The law requires that before you start to drive on any public road, or take your theory test, you must hold a valid provisional driving licence.
To apply for your provisional driving licence, you can fill in DVLA Form D1 which can be obtained from a Post Office, or downloaded from the gov.uk website. You can also apply directly online here.
For the purposes of driving a car, you can apply for your provisional licence from 3 months before your 17th birthday – but it is not valid until you do turn 17, so you won’t be able to take lessons on a public road or take your theory test until then (the age rule is your 16th birthday for motorcycles and mopeds).
The basic eligibility rules for a British provisional driving licence require that you:
- Are a resident of Great Britain
- Meet the minimum age requirement
- Can meet the minimum eyesight requirement
- Are currently not prevented from driving for any reason
- Can pay by Mastercard, Visa, Maestro, Electron, Delta or Solo debit or credit card
- Have a valid UK passport or another form of identity
- Can provide addresses of where you have lived over the last three years.
For full details, go to the gov.uk site or watch the DVLA video below:
