Photo: Antoni Shkraba / Pexels. Illustrative photograph.
For a car driving test in Great Britain you need three things: a car that meets DVSA’s rules, your UK photocard driving licence, and (only if you passed your theory test in Northern Ireland) your theory test certificate. Bring the wrong things and the test is cancelled and you lose the fee. This checklist covers the documents, the car rules and what happens from the eyesight check to the result.
Driving test checklist (Great Britain)
- Your UK photocard driving licence. You must be recognisable from the photo.
- No photocard? Bring your paper licence and a valid passport.
- Northern Ireland licence? Bring the photocard and the paper counterpart.
- Theory test certificate: only if you passed the theory test in Northern Ireland. For a GB theory pass the examiner checks it for you.
- Proof of a name change (marriage certificate or deed poll) if your name differs from the booking.
- A suitable car, usually your instructor’s (see the rules below).
- Glasses or contact lenses if you need them to read a number plate at 20 metres.
What ID do you need for the driving test?
Your licence is your ID. Small changes in how you look, such as dyed hair or a new beard, are fine. If you cannot be recognised from the photo, for example after plastic surgery, you must update the photo before the test.
Lost your licence?
Apply for a replacement. GOV.UK warns it can take up to 15 days to arrive. If it will not arrive in time, rearrange the test rather than turning up without it.
Changed your name?
Bring proof. Without it, you have to cancel and book a new test in your new name using your new licence number.
Car rules if you use your own car
Most learners use their instructor’s car, which already meets the rules. If you use your own, check every line. If the car fails any of them, the test is cancelled and you pay again.
| Requirement | What DVSA says |
|---|---|
| Tax, insurance, MOT | Taxed, insured for a driving test (check with your insurer), and a current MOT if over 3 years old |
| Warning lights | None on that show a safety issue |
| Tyres | No damage, legal tread on every tyre, no space saver spare fitted |
| Condition | Roadworthy |
| Examiner’s mirror | An extra interior rear view mirror |
| Passenger seat | Seat belt and a proper head restraint (slip-on types not allowed) |
| Speed | Able to reach at least 62 mph |
| Speedometer | A fitted mph speedometer, not an add-on display or phone app |
| L plates | Front and rear (L or D plates in Wales) |
| Size | 4 wheels, maximum authorised mass up to 3,500 kg |
| Dual controls | Not needed in your own car. A hire car must have them. |
Cars you cannot use
- Panel vans (no rear seats or rear side windows).
- Models DVSA lists as unsuitable, including the BMW 218 convertible, BMW Mini convertible, Ford KA convertible, Polestar 4, Polestar 5, Smart Fortwo (2 door), Toyota iQ and VW Beetle convertible.
- Check coupes and other convertibles with the test centre first. A convertible’s roof must stay up for the whole test.
Dashcams
An insurance dashcam is allowed if it faces out of the car and does not film or record audio inside.
What happens on driving test day
- Licence check. The examiner checks your licence.
- Who sits in. You are asked if you want someone in the back for the drive and the result. This is usually your instructor but can be a friend or relative over 16. They cannot take part. The examiner’s supervisor may also sit in; if you refuse, the test can be cancelled and you pay again.
- Eyesight check. Read a number plate from 20 metres (20.5 metres for an old style plate). Fail this and the test ends as a fail. Practise on our eyesight practice page.
- “Tell me” question before you drive, then a “show me” question while driving. See the current show me, tell me questions.
- About 35 minutes of driving on varied roads, not motorways, including 20 to 35 minutes of independent driving by sat nav or signs. See independent driving.
- One reversing exercise: parallel park, park in a bay, or pull up on the right, reverse about 2 car lengths and rejoin traffic. See test manoeuvres.
- Result and feedback back at the centre.
The test is the same in a manual or automatic. If you make a mistake, carry on: a minor fault may not affect the result. The examiner only stops the test if your driving is a danger to other road users.
Official rules versus test-day rumours
Only DVSA sets the documents, the car rules and how faults are marked. Tips from friends or social media about “automatic fails” or secret routes are not rules, so check anything surprising against the GOV.UK pages listed below. A few things that do help on the day:
- Sit in the test car in your last lesson and set the seat, mirrors and controls the way you will use them.
- Check the route to the test centre and how long it takes at that time of day.
- If you have a disability, health condition or need any support, say so when you book rather than on arrival.
- If you do not hear or understand an instruction during the drive, ask the examiner to repeat it.
After the result
- Pass: no serious or dangerous faults and no more than 15 driving faults. You get a pass certificate and can drive straight away. The examiner can send off for your full licence if you hand over your provisional; otherwise apply within 2 years. Contact DVLA if the licence has not arrived 3 weeks after you applied.
- Fail: the examiner tells you the faults. You book and pay again, choosing a date at least 10 working days away.
More on marking: driving, serious and dangerous faults.
Common questions
Do I need my theory certificate for the driving test?
Not if you passed the theory test in Great Britain; the examiner checks your pass. Bring it only if you passed in Northern Ireland.
Can I use a paper licence or passport on its own?
No. Without a photocard, you need both the paper licence and a valid passport.
Can my instructor sit in?
Yes, if you want. They sit in the back and cannot help. A parent or friend over 16 can do the same.
Does my own car need dual controls?
No. Only a hire car needs them.
What if the weather is bad on the day?
Tests do not go ahead in icy, flooded, foggy or very windy conditions. Call the test centre; DVSA books the next date automatically. See when a test is cancelled.
What if I fail the eyesight check?
The test stops there and counts as a fail. Check your eyesight well before the day: driving eyesight rules.
Taking the test in Northern Ireland?
DVA runs NI tests with its own booking and rules. See booking the DVA practical test.
Related: driving test booking rules 2026, top reasons people fail and the practical test guide. Back to the main guide: Learning to Drive in Great Britain.
Sources
- GOV.UK, “Driving test: cars: What to take to your test” (gov.uk)
- GOV.UK, “Driving test: cars: Using your own car for your test” (gov.uk)
- GOV.UK, “Driving test: cars: What happens during the test” (gov.uk)
- GOV.UK, “Driving test: cars: Driving test faults and your result” (gov.uk)
- GOV.UK, “Driving test: cars: If your test is cancelled or there’s bad weather” (gov.uk)