Key points
- Provisional licences are issued by DVLA. You can apply from 15 years and 9 months old.
- It costs £34 online or £43 by post using form D1, and an online application should arrive within a week.
- You must be able to read a number plate from 20 metres away, with glasses or contact lenses if you need them.
- You can usually start driving a car at 17. People getting the enhanced (higher) rate of the PIP mobility component can hold a licence from 16.
- With a provisional licence you can take lessons, practise with a qualified supervisor and book your theory test, but never drive alone.
You can apply for your first provisional driving licence from DVLA once you are 15 years and 9 months old.[1] It costs £34 online or £43 by post, and you must be able to read a number plate from 20 metres away.[1] You can usually start driving a car on the road at 17, and an online application should arrive within one week.[2][1]
DVLA or DVSA?
The two agencies are easy to mix up. DVLA (the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) issues your licence, and you apply to DVLA for your provisional.[1] DVSA (the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) runs the theory and practical tests.[6][7] So questions about your licence, address or photo go to DVLA; questions about tests go to DVSA.
Who can apply
To apply online you must:[1]
- be at least 15 years and 9 months old
- be able to read a number plate from 20 metres away
- have been given permission to live in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) for at least 185 days
When you sign in, you will be told if you need to prove your identity, which usually involves photo ID such as a passport.[1]
How much it costs and how long it takes
| Method | Fee | How to pay | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online | £34[1] | MasterCard, Visa, Electron or Delta debit or credit card[1] | Should arrive within one week; longer if DVLA needs to make extra checks[1] |
| By post (form D1) | £43[1] | Cheque or postal order[1] | GOV.UK does not give a time for postal applications |
Fees checked on GOV.UK on 14 October 2026. Form D1, "Application for a driving licence", is available from most Post Offices, and you send it to the address on the form.[1] After an online application, DVLA sends a confirmation email.[1] Apply at https://www.gov.uk/apply-first-provisional-driving-licence, the official service.
When you can start driving
Applying at 15 years and 9 months does not mean you can drive a car straight away. You can usually start driving a car when you are 17.[2] The age rules are different for other vehicles, and GOV.UK has a checker for what you can drive and when.[8]
The PIP exception at 16
The rules are different if you have a disability or long-term health condition.[2] DVLA guidance says someone receiving the mobility component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can hold a driving licence from 16, and notes that you cannot apply for PIP until your 16th birthday.[4] The regulations behind this refer to the mobility component at the enhanced rate, and also cover some young people who received the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance before turning 16 and have claimed PIP. In Scotland they also cover the enhanced mobility rate of Scottish disability assistance for working-age people, and the higher mobility rate of disability assistance for children and young people if it was in force before your 16th birthday.[5] On the theory test, you can take it from your 16th birthday if you get, or have applied for, the higher weekly rate of the PIP mobility component.[6] If this applies to you, check the official pages for your exact situation before you book anything.
The eyesight standard
You must be able to read a number plate from 20 metres away, which GOV.UK describes as about the length of 5 parked cars.[3] You can wear glasses or contact lenses for this, but if you need them to meet the standard you must wear them every time you drive.[3] You must also have a visual acuity of at least decimal 0.5 (6/12) on the Snellen scale and an adequate field of vision.[3]
You must tell DVLA about any eyesight condition affecting both eyes (or your remaining eye), but this does not include being short-sighted, long-sighted or colour blind.[3] You could be prosecuted for driving without meeting the eyesight standard.[3]
The check comes back on test day. At the start of your practical test you read a number plate from 20 metres (20.5 metres for an old-style plate); if you cannot, you fail, the test ends, and DVLA is told and your licence is revoked.[7][3]
What a provisional licence lets you do
- Take driving lessons. Anyone you pay to teach you must be an approved driving instructor (ADI) or a trainee instructor.[2]
- Practise with family or friends who meet the supervisor rules, in a car showing L plates (or D plates in Wales).[2] See the rules for private practice.
- Book your theory test. You must have a provisional licence to book it.[6] See the theory test guide.
- Drive at any time, day or night, while supervised.[2]
What it does not let you do
- Drive a car without supervision: you must be supervised while learning.[2]
- Use motorways, unless you are in England, Scotland or Wales, with an ADI, in a dual-control car.[2]
You also need insurance that covers you as a learner driver in whichever car you practise in.[2]
If you lose it, or already have one
If you already have a provisional licence, you can renew it, replace it if it is lost, stolen or damaged, reapply after a disqualification, or change the address on it, rather than making a new first application.[1] A replacement could take up to 15 days to arrive, which matters if you have a test booked.[7]
Sources
- Apply for your first provisional driving licence
- Driving lessons and learning to drive (printable guide)
- Driving eyesight rules
- General information: assessing fitness to drive
- The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1999, regulation 9 (minimum ages), latest available revised version
- Theory test: cars (printable guide)
- Driving test: cars (printable guide)
- Vehicles you can drive
Last checked against the cited sources on 14 October 2026. PassNav is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA, DVLA or TomTom. Our guides are prepared with AI assistance and checked against the official sources cited on each page. Rules and fees change — for current legal requirements and booking rules, always check GOV.UK. This is general guidance and does not replace professional driving instruction. Spotted something out of date? Email passnav@smartaisolution.co.uk — see our editorial policy.