On any UK public road, if you want to drive a vehicle, you need to have a driver’s license. The aspiring driver is to be of 17-years age minimum and has to select an appropriate driving category. As soon as the driving test is passed and the insurance policy is issued, the driver can get onto the road without supervision.
Let’s discuss the complete process of applying for a driving license in the UK.
PROVISIONAL DRIVING LICENSE United Kingdom (UK)
The first step towards getting on the road is getting your provisional driving license. It is the preliminary license that is eligible for all those who are turning seventeen. Those who want to drive a car have to be seventeen, but for riding a motorcycle the legal age is sixteen only. For a provisional license, the age has to be at least 15 years and 9 months only.
Other than the age, to attain the first provisional driving license, you should be the resident of Great Britain and meet the minimum eyesight requirement. If you wear contacts or glasses, you should wear them while your test and every time you drive.
To get the provisional driving license, the cost is around £43 and the application is available on the www.gov.uk website. To complete the application, you need a valid UK passport or any other form of identity, addresses you have lived in the past three years, and the National Insurance number. If you apply online, it will cost you £34 only. Finally, it takes around one to three weeks for the provisional license to be issued.
How To Apply?
For the provisional license, the application can be done in two ways. Visit the gov.uk website or complete the D1 Application Form by picking it from the local Post Office. When sending the application by post, the original documents will have to be included. These documents include a color passport photography, a complete application, and postal order or cheque. The address is DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AD.
Two-part Driving License UK
When the application is accepted, a green photo card will be issued. This photo card will be used in the driving theory test and the practical test, so you will have to keep it safe. When you pass the practical test, the green photo card will be replaced with the full driving license photo card.
Provisional Driver Rules
Now that you are a provisional driver, there are few rules that will have to be followed at all times. The drivers must be in the supervision of someone when driving. They should be eligible to drive, over 21, have a license for at least three years, and be seated at the front seat. The provisional drivers cannot drive on a motorway and have an ‘L’ on the front and back.
UK DRIVING LICENSE
When you have passed the legal age, you can apply for the proper driving license. Here is what all you have to do:
The Theory Test
The first step is to pass the driving theory test. Apply online once you are ready to take it. You will need an email, your provisional driving license number, and debit/credit card for the booking. You have to visit the www.gov.uk website for this and pay £23 to book a car theory test.
The Practical Test
When you have passed the theory test, the next step will be the practical test. Your driving instructor will inform you of the status. You will then have to book the driving practical test online. You will need your debit/ credit card and the provisional driving license number for it. Visit the www.gov.uk website and pay 62.00 to book a weekday practical driving test and £75.00 to book a driving test either at the weekend or on a bank holiday.