Everything you need to know about driving with a UK Provisional Licence
Learning to drive in the UK can be one of the most exciting times of your life. The key to ultimate freedom and independence is in the ignition, your foot is on the pedal and you’re almost ready to go.
We'll try to lay things out here as simple as we can as we know that it can sometimes all get a bit overwhelming. Do you need a provisional licence? How long is your provisional licence valid? How long does it take to pass your test? What happens in the theory test? We've got you.
Ready to learn to drive and pass your test with flying colours? Here’s how to do it:
Step One - Apply for your provisional driving licence
Most people can start learning to drive in the UK when they turn 17, although there are some exceptions and we’d recommend taking a look at the official government website if you believe this may affect you for more information.
Getting your first provisional driving licence for a car, motorbike, moped or other vehicle from the DVLA is simple to do online.
Did you know you can apply for your provisional licence when you're 15 years and 9 months old?
It's true! Whilst you must be 17 before you start learning to drive, you can apply for your provisional driving licence as soon as you're 15 years and 9 months.
To apply you must:
be at least 15 years and 9 months old
be able to read a number plate from 20 metres away (with glasses or contact lenses, if necessary)
have been given permission to live in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) for at least 185 days
How much does it cost to get my provisional licence?
A provisional driving licence costs £34 when you apply online.
There is the option to apply via post as well if that’s preferable. To apply via post for your provisional licence you’ll need to pop into your local post office and request a form D1 ‘Application for a driving licence’ and send the application to the address on the form, along with a cheque or postal order for £43.
What happens after I apply online?
You’ll receive a confirmation email from the DVLA as soon as you apply online. Your provisional licence should arrive within a week, although it can sometimes take a little longer if additional checks are required.
Do I need a provisional licence to drive in the UK?
Yes - if you do not have a full driving licence, you must make sure you have your provisional licence to be able to learn to drive in Great Britain or Northern Ireland.. You will not be able to take driving lessons until you have your provisional licence either, so it’s a good idea to make sure you’ve applied for that ASAP if you want to get on the road as quickly as possible! Remember, you can apply for a provisional licence as young as 15 years and 9 months old, but you’ll need to be 17 to learn to drive a car and take your test.
Step Two - Practice, practice, practice & driving lessons
With your provisional safely tucked into your wallet you’re free to hit the road!
Before you set off there are some things you need to bear in mind:
You must be supervised at all times when you’re learning to drive a car in the UK. Supervisors who meet the requirements would be a driving instructor (of course), or family & friends (excluding on motorways) who can tick the below boxes:
They must be over 21 and be qualified to drive the type of vehicle you want to learn in, for example they must have a manual car licence if they’re supervising you in a manual car. They have to have had had their full driving licence for 3 years (from the UK, the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, yes, Liechtenstein..)
You’ll need to follow the below rules as well when learning to drive in the UK.
The car you learn in must display ‘L’ plates.
You can drive at any time, day and night.
You can only drive on motorways if all of the following apply:
you’re driving in England, Scotland or Wales
you’re with an approved driving instructor
the car is fitted with dual controls
It’s important to make sure you have the correct supervision as you can face up to a £1,000 fine and get up to 6 penalty points on your provisional licence if you drive without the right supervision.
Finding a driving instructor:
Up first, you’ll need to find yourself a good driving instructor. There are plenty of resources to explore online to help guide you to a good local driving instructor, so a few google searches should be able to help. Finding an instructor that operates in your local area makes things easier when it comes to arranging lessons in your range for pick up and drop offs, so it doesn’t take up more of your time than it needs to.
Ask around - word of mouth is a great way to find a driving instructor that comes with a recommendation you trust. Ask your mates, older siblings, parents, teachers etc.. chances are someone you know in your local area likes their driving instructor and can recommend a good one for you.
Do you need insurance when you’re learning to drive?
It is important that you have the correct insurance in place when you’re learning to drive, especially if you’re practicing in your own car, or friend or family member's car.
You’ll be covered under your driving instructor’s insurance when you’re out practicing with them.
If you’re driving your own car or a family member’s car, you’ll need to have your own insurance in place.
You’ll need to make sure you’re covered by the car owner’s insurance policy as a learner driver, or take out your own insurance policy that covers you driving in the car as a learner driver.
Taking out a temporary learner insurance policy with your provisional licence is a super easy and flexible way to ensure you have comprehensive cover in place whilst you’re learning to drive. Getting temporary cover means you can get insurance for as little as an hour, a day, a week, or up to 3 months!
Do everything from your phone easily & quickly
Temporary Learner Insurance
Takes less than 60 seconds!
How long does it take to learn how to drive?
How long it takes to learn how to drive will depend on a few things:
How many hours you can practice. There’s currently no minimum requirement for driving hours before you can pass your test in the UK so it’s up to how much you’ve practiced and how quickly you are able to learn.
How long it takes to be able to book in your driving tests (both the theory and practical tests). According to data from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) obtained via a freedom of information request by the BBC, wait times for practical driving tests, as of March 2025, were up to an average of 22 weeks. This is mostly due to a massive backlog that the Covid-19 pandemic created as driving tests across the country were completely suspended several times.
How much time you have in your schedule to study up for the theory test. We know it’s probably not the most exciting bit about learning to drive, but it is important and it’s not really possible to ‘wing it’ so study time is definitely required. You also cannot take your practical driving test until you’ve successfully passed your theory.
Step Three - Study and prepare for your theory test
The good news is that when it comes to your theory test there are so many resources available to you to help. The theory test is an important part of the process as it helps new drivers have a comprehensive understanding of safe driving in the UK. It’s important to know the rules of the road. Car and motorbike theory tests currently cost (as of August 2025) £23 and you can book it online when you’re ready.
The theory test itself is made up of two parts.
50 multiple choice questions
A Hazard Perception Test which is in a video format to test how well you can identify and react to hazards on the road.
When you pass your driving theory (YAY!) you’ll get a letter right there and then at the test centre with your pass certificate. This is essentially your golden ticket to take that next step and book in your practical driving test.
NOTE: Your pass certificate is only valid for 2 years so you’ll need to pass your practical exam in that time frame. If you’re not able to then you’ll need to take the test again.
Step 4 - book your practical driving test (EEEK!)
Just like the theory test, you can book your test online when you’re ready. You’ll need to have passed your theory test.
The price of booking your car practical driving test, as of August 2025, is currently £62 for weekdays and £75 on evenings, weekends and bank holidays.
What do you need to take for your driving test?
Your UK provisional driving licence
Your theory test pass certificate if you have it, but if you don’t have it to hand or you’ve lost it, don’t worry too much. Your examiner will check that you’ve passed your theory test before the test begins.
Third and potentially most importantly, a car! Most new drivers tend to use their driving instructor's car, but it is possible that you can use your own if it meets the requirements and is correctly insured of course!
Step 5 - Passing your driving test!
Ready for that shiny new pink driving licence?! There are few better feelings than when you pass your driving test. Congratulations if you’ve recently passed your driving test - you made it!
Don’t worry if you don’t pass your test the first time though. In the UK in 2025 roughly half of learners pass their practical driving test on their very first attempt. The typical pass rate usually hovers just under or around 50% and around 48–49% nationally.
You can start driving as soon as you pass your test provided you have arranged the correct and appropriate insurance on the car you’re driving. If you were using a temporary learner insurance policy to learn and then pass your test, it’s important to know that that type of insurance becomes invalid as soon as you pass your test. If you do still require a temporary insurance policy after you pass your test, you’ll need to take out a new policy. It is your responsibility to notify us if you pass your test before the insurance policy expiry test. With Covertime getting a new policy is a super simple process and can be done online or in the Covertime app anytime!
Learning to drive FAQ's
Yes, it is possible to have passengers in the car with you as a Learner driver, but there are some things you need to bear in mind.
You must make sure the person sitting up front with you qualifies as a Supervisor driver. The supervising driver must always be someone who is at least 21 years old and has held a full driving licence for at least 3 years. They must not use their phone at any time while supervising and must be under the legal alcohol limit.
As long as you’re sticking to the number of people who can have a seat in the car there are currently no restrictions on how many passengers you can have in the car with you.
Reminder: Even if you have a supervising driver in the car with you, you still cannot go on the motorways without a qualified driving instructor.
You also must make sure you have your L Plates displayed at all times.
Absolutely you do! It is a legal requirement that everyone driving with a provisional licence has their L Plates displayed at all times. The official legal guidelines are that L Plates must be displayed on the front and back of your vehicle at all times, ensuring they are easily visible. In Wales you can display D Plates, but they must follow the same red and white guidelines.
Your L Plates need to be a red letter on a white background to follow the law and be the correct size.
Some new drivers choose to display P Plates on their car for a period of time after they pass their test. The ‘P’ stands for ‘Probationary’ but you do not have to display them by law - it’s your choice.
It’s worth noting though that in Northern Ireland you do need to use ‘R’ plates (restricted driver plates) after you pass your test for one year.
No - you cannot drive abroad with a provisional driving licence. Provisional licences are only valid in the UK so you will need a full licence if you’re looking to travel.
Yes, you can drive both a manual or automatic car with a provisional driving licence. However, if you pass your driving test in an automatic car, you will only be legally able to drive an automatic car. If you would like to have the options of manual and automatic cars, you should pass your driving test in a manual car.
Yes, you can still drive even if your driving licence hasn’t been delivered yet. Your driving test pass certificate can be used as proof that you’re allowed to drive legally, so make sure you keep that close by!
Yes, a learner driver can get insurance on their own car, as long as they have a valid UK provisional licence.
Learner car insurance allows you to practise in your own vehicle outside of lessons with an instructor, as long as you're supervised by someone who meets the DVSA requirements. It’s a good option if you plan to get plenty of private practice before your test. Some annual learner policies may also let you build up a no claims bonus.
If you're supervising a learner in your own car, your vehicle must be insured for you to be legally on the road.
The learner also needs to be covered, either through their own learner driver policy or as a named driver on yours. If you're supervising in their car, you might not need insurance yourself, but the vehicle still must be insured.
Yes you can get temporary insurance without a full UK licence, but you'd need a provisional licence and need to use our learner insurance.