The first steps in learning to drive

Legal Requirements

If you are 17 and you have a valid provisional license then you can take your first driving lesson.

To apply for a provisional license complete a DI form from the Post Office and send it to the DVLA with your passport or birth certificate, and a passport size photo. You can also apply for a provisional license on the Direct-Gov website.

Apply for your provisional license twelve weeks before and have your first lesson on your 17th birthday. People with international and foreign license or people with any disability or special needs should contact us on 0800 310 1333.

 

Before you start to drive, you must:

It is important to learn safe driving practice from the beginning of your driving career because bad habits are hard to break.

It is unlikely that anyone except an approved driving instructor (ADI) has the experience, knowledge, and training to teach you properly. Learning safe driving habits from the start will improve the safety of yourself and other road users.

If you want to practice your driving with an accompanying driver, the accompanying driver must be over the age of 21 and must have held (and still hold) a full license, in the relevant vehicle category, for three years.

As a learner driver, you must display ‘L’ plates in a conspicuous position on the front and rear of the vehicle you are driving.