licence by completing the DL1 application form from the main NI Post Offices.
You must enclose original documents confirming your identity and a passport-style colour photograph.
How much is a provisional licence NI
Unfortunately, a NI provisional licence cost is £62.50, which for some reason unknown to us, is dearer than for the remainder of the UK.
Full info on how to apply for a NI provisional licence
Click the button below to find out how to apply for a provisional licence in NI.
How do I apply for a provisional driving licence by post-UK?
https://www.gov.uk/id-for-driving-licenceApplying for a provisional driving licence by post is not as straightforward as an online application. You’ll need a D1 form, which you can pick up from most Post Office branches, or the DVLA form ordering service.
To apply for a provisional licence by post, you’ll need the following:
- Completed D1 form.
- Cheque or postal order, payable to the DVLA for £43.
- Original form of acceptable ID documents
- Passport-size photo, signed on the reverse. Who can countersign your provisional licence?
How long does a provisional licence take to be delivered by post?
When you apply for a provisional licence, a postal application can take up to three weeks.
However, the process is often within a week when you apply online.
Full info on how to apply with the Post Office
Click the button below to find out how to apply for a provisional licence by post.
What is learner driver insurance?
Once you are 17 and have your provisional licence, you can start driving lessons and driving practice with a supervising driver, such as a parent. When you take driving lessons from a driving instructor, the cost of your learner driver insurance is in the price you pay for your tuition. However, if you are lucky and receive extra driving practice from your parents or friends driving their car, you will require learner insurance.
You have two options: get your name on their insurance policy or take out personal learner driver insurance.
Learner driver insurance, also called Provisional insurance, is specifically for driving practice with a supervised driver.
How much is a provisional driving licence to replace?
Suppose your provisional licence is lost, stolen or damaged. In that case, you’ll need a replacement driving licence. You should report a lost or stolen driving due to the police.
How much for a provisional licence replacement UK – the cost is Online £14 and By post £17.
How much is a provisional driving licence to renew?
The provisional licence is valid for 10 years. Most learner drivers pass their test within that time, so renewing a provisional licence is rare. However, you’ll receive a reminder letter from the DVLA to update your photo before it expires.
How much for a provisional driving licence renewal UK – the cost is Online £14 and By post £17.
Can I apply for a Provisional Licence before 185 days?
Yes, as a foreign national, you no longer have to wait 185 days before you can apply for a provisional driving licence. The Law has recently changed, and you can now apply for a provisional licence and start learning to drive when it arrives.
However, you’ll need to provide proof when you apply you have been given permission to live in Great Britain (England, Scotland & Wales) for at least 185 days.
You apply in the same way as everyone else (see above)
The New 185 Days Rule is as follows:
You can apply right away for a provisional driving licence.
You can start driving lessons once you receive your provisional licence.
You cannot take your theory or driving test or obtain a full licence before 185 days have passed.
Northern Ireland
At what age can you start driving with a provisional licence UK & NI?
You can apply for a provisional licence three months before your 16th birthday.
Provisional licence age restrictions
At 16, you can start riding a moped or a quad bike.
You can only begin to drive a car at the age of 17.
If you receive the Enhanced Rate of the Mobility Component of the Personal Insurance Payment (PIP), you can start driving a car at 16.
What can you do with a provisional licence UK at 16?
A provisional driving licence can be helpful even if you’re too young to drive. Your provisional is an excellent form of ID. Banks accept the provisional UK licence as proof of your identity and address. Also, the licence will provide proof of age when you buy a lottery ticket.
Can I apply for my child’s provisional driving licence?
We have never been exactly sure what that question means, but many parents ask. Of course, the application needs to be in Danny or Shannon’s name, but a parent often does the form filling and makes the payment.
Don't overpay!
Don’t be fooled into paying for your provisional licence through a third-party website. There’s no benefit, and they could charge you up to three times the original price. Learning to drive is expensive enough already!
Track your provisional driving licence application online UK
You can track your provisional licence application and make the tricky part of waiting a bit easier. Applying for your licence online should take a week to get to you (three weeks if you used the post).
Thankfully, you can track the progress of your licence. All you’ll need is your application reference number, and you’ll be able to find out how long it will be until you can get behind the wheel.
What Identity documents do you need for a provisional driving licence application?
How you prove your identity in the UK depends on which identity documents you have.
There are different rules in Northern Ireland.
How to prove identity with a UK passport
Do you have a valid UK passport? You can copy the 9-digit passport number onto the application form. You cannot use the passport number of an expired passport.
What if you do not have a UK Passport or a Share Code?
You can post some other form of ID to prove your identity. Send one of the following documents when you apply:
A current and valid foreign passport not from an EU or EEA country – with a visa sticker or stamp showing you have permission to live in the UK.
A valid Irish passport – it does not need to have a visa sticker or stamp.
A travel document.
A UK birth, adoption or naturalisation certificate – you’ll need to send further proof of identity with this.
Evidence you receive a state pension.
UK birth, adoption and naturalisation certificates
You can use a UK birth, adoption or naturalisation certificate. You must send it with one of the following:
National Insurance (NI) card or a letter from the DWP or HMRC showing your National Insurance number. Find your National Insurance number if you’ve lost it.
Photocopy of a benefits book’s front page or an original benefits claim letter.
A College or University Union Card, Education Certificate or PASSCard (issued after June 2014)
P45, P60, or pay slips.
Marriage or civil partnership certificate.
Divorce or end of civil partnership document.
Prove your identity using a Share Code
You use a Share Code to prove your identity.
If you used either the EU Exit: ID Check Document app or the UK Immigration ID Check app when applying:
to the EU Settlement Scheme
for a Visa
You can get a Share Code from the View & Prove Your Immigration Service.
How long does a provisional licence last?
A provisional driving licence lasts for ten years. After passing your theory test, you have two years to take your practical driving test.
Do I need to have my eyesight tested before I drive?
You will have your eyesight tested before you learn to drive. The sight test will be at the beginning of your first driving lesson. Your driving instructor will ask you to read a car number plate 20 metres away. If you fail, you won’t be allowed to drive.
We recommend seeing an optician beforehand and, if necessary, buying contact lenses or glasses to ensure you meet the correct standard.
Do learner drivers get accepted for provisional licence car finance?
Many people may say it’s a bit early to consider buying a car before you pass the driving test, and quite frankly, we agree.
However, most learner drivers are young and, as we know, you’re keen to get on with things as soon as possible when you’re young.
More learner drivers than expected are looking to finance a car while holding a provisional licence.
Not surprisingly, financing a vehicle whilst learning can be considerably dearer and more challenging to accept than having a full driving licence. But it is possible!
Don’t get penalty points on your licence before receiving it!
Nothing could be worse than ruining your shiny new provisional driving licence before it comes through the letterbox. Don’t even think of driving before you receive your provisional licence. You could be fined up to £1,000 and points on your new licence. It’s not worth the risk, so don’t do it.
If a driver has six or more penalty points on their provisional licence, they carry over to their full driving licence when they pass their test and remain on their driving record for four years after the offence.
Also, in the first 24 months of having a full licence, their licence will be revoked if that driver gets just one more penalty point. If this happens, you’ll need to start the application process again, including applying for a provisional licence and taking a theory and practical test.
Why wait? Start revising for your theory test!
You don’t need a provisional licence to start revising for your theory test. Do yourself a favour and get a head start on your revision. We recommend the official DVSA theory test revision guides. You’ll be saying bye-bye to those L plates in no time!
