Getting a learner's licence to start driving
You come to a point in your life where you want to learn how to drive because you’re either fed up with public transport and want your own mode of travelling or you’re ready to embrace the joy of being an adult. Or simply you just want to drive! Well for starters, you will need to get hold of a provisional licence so that you are legally entitled to learn to drive the vehicle of your choice.
Failure to obtain a valid licence is an infringement to the British law and you could face severe penalties for so doing. Therefore it is strongly recommended that you go through the right channels to get your driver’s permit.
How to apply for a provisional drivers licence?
You need to be at least 17 to obtain a provisional licence but you can apply for it 2 months before you reach that age. This will ensure that you are not missing any time between you being able to learn driving and getting your permit as the application process can take between 2-6 weeks.
The current cost of the provisional driving licence is £50 and if you want to apply online, you will need to have your passport or other form of identity with you and a list of addresses where you have lived during the last 3 years and be able to pay the fee by a debit/credit card.
You can also apply for the photocard driving licence by completing a D1 form (available from your local Post Office) and sending it to DVLA in Swansea but you will have to include original documentation confirming your identity (passport, proof of address etc) along with it.
If you do not wish to send your original documents, there’s a premium service which you can use at Post Office branches which checks your documents and return them to you immediately but you will have to pay a fee of a little bit less than £5 for that.
What are the rules for learners then?
As a learner driver, you need to be accompanied by someone who is at least 21 of age and have at least 3 years driving experience when you are driving. If you’re learning in your own car, then you will need to have appropriate provisional insurance cover in place, otherwise you are not allowed to drive. If you’re driving unsupervised, that is, driving on your own, you will be stopped by the police and can face severe charges.
