Provisional Driving Licence UK – How to Apply and What Restrictions will you Encounter

Before anyone is allowed to drive a vehicle on a public road they have to be in possession of a valid UK provisional licence as minimum.

Applying You can apply for this licence in one of two ways – online at the DVLA website or by filling in a D1 application form and sending it to DVLA Swansea. The form is available at most main Post Office branches or you can order one from the DVLA.

When you have filled in the application form you need to send it to the DVLA along with the following:

Original documentation that confirms your identity.
A passport style colour photograph taken within the last three months.
The fee of £50 in the form of a cheque or postal order.

On average, it takes around 3 weeks to process applications and so you’ll need to wait at least this long before checking on its status. It is illegal to drive without your licence so you should refrain from booking any driving lessons before receiving it.

Restrictions

People in the UK have to be at least 16 years of age to ride a moped up to 50cc and 17 years of age to ride a motorcycle up to 125cc or drive a car. In addition the application form asks for details of any medical conditions that may affect your ability to drive and by not declaring them you are committing an offence. There may be other restrictions in some cases but in general these are the only ones that need to be considered.