You must be at least 17 to drive a car or motorcycle, 18 to drive a medium-sized lorry,
and 21 to drive a large lorry or bus. To drive a lorry, minibus or bus with more than eight
passenger seats, you must have a special licence.

The driving licence

You must have a driving licence to drive on public roads. To get a driving licence you
must pass a test. There are many driving schools where you can learn with the help of a
qualified instructor.

You get a full driving licence in three stages:

1. Apply for a provisional licence. You need this licence while you are learning to drive.
With this you are allowed to drive a motorcycle up to 125cc or a car. You must put L
plates on the vehicle, or D plates in Wales. Learner drivers cannot drive on a motorway.
If you drive a car, you must be with someone who is over 21 and who has had a full
licence for over three years. You can get an application form for a provisional licence
from a post office.

2. Pass a written theory test.

3. Pass a practical driving test.
Drivers may use their licence until they are 70. After that the licence is valid three years
at a time.

In Northern Ireland, a newly-qualified driver must display an R-plate (for registered
driver) for one year after passing the test.

Overseas licences

If your driving licence is from a country in the European Union (EU), Iceland,
Liechtenstein or Norway, you can drive in the UK for as long as your licence is valid.
If you have a licence from a country outside the EU, you may use it in the UK for up to
12 months. During this time you must get a UK provisional driving licence and pass both
the UK theory and practical driving tests, or you will not be able to drive after 12 months.

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