Last checked: 5 November 2026
To learn to drive a car in England, Scotland or Wales you need to get a provisional licence (from 15 years and 9 months, £34 online), learn with an instructor or a qualifying supervisor from age 17, pass the theory test (£23), then book and pass the practical driving test (£62 on weekdays). The official fees come to £119, plus the cost of lessons.
This guide sets out every step in order, with the key rules for each one and links to our detailed guides. Each guide in the series ends with the same step list, so you can always see where you are and what comes next. Everything here follows GOV.UK and DVSA rules for car drivers in Great Britain.
| Step | What you do | Official cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Get your provisional licence | £34 online, £43 by post |
| 2 | Take lessons and practise | No set price: instructors set their own |
| 3 | Pass your theory test | £23 |
| 4 | Book your driving test | £62 weekdays, £75 evenings, weekends and bank holidays |
| 5 | Take your driving test | Included in the booking fee |
| 6 | Drive on your full licence | The new driver rules apply for 2 years |
Step 1: Get your provisional licence
You can apply for a provisional driving licence from DVLA when you are 15 years and 9 months old. You must be able to read a number plate from 20 metres away and have been allowed to live in Great Britain for at least 185 days. It costs £34 online or £43 by post, and an online application usually arrives within a week. You can usually start driving a car at 17.
- How to apply for a provisional driving licence: the full application, ID checks and tracking
- Lost your provisional licence?: how to replace it
- UK driving licence categories: what your licence lets you drive
Step 2: Lessons and practice
While you learn, you must be supervised and the car must show L plates on the front and back (in Wales you can use D plates instead). Anyone you pay to teach you must be an approved driving instructor, who shows a green badge in the windscreen, or a trainee, who shows a pink one.
You can also practise with family or friends. If you do not pay them, they must be over 21, qualified to drive the type of car you are learning in, and have held their full licence for 3 years. You need to be insured, and driving without the right supervision can mean a fine of up to £1,000 and up to 6 penalty points on your provisional licence.
There is no minimum number of lessons. You can drive on motorways as a learner only in England, Scotland and Wales, with an approved driving instructor, in a car with dual controls.
- How many driving lessons do you need?: how to judge your progress
- Driving lesson cost calculator: budget for lessons and fees
- Can learner drivers drive on the motorway?: the rules and how to arrange it
Step 3: Pass your theory test
The car theory test costs £23. It has 2 parts that you take on the same day: 50 multiple-choice questions in 57 minutes, where you need 43 correct, and a hazard perception test of 14 video clips, where you need 44 out of 75. Your pass certificate lasts for 2 years, and you must pass your driving test within that time or take the theory test again.
- How to book your theory test: step by step
- How much is a theory test?: fees and resits
- How long is the theory test?: timings and pass marks
- Hazard perception test: how the clips are scored
- Free mock theory test: 50 questions in 57 minutes
- Theory test pass certificate: how long it lasts and what to do if you lose it
Step 4: Book your driving test
A car driving test costs £62 on a weekday, or £75 in the evening, at weekends or on bank holidays. You usually need to have passed your theory test before you can book. The booking rules changed in 2026: only you can book or change a car test, you can change it no more than 2 times, and you can only move it to one of the 3 nearest test centres. New tests are released every Monday at 6am, 24 weeks ahead.
- How to book a driving test: the 2026 rules step by step
- How much is a driving test?: all the fees
- Driving test cancellations: how to find an earlier test legally
- Driving test pass rates by test centre: results and waiting times for every centre
Step 5: Take your driving test
On the day, you need your provisional licence and a car that meets the rules, usually your instructor’s. The test starts with an eyesight check, and you then drive for around 35 minutes, including independent driving and 2 vehicle safety questions. You pass if you make no more than 15 driving faults and no serious or dangerous faults.
- What to bring to your driving test: the checklist
- What happens on a driving test?: every part, step by step
- How long is a driving test?: the timings
- Show me, tell me questions: all 21
- Driving test faults: every heading on the test report
- How many minors can you have?: the pass mark explained
If you do not pass, the examiner tells you which faults you made, and you can book another test at least 10 working days away.
Step 6: After you pass
You can drive on your own straight away, without waiting for your full licence to arrive. Green P plates are optional in Great Britain. For the first 2 years, the new driver rules apply: if you get 6 or more penalty points in that time, your licence is cancelled and you have to reapply for a provisional licence and pass both tests again.
- The new driver 6 points rule: how it works
- How long do penalty points stay on your licence?: the timings
- Penalty points calculator: how close you are to a ban
- What happens if you get 12 points?: totting up and bans
- How to share your driving licence: check codes for hire cars and employers
- Can you drive without an MOT?: the rules once you have your own car
- Stopping distance calculator: the Highway Code distances
- Drink drive calculator: units and how long alcohol takes to clear
- Driving licence renewal calculator: when your photocard needs renewing
Learning to ride a motorbike instead?
The route for motorbikes and mopeds is different. You start with compulsory basic training (CBT), and the licence you can work towards depends on your age. Our guides to the CBT test and the motorbike theory test cover the first steps.
All our free tools are on the driving calculators page.
Frequently asked questions
What age can you start learning to drive?
You can apply for a provisional licence at 15 years and 9 months, and you can usually start driving a car at 17. The rules are different for some people with a disability or long-term health condition.
How much does it cost to learn to drive?
The official fees are £119: £34 for a provisional licence online, £23 for the theory test and £62 for a weekday driving test. Lessons cost extra, and instructors set their own prices.
Do you have to take driving lessons?
There is no minimum number of lessons. You can practise with family or friends if they meet the supervision rules, but anyone you pay to teach you must be an approved driving instructor or trainee.
How long is a theory test pass valid?
2 years. If you do not pass your driving test in that time, you have to take the theory test again.
Can you drive alone straight after passing?
Yes. You can start driving as soon as you pass, without waiting for your full licence to arrive.
Sources: GOV.UK Apply for your first provisional driving licence; GOV.UK Driving lessons and learning to drive; GOV.UK Driving test costs; GOV.UK Theory test: cars; GOV.UK Driving test: cars; DVSA Changes to driving test booking rules in 2026; GOV.UK Penalty points: new drivers.