In the United Kingdom, the driving licence is the official document which
authorises its holder to operate various types of motor vehicle on highways and
some other roads to which the public have access. In England, Scotland and
Wales they are administered by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and
in Northern Ireland by the Driver & Vehicle Agency. A driving licence is
required in the UK by any person driving a vehicle on any highway or other road
defined in s.192 Road Traffic Act 1988 irrespective of ownership of the land
over which the road passes, thus including many which allow the public to
pass over private land; similar requirements apply in Northern Ireland
under the Road Traffic Order 1981. UK nationals do not normally have
identity cards: a modern photo driving licence can serve many of the purposes
of an identity card in non-driving contexts or age).
Background Applications for a provisional driving
licence can be made from the age of 15 years and 9 months. Valid for driving a
moped or light quad bike from aged 16 and a car from aged 17 or 16 for those
who get, or have applied for, the higher/enhanced rate of the mobility
component of PIP or DLA. Until a United Kingdom driving test has been passed a
driver may hold only a provisional licence and be subject to certain
conditions. The conditions attached to provisional
licences of a particular category of vehicle are:
L-plates or D plates must be conspicuously displayed on the front and
rear of the vehicle. Learner drivers of a particular category
and transmission type of vehicle must be accompanied by somebody aged at least 21
who has held a full driving licence for that category and transmission type for
at least three years, except in the case of solo motorcycles and vehicles of
certain categories designed solely for one person.
No trailer may be towed, except when driving a tractor or where a full
licence gives provisional entitlement to drive a car with trailer, large goods
vehicle with trailer or bus with trailer.
Motorcycle riders must not carry any pillion passenger.
Bus drivers must not carry any passenger except a person giving or receiving
instruction. Motorways must not be used by holders of
car and motorcycle provisional licences, excluding B+E learner drivers.
In Northern Ireland, learner drivers are limited to a speed of 45 mph, and
drivers who have passed their test within the previous year must display
"R" plates and are also limited to a speed of 45 mph until the expiry of the
restricted period. "R" plates are similar in style to "L" plates, with a
thick-set dark orange R displayed on a white background.
After passing a driving test, the provisional licence may be surrendered
within two years in exchange for a full UK licence for the relevant kind of
vehicle. Full car licences allow use of mopeds and motorcycles provided a CBT
course is completed. There are no restrictions on newly passed drivers in
England, Wales or Scotland, but if a newly qualified driver is given six
penalty points within two years of passing, the licence is automatically
cancelled and the driver must pass the full test again. The six points remains
on the new licence until their designated expiry time.
Motor car licences issued in the United Kingdom distinguish between automatic
and manual transmission vehicles dependent upon whether or not a driving
test was passed in a vehicle with manual transmission. Whilst a manual
transmission vehicle licence permits the holder to drive a vehicle of either
kind, an automatic transmission vehicle licence is solely for vehicles with
automatic transmission. The licence also shows if a driver requires glasses or
contact lenses to meet the legal driving requirements, if known.
There is no maximum age for driving or holding a driving licence, but holders
must renew their licences at age 70 and every three years thereafter, at which
times they must self-certify their continued fitness to drive.
Forklift trucks require a separate licence, issued by third-party training
companies rather than the DVLA/DSA, which regulate all other vehicles.
Whilst the DVLA has included Welsh on driving licences issued in Wales for
many years, requests for Scots Gaelic to be included on licences issued to
drivers resident in Scotland have so far been rejected.
History Driver registration was introduced in
1903 with the Motor Car Act. Holders of the sulphur-yellow coloured document
were entitled to "drive a motor car or motor cycle". The wording changed in
1930 after which holders were allowed to "drive or steer a motor car or to drive
a motor cycle". It was not clear why a motor cycle would not need to be
steered. Shortly afterwards, the document cover changed to a dark red
colour: holders were for a period entitled to drive a vehicle of "any
class or description". Subsequent changes saw the document list precisely
those vehicle types for which holders were licensed.
Competency tests were introduced in 1934 by the Motor Vehicles Regulations 1935;
they were suspended in 1939 for seven years due to the Second World War and in
1956 for one year due to the Suez Crisis. The only person in the United
Kingdom who is not required to have a driving licence in order to drive is The
Queen. She also does not require number plates on any vehicles which are
personally owned by herself or her closest family members.
Until 1973, driving licences were issued by local authorities, and had to be
renewed every three years. In 1971, the decision was taken to computerise the
licensing system to enable it to be linked to the Police National Computer,
as well as extending the life of the licence up to the driver's 70th
birthday, and extendable at intervals thereafter, subject to the driver's
fitness to drive. Until July 1998, driving licences
outside Northern Ireland did not have photographs. Anyone who holds a licence
issued before this date may retain their photo-less licence until expiry or until
they change address, whichever comes sooner. The new "photocard" driving
licences are a two-part document, a plastic photocard which has to be
renewed every ten years, for a fee, and a paper sheet which is valid until the
holder's seventieth birthday. The Counterpart details the individual's
driving entitlements and convictions. Endorsement codes stay on the licence
for 4 or 11 years depending on the offence. This Counterpart was due to be
phased out in January 2015; this has now been phased out as of 8 June 2015. The
information currently recorded on the Counterpart is accessible online via the
View Driving Licence service; a separate service will be made available for the
use of third parties. Licences issued to residents of England,
Northern Ireland and Scotland appear only in English, whilst those issued to
residents of Wales appear in both English and Welsh.
Each licence holder in England, Scotland and Wales has a unique driver number,
which is 16 characters long. The characters are constructed in the
following way: 1–5: The first five characters of the
surname 6: The decade digit from the year of
birth 7–8: The month of birth
9–10: The date within the month of birth 11: The year digit from the year of
birth 12–13: The first two initials of the
first names, padded with a 9 if no middle name
14: Arbitrary digit – usually 9, but decremented to differentiate drivers
with the first 13 characters in common 15–16: Two computer check digits.
17–18: Appended, two digits representing the licence issue, which increases by 1
for each licence issued. Each Northern Ireland licence holder has
a unique driver number which is 8 characters long. The characters are not
constructed in any particular pattern. Theory testing
The theoretical tests in the United Kingdom consists of two sections, which
are different for car and motorcycle tests:
Multiple choice questions – 50 questions with a choice of possible answers, with
57 minutes to answer them. Some questions may have more than one correct
answer. At least 43 questions should be answered correctly to pass this section.
Hazard perception tests – 14 video clips which feature everyday road situations.
In each clip there is at least one developing hazard, but one of the clips
features two developing hazards. 0 to 5 points are awarded depending on the time
taken to notice a hazard. At least 44 points should be earned out of a
possible 75 to pass. Both sections of the theory test are
completed on the computer, and both must be passed in order to pass the theory
test. Driving licence categories
This is a list of the categories that might be found on a driving licence in
the United Kingdom. Notes
^ MAM = Maximum authorised mass ^ Age 24 or 2 years from date of A2 test
pass. ^ Age 16 you may be issued a licence if
you are in receipt of the higher rate of disability living allowance. However if
the rate is withdrawn, the normal minimum age for driving a car applies.
^ At the age of 16 you can be issued a licence if you are in receipt of the
higher rate of disability living allowance. However if the rate is
withdrawn, the normal minimum age for driving a car applies.
^ At age 16 you may be issued a licence if you are in receipt of the higher rate
of disability living allowance. However if the rate is withdrawn, the normal
minimum age for driving a car applies. ^ If you passed your category B or B
automatic test before 1 January 1997 your licence will already show C1, C1E,
D1, D1E as entitlement flowing from the category B.
^ Age 17 if you are a member of the armed services
^ Age 17 if you are a member of the armed services; Age 18 if you got your
driving licence before 10 September 2009 and the weight of the vehicle and
trailer together is under 7,500 kg; Age 18 under certain other circumstances
^ Age 17 if you are a member of the armed services; Age 18 under certain
other circumstances ^ Age 17 if you are a member of the
armed services; Age 18 under certain other circumstances
^ Age 17 if you are a member of the armed services; Age 18 having passed a
PCV test before 10 September 2008 and driving under a bus operator's licence,
or minibus permit, or community bus permit and under certain conditions; Age
18 under certain other circumstances; Age 20 after passing a PCV driving test
and Driver CPC initial qualification ^ Age 17 if you are a member of the
armed services; Age 18 having passed a PCV test before 10 September 2008 and
driving under a bus operator's licence, or minibus permit, or community bus
permit and under certain conditions; Age 18 under certain other circumstances;
Age 20 after passing a PCV driving test and Driver CPC initial qualification
^ Age 17 if you are a member of the armed services; Age 18 having passed a
PCV test before 10 September 2008 and driving under a bus operator's licence,
or minibus permit, or community bus permit and under certain conditions; Age
18 under certain other circumstances; Age 20 after passing a PCV driving test
and Driver CPC initial qualification ^ Age 17 if you are a member of the
armed services; Age 18 having passed a PCV test before 10 September 2008 and
driving under a bus operator's licence, or minibus permit, or community bus
permit and under certain conditions; Age 18 under certain other circumstances;
Age 20 after passing a PCV driving test and Driver CPC initial qualification
^ Age 17 for small road-rollers with metal or hard rollers. They must not be
steam powered, weigh more than 11.69 tonnes or be made for carrying loads
^ Age 17 if the Maximum Authorised Mass of the tracked vehicle doesn’t exceed
3,500 kg Points and endorsements
The UK uses cumulative points systems, broadly similar but different in detail
in different countries, for offenders. Points are given for driving offences by
law courts, and the licence is endorsed accordingly. A UK driving licence may be
endorsed by the courts for various offences, not only for those committed
whilst driving or in charge of a vehicle. If the individual committing
the offence does not hold a valid driving licence the endorsements may be
put by until a licence is held. Most endorsements remain valid for 4
years; some are recorded on the licence for 11 years because more severe
penalties apply to those convicted twice within 10 years of drink or drug driving
offences. Twelve points on the licence within
three years makes the driver liable to disqualification under the "totting-up"
procedure; however this is not automatic, but must be decided by a law
court. Endorsements remain on the licence for four years, rather than
three, to ensure that offences are not removed while still legally applicable.
Production Drivers are not legally obliged to carry
a driving licence while driving, but section 164 of the Road Traffic Act 1998
allows a police officer to require a driver to produce a driving licence
within seven days at a police station chosen by the driver.
See also European driving licence
References External links
Official England, Scotland and Wales driver information website
Official Northern Ireland driver licensing website
Driving licence codes