All learner drivers got to have a provisional driving license to drive legally on UK roads.
If you’re wanting to get on the roads, the primary thing you would like to try and do is get a provisional driver’s license . subsequent thing you would like to do is get insured. We explain more about this later.
Before you drop behind the wheel, whether for a knowledgeable driving lesson or practicing in a friend’s or relative’s car, you need to have a provisional permit. You will also need a provisional license before you book your theory, hazard perception, or practical driving test.
When am I able to apply for a provisional driving license?
You can apply for a provisional license as early as three months before you turn 16 but will need to wait until your 17th birthday before you’ll be able to drive on public highways.
But not just anyone can go for the roads. The law requires potential drivers to fulfill some standards before they will have a UK provisional license.
Before you apply for a provisional license:
YOU;
- Have to be a resident of Great Britain or Northern Ireland.
- want to be a minimum of 15 years and 9months aged at the time of applying for your provisional license.
- Need to be able to read a typical registration number plate from a distance of 20 meters (with glasses or contact lenses if necessary
How to apply for a provisional driving license
To apply for your provisional driver’s license , either fill out a form from the Post Office or apply on the DVLA website. When submitting your provisional license application, you’ll have to be compelled to inform the DVLA of the following:
- All addresses you have lived at over the last three years
- A color passport-style photo
- A legitimate type of ID like a current passport, a biometric residence permit, or a UK certificate of naturalization.
However, there are two different costs for these options. Applying online is by far the most affordable option available, costing you £34 payable via credit or debit card. Alternatively, if you’d instead register by post, it’ll cost you £43, payable via cheque or money order.
Applying online
Applying online is the cheapest and fastest way to apply for your provisional license and therefore the method we’d recommend. If you decide to register online, you’ll need a legitimate UK passport no more than five years old.
To apply for your provisional license online; you’ll need
- A sort of identity, for instance, a passport.
- Address where you have lived for the past three years. If you have lived at your current address for fewer than three years, then you will have to provide your previous addresses to cover these three years.
- Your national insurance number, you’ll be able to find on your national insurance card, payslips, or correspondence from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
- Card details at the ready for the £34 application fee.
Applying by post
Are you applying for your provisional driver’s license by post! you’ll need to complete the D1 form – which you’ll obtain from selected Post Office branches or online from the DVLA form ordering service. Complete the form and send it to the below address, alongside the specified documentation:
For all documents from the UK: DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AD
For documents outside of the UK: DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AF
To apply for your provisional license by post; you’ll need
A sort of identity, for instance, a passport
A color passport photograph, look into the principles for photos here
A cheque or money order for the £43 application fee made payable to DVLA – you need to pay by cheque or money order when applying via post. Applications paid with cash won’t be processed.
It generally takes around a fortnight for your DVLA license to arrive in the post. Once you have received your license, you’re free to begin driving lessons with a reputable, registered driving instructor or someone aged 21 years or over who has held their full UK driver’s license for a minimum of three years.
What Is Next :
With your provisional driving license in hand, you’ll have to book your driving lessons next. Booking your driving lessons could be a very easy and simple process. Before you start to look at potential driving schools, it is necessary to grasp what kind of lessons you’re after to make sure you find the proper match.
Before you’ll be able to take your practical driving test, you need to first pass your theory test. So once you have overcome your first driving lesson nerves and nailed the driving basics, we’ll recommend you begin brooding about your theory test. the sooner you begin practicing, the higher your chances of passing quickly.
With your theory test out of the way, you’re free to target the ultimate step – passing your practical driving test, once you are going to be ready to swap your green provisional license to a red full UK driver’s license. Your driving instructor will tell you when they think you’re able to book your driving test, which you’ll do either by telephone or online.
Can I apply for a UK provisional license if I don’t have a passport?
If you do not have any of the above documents; you’ll send your birth or adoption certificate along side one of the following:
- Proof of your national insurance number.
- Benefits claim letter or a photocopy of the front page of a benefits book.
- A photocopy of your P45, P60, or a recent payslip
- Marriage certificate or divorce papers
- College or university membership card
- School record or PASS Citizen Card
How much does a provisional driving license cost?
You shall be wary of unofficial sites that offer to process your license application, as they often charge a hefty admin fee on top of the value of your license. By going direct to the DVLA online, you’ll pay £34 or £43 if you apply by post.
How long does it take to get a provisional license?
Postal applications can take up to 3 weeks, whereas online applications will process within a week.
How long maybe a provisional license valid?
A provisional license, like a full UK driver’s license, lasts until the day of your 70th birthday. As with a full driver’s license, you need to renew it every 10years, and you want to let the DVLA know whenever you modify your address, otherwise, you face a fine of up to £1,000.
Do I need automobile insurance if I actually have a UK provisional license?
No one can go for the roads without holding valid automobile insurance . There are three levels of cover within the UK:
- Third-party only – which pays out if you damage another persons vehicle or property and injure passengers, other drivers, or pedestrians
- Third-party fire or theft. It covers the above, plus damage or loss to the insured vehicle, after a fire, theft, or attempted theft.
- Comprehensive insurance – can pay out if damage or injury is incurred to others, their property or the insured, or their car.
If you’re only learning in a registered instructor’s car, then their insurance will cover you. However, if you’re learning using a private vehicle – be it a lover, relations, or maybe your own – then; you’ll need insurance to drive it on public roads.
Good luck on your thanks to getting your full UK driver’s license .
