Applying for a provisional driving
licence
Before you
can learn to drive a car, you must
apply for a provisional driving
licence.
Apply online
You can apply for your first
provisional driving licence for a
car, moped or motorcycle using the
Driver and Vehicle Licensing
Agency's (DVLA) secure and easy to
use online service.
Apply in person or by post
You can apply for your
provisional driving licence by
completing the D1 application form
that is available from the DVLA
form ordering service or Post
Office® branches. You will also
need to enclose original
documentation confirming your
identity, a passport style colour
photograph .
Send your completed application
and payment to DVLA, Swansea, SA99
1AD or you may be able to use the
premium checking service.
DVLA aim to deliver your driving
licence to you within three weeks
of receiving your application. It
might take longer if we have to
check on your health or personal
details. You will need to wait for
your new licence to arrive before
driving. Please allow at least
three weeks for your licence to
arrive before contacting DVLA.
DVLA aims to deliver your
driving licence to you within
three weeks or receiving your
application. It might take longer
if we have to check on your health
or personal details. You will need
to wait for your new licence to
arrive before driving. Please
allow at least three weeks for
your licence to arrive before
contacting DVLA.
Plastic wallets
Please note that DVLA no longer
issues plastic wallets with
photo card driving licences. This
decision was taken primarily to
help minimise the costs of issuing
licences to the public. The agency
has also received numerous
complaints from members of the
public about the size of the
plastic wallet. Consequently many
drivers discard the wallet and use
a different way of protecting
their licence. Old plastic wallets
sent in to the agency cannot be
returned.
