Learning to drive or ride

These pages include extracts from the DVLA's D100 leaflet called "What you need to know about driving licences". You can download the original document by following this link.
This leaflet and these pages gives general information. It is not a statement of law.
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the information reproduced is correct, Select All cannot not be held responsible for any inaccuracies.

Cars

Learners must be supervised by a qualified driver who must:

• be at least 21 years old;

• hold a full, valid British, Northern Ireland, or EC/EEA licence in the appropriate category; and

• have held that licence for three years or more.

Trailers

You may tow the following.

• A trailer up to 750kg after you pass your test in category B. You can also tow a trailer over 750kg if the maximum authorised mass of the trailer is not more than the unladen weight of the towing vehicle and the combined maximum authorised mass is no more than 3.5 tonnes.

• A trailer up to 750kg after you pass your test in category C1, D1, C or D.

• A larger trailer when learning to drive in category B+E, C1+E, D1+E, C+E, D+E, or an agricultural tractor (category F).

Agricultural tractors

If you are 16 and learning to drive a tractor, you are only allowed to drive on the road when you are going to and from a driving test.

Electric vehicles were category L.

‘Duty Exempt’ (vehicles that you do not have to pay vehicle tax on) was category N. You can no longer take a test for this category.

Help with passing your theory and practical driving tests

You can practice a mock theory test on-line at www.direct.gov.uk/motoring.

It will also help if you study the following publications.

• The Highway Code

• Theory Test for Car Drivers

• Theory Test for Motorcyclists

• Driving: The Essential Skills

• Driving Goods Vehicles and Driving Buses and Coaches (if you are learning to drive a LGV or PCV)

You can get all of these from major bookshops (and www.wbs-online.co.uk).

Supervising learner lorry and bus drivers

The person supervising a learner LGV or PCV driver must have held a full licence:

• for at least three years for the category of vehicle they are travelling in; or

• for at least one year for the category of vehicle they are travelling in, and have held a full licence in the other category (LGV or PCV as appropriate) for at least two years.

For example, a person supervising a PCV learner driver must either have held a full PCV licence for at least three years or a full LGV licence for two years and a full PCV licence for at least one year.

In all instances, the driver supervising must hold the relevant licence at the time they are supervising.

You can get more information on supervising a learner lorry or bus driver from the Driving Standards Agency.

The table below shows the provisional entitlement a learner must have and the experience the person supervising them needs.

Voluntary register of LGV instructors
The voluntary register has been developed by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) with guidance from the road
haulage and training industries. It aims to help reduce accidents involving large goods vehicles by raising the
standard of training for leaner lorry drivers. If an instructor is on the register, their standards of training have been
closely monitored by the Driving Standards Agency.

So anyone being trained by an instructor on the register can be assured of the quality of the training they receive.
If you have any questions about the register, phone the DSA on 0115 901 2625.

Staging of tests
New drivers must hold a full driving licence for category B before taking a test for entitlement to categories B+E, C1, D1, C, D, G and H.

You automatically get provisional B+E entitlement (vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes towing trailers over 750kg) with
a full B licence, but you will need to apply for provisional entitlement to C1, D1, C or D. Full entitlement to C1
(medium-sized vehicles 3.5 to 7.5 tonnes towing a trailer up to 750kg) or D1 (passenger-carrying vehicles, nine to
16 passenger seats with a trailer up to 750kg) is needed before taking a driving test for C1+E or D1+E. Drivers
also need to pass a driving test for category C (large vehicles above 3.5 tonnes with a trailer up to 750kg) or
D (passenger-carrying vehicles with more than eight seats with a trailer up to 750kg) and get the full lorry or bus
licence with the appropriate provisional entitlement before taking a test in a combination for C+E (large vehicles
above 3.5 tonnes with a trailer over 750kg) or D+E (passenger-carrying vehicle with more than eight seats
with a trailer over 750kg).

Drivers who want to apply for C or D do not have to have C1 or D1 entitlement first.