Learning to drive or ride

Making Application for your provisional

Apply online for a first provisional driving licence

You can apply for your first British provisional driving licence online if you:

are a resident of Great Britain
can meet the minimum age requirement
can meet the minimum eyesight requirement
are currently not prevented from driving for any reason
can pay £38.00 by Mastercard, Visa, Maestro, Electron, Delta or Solo debit or credit card
have a valid UK passport or another form of identity
can provide addresses of where you have lived over the last three years
have a working printer connected to your computer

What you need to know before you apply

while applying, you’ll be issued with a Government Gateway user ID. If you already have a Government Gateway user ID, simply enter it with your password
for your security and protection, and with your consent, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) will carry out checks on your identity
if you have a UK digital passport, DVLA will capture your photograph and signature from the Identity and Passport Service (IPS)
DVLA will aim to send your driving licence within 10 working days

If at the end of the online application process it has not been possible to verify your identity, retrieve your details from IPS or you do not have a UK digital passport you can still complete the application online:

simply print off your application and return it to DVLA within 21 days
you will be advised during the transaction of any relevant documentation you will need to send with the printed application
in this instance, DVLA will aim to send you a new photocard licence within 15 working days

Before you start your application

Be sure you have the following to hand:

a suitable debit or credit card
your UK digital passport if you have one
details of previous addresses

Also make sure that your printer is switched on and ready for use.

Apply online here

Click here to Apply online for a first provisional driving licence.