Provisional Driving licence Rules & Application Tips
Jessica Bird | Thursday 8th January 2026 10:36am
About 50,000,000 people in the UK have either a full or a provisional driving licence, and if you’re looking to join them, this guide can help.
From the documents you’ll need for applying to the rules around driving with a provisional licence, read on for all you need to know.
Provisional driving licence key facts:
- You can apply for a provisional when you are 15 years and 9 months old.
- A provisional licence is valid for 10 years.
- Provisional licence holders can drive if displaying ‘L’ plates and being accompanied by a qualified adult.
- You can apply for a provisional licence on the DVLA website or by post.
- It costs £34 to apply for a provisional licence online in the UK.
What is a provisional driving licence?
A provisional driving licence is a legal permit that allows learner drivers to operate vehicles on the roads, while taking driving lessons with a DVSA-approved instructor or qualified adult.
Before drivers pass their driving test and receive a full licence, a provisional licence is used to authorise driving lessons and practice drives, as well as taking theory and practical tests.
When can you apply for a provisional driving licence?
Learners can apply for their provisional licence from the age of 15 years and 9 months. However, you can’t actually drive a car until you are 17 (or 16 with disability benefits).
Who can apply for a provisional licence?
In order to be eligible for a provisional licence, you must meet the following criteria:
- Be 15 years 9 months or older
- Be able to read a number plate at 20 metres (with glasses/contacts if you need them)
- Have lived in Great Britain for more than 185 days
- Provide proof of identity and your address
- Let the DVLA know of any relevant medical conditions you have
How do you apply for a provisional driving licence?
Applying for your provisional driving licence is easy, with only a few simple steps:
- Go to the GOV.UK website by searching for the “Apply for your first provisional driving licence” page.
- Sign in or, if you don’t already have an account with GOV.UK, create an account. If you’re making a new account, you’ll likely need to provide your identity using a photo ID.
- Fill out the online application with the correct details.
- Pay the application fee of £34. (If you apply by post, the fee is slightly higher).*
- Submit your application and leave about a week for your provisional licence to arrive in the post.
* If you’d rather not apply online, head to your local post office and ask for a D1 application form.
What documents do you need for a provisional licence?
You’ll need at least one form of ID to prove your identity when applying for a provisional driving licence. Typically, people use their passport, writing the 9-digit passport number on their application form.
However, some people can use a share code (if they have a UK Visas and Immigration UKVI Account). For more information on the acceptable forms of ID other than passports, see the Government’s ‘Identity documents needed for a driving licence application’ advice page.
Do you need a photo for a provisional licence?
You’ll need a passport-style photo for your provisional driving licence, which should be taken against a plain background (white or cream) with clear lighting and a neutral facial expression looking at the camera.
If you’re applying with your passport as your photo ID, you don’t need to worry about taking a photo again - they’ll use your passport picture.
How much does a provisional licence cost in the UK?
It costs £34 to apply for a provisional driving licence online as the cheapest and easiest option. Though if you’re applying by post using the D1, it will cost £43.
How long does a provisional driving licence last?
You can hold a provisional driving licence for 10 years from the date of issue before it expires, giving you plenty of time to pass your driving test. After this point, you’ll need to renew it using the same process.
Can you legally drive with a provisional licence?
Yes, you can legally operate a car with a provisional licence, but there are a number of criteria and guardrails in place to make it safe for learners to drive.
You must display 'L' plates
If you are driving with a provisional licence, you must show other road users that you’re still learning by clearly displaying ‘L’ plates on the front and back of your car.
You must be supervised
Provisional licence holders cannot drive alone; they must always be supervised by a qualified driver. This can be an official DVSA-approved driving instructor who is teaching them to drive, or another adult (friend, family member) who has held a full driving licence for at least 3 years.
The adult supervising the provisional licence holder has to be sitting in the front and capable of taking control of the vehicle if needed. Usually, in driving instructors’ cars, this is done via the use of dual-control pedals in the passenger’s footwell.
You must have the proper insurance
You must be correctly insured for whatever car you are driving with your provisional licence.
If you’re learning in your parents’ or a friend’s car, you can be added as a named driver or take out a separate learner driving insurance policy. Driving instructors will typically cover you with their own insurance for their tuition vehicle.
You must obey motorway driving guidance
Until 2018, learner drivers weren’t allowed to drive on the motorway. This has since changed, with provisional licence holders now being allowed to experience motorway driving, so long as they are accompanied by a driving instructor in a dual-control car. Usually, this won’t happen until the instructor feels that the learner is ready.
What to do after you get your provisional licence
Once you’ve received your provisional licence, it’s time to start planning your driving lessons. Provided you are old enough to start learning (17), you can now:
- Research local driving instructors and enquire about taking driving lessons.
- Sort out insurance on a friend or family member’s car and get practising. We’ve got a number of learner-friendly guides to all the essential manoeuvres to help you get familiar:
- How to Parallel Park
- How to do a 3-Point Turn
- How to Forward Bay Park
- How to do a Perfect Emergency Stop
- How to Stop Stalling Your Car
- How to Indicate Correctly
- Driving at Junctions
- Advice for when you find Parking Stressful
- Top Tips for Learner Drivers
- Start studying for your theory test, learning the Highway Code and road signs. You can also take practice theory tests. If you need a helping hand, here, Kwik Fit has plenty of rules and regulations material made just for learners to help them hone their Highway Code skills before their theory test, including:
- Book your theory test and pass.
- Book your practical driving test and pass.
- Navigate your first year on the road as a new driver (this is where the real learning happens). Here are 5 things to know after passing.
Head to our Guides page for more step-by-step instructions and driving fundamentals.
Recent DVLA advice for provisional licence holders
It’s important to keep up with the latest updates from the DVLA as test rules change fairly regularly.
At the end of 2025, the DVLA released specific guidance and warnings for provisional licence holders to help them stay compliant with the laws around theory and practical driving tests. These were mainly reiterated due to learners missing appointments or receiving unavoidable fines for silly mistakes.
Here are the key takeaways:
| Guidance | Implication |
|---|---|
| You must ensure your driving licence photo is still recognisable. | If you can’t be easily identified from your photograph, your driving test may be cancelled, requiring you to lose your fee and rebook a new appointment (which may be months away). |
| If you’ve changed your name, you have to bring an official legal document to the test centre (like a marriage certificate or deed poll). | Without correct legal documentation, you’ll have to cancel the test and rebook it using your updated name. |
| You have to bring your physical driving licence with you when you take your theory test. | Without a physical copy of your driving licence, your test will be immediately cancelled, and you won’t receive a refund. |
Provisional driving licence FAQs
Can I drive with a provisional licence?
No, provisional driving licence holders cannot drive unaccompanied legally. Until you pass your practical driving test, you must have a qualified adult in the car with you in order to drive.
Can I drive at night as a learner?
Your provisional licence allows you to drive at any time of day, as long as you are accompanied by an adult and displaying your ‘L’ plates. However, it’s worth noting that driving at night brings with it a host of challenges (limited visibility, glare from headlights, challenges operating car lights), so many learners choose to take lessons in the day until they feel more confident.
Here’s a handy guide to driving in the dark to help you.
What happens if I break the provisional licence rules?
Breaking provisional licence rules is a serious offence and can land you with fines of up to £1,000, or 6 points on your licence. Here’s a breakdown of the common offences for learners to commit and the penalties:
| Offence | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Driving without supervision | Up to 6 points on your licence and a fine of up to £1,000 |
| No ‘L’ plates | Up to 6 points on your licence |
| Motorway driving without an approved instructor | Up to 6 points on your licence and a fine of up to £1,000 |
| Your supervising driver is using a phone | They’ll receive a £200 fine and 6 penalty points on their licence (holding the same responsibility as if they were driving) |
If you get 6 or more penalty points on your licence within 2 years of passing your driving test, the DVLA can revoke it. So, it’s essential you drive safely, learn the rules of the road, and stick to them.
Drive safe with Kwik Fit
Understanding the laws around provisional driving licences is as essential as knowing how to change gear for new drivers. Don’t get caught out by technicalities on your test or the application forms; be smart and pass with ease.
Once you’re on the roads, you can always rely on Kwik Fit to help with any car maintenance, diagnostics, or repairs your car may need, from servicing to oil changes.
Get in touch with our team today, and good luck on your test!
Any facts, figures and prices shown in our blog articles are correct at time of publication.
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