Your First Provisional Driving Licence
When you can apply
You can apply for your first provisional driving licence when you’re 15 years and 9 months old.
You can start driving when you’re:
- 17 if you want to drive a car
- 16 if you want to ride a moped or light quad bike
Your licence will say when you can start driving different vehicles.
Provisional-driving-licence
Get your first GB driving licence
| Type of licence | Apply online | Apply by post |
|---|---|---|
| First provisional licence – car, motorcycle, moped | £34 | £43 |
| First full GB licence in exchange for a full European Community/European Economic Area or other designated foreign licence | N/A | £43 |
Replace a lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed licence
This costs £20. You must replace your licence if it’s been lost, stolen, defaced or destroyed.
Change the name, address or photo on your driving licence
The fee depends on what you’re changing and how you do it.
| What you’re changing | Change online | Change by post |
|---|---|---|
| Address | Free | Free |
| Name | Not available | Free |
| Photo | £14 | £17 |
To get your first provisional driving licence online for a car, motorcycle or moped you must:
- be a resident of Great Britain – there’s a different service in Northern Ireland
- meet the minimum age requirement
- meet the minimum eyesight requirement
- not be prevented from driving for any reason
- pay £34 by MasterCard, Visa, Electron, Maestro or Delta debit or credit card
- have a valid UK passport or other form of identity
- have your National Insurance number if known
- provide addresses where you’ve lived over the last 3 years
Your licence should arrive within one week if you apply online.
Apply for your first provisional driving licence
Get your first provisional driving licence for a car, moped or motorcycle fromDVLA online. Apply using your Government Gateway ID. If you don’t have one or need to re-register, you’ll get an ID as part of your application.
Start now on driving licensing online
Once you have your provisional licence, you can then book your theory test.
Exchange a foreign driving licence
Find out how to exchange your non-British driving licence for a British licence.
There’s a different process if you want to get a Northern Ireland driving licence.