Photo: Jonathan Borba / Pexels. Illustrative photograph.
Under Northern Ireland’s Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) scheme, you cannot book your practical test until your GDL Logbook is complete. Every car learner records their training through the GDL app or website, each of the 14 mandatory modules must be signed off by a supervising driver or an approved driving instructor (ADI), and a final sign-off unlocks booking. This guide covers the logbook as a route to test day: setting up the account, using each module to build test skills, who can sign, and how DVA checks the record.
What stands between you and booking
- Who needs it: NI car learners whose provisional entitlement began on or after 1 October 2026, and from 1 April 2027 every learner who books a test.
- Cost: £17 for the GDL account (car and motorcycle programmes).
- Where: the GDL app (App Store or Google Play) or the online version on nidirect.
- Car programme: 15 modules. Modules 1 to 14 are mandatory; Module 15 (motorway driving) is optional.
- Who signs off: a supervising driver or an ADI, or a mix of both.
- Before booking: 6-month minimum learning period, theory pass and completed logbook with final sign-off.
Step 1: Create your GDL account
Have these ready:
- your email address
- your postal address
- your driver number (on your NI provisional licence)
- a debit or credit card for the £17 fee
Create the account through the green link on nidirect’s GDL page or in the app. Keep your login details safe: you need them every time. For account problems, use DVA’s “Ask DVA” service.
Step 2: Use each module to build test skills
The Programme of Training covers 14 mandatory modules, from the driver and the vehicle through to night-time driving, distraction and eco-safe driving. The full list and a suggested plan are in the 6 month plan and 15 modules.
The logbook records free-text training details. DVA’s privacy notice lists the kind of thing kept:
- dates of sessions
- weather and lighting conditions
- road type
- how long you trained
- commentary on the session
Fill it in after each session while it is fresh. A record written up weeks later is harder for your supervisor to sign with confidence. Use the commentary to note what went wrong as well as what went well: a list of repeat mistakes is the same list an examiner would be marking as driving faults.
Step 3: Get each module signed off when you can genuinely do it
| Who | Can sign modules? | Can do final sign-off? | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supervising driver (parent, relative, friend) | Yes | Yes | At least 21, full NI licence held for at least 3 years |
| Approved driving instructor (ADI) | Yes | Yes | Registered with DVA |
Each person who signs gives an e-signature. ADIs also record their Approved Instructor number.
One exception: motorway training before your test (Module 15) can only be done with an ADI. If your provisional licence was in force before 1 October 2026, you cannot do it as a learner until 1 April 2027. See GDL Module 15.
Step 4: Final sign-off unlocks your test booking
- All 14 mandatory modules completed and signed.
- Final sign-off by a supervising driver or ADI.
- Theory test passed and the 6-month minimum learning period finished.
- The GDL system passes your details to the DVA booking system, so you can book your practical test.
A final sign-off says you have completed the programme, not that you will pass. Before you book, check you can drive a full test-length route without prompts and handle the reversing exercises and emergency stop. Then see booking the DVA practical test.
How DVA checks your logbook
- Your logbook details are matched against your provisional licence application.
- DVA checks its driver licensing records to confirm each supervising driver meets the criteria.
- If an ADI or motorcycle instructor signed, DVA checks they are registered.
So make sure anyone signing meets the age, licence and 3-year requirements before they sign. Sign-offs must be genuine.
Common questions
Can my mum or dad sign off my modules?
Yes, if they are at least 21 and have held a full NI licence for at least 3 years. You can use a parent, an ADI, or a combination.
Does my supervisor need an NI licence?
It depends on what they are doing. To sit beside you for ordinary practice, DVA’s general learner rules accept a full car licence from NI, GB or an EU country, held for at least 3 years, with the supervisor aged 21 or over. To sign your GDL logbook, DVA’s guidance for parents and supervising drivers describes a supervising driver with a full NI licence. If your supervisor holds a GB or EU licence, they can still help you practise, but check with DVA before they sign any module or the final sign-off.
Do I need an ADI to get signed off for the test?
No. DVA does not require ADI lessons for the mandatory modules: a supervising driver can sign them. Only pre-test motorway driving needs an ADI, and that is not available until 1 April 2027 if your provisional licence was in force before 1 October 2026.
How many hours of practice does the logbook need?
nidirect’s logbook page doesn’t set a number of hours. The time requirement is the 6-month minimum learning period from your first car provisional entitlement.
I’m on Carer’s Allowance. Do I still need the logbook?
Yes. You are exempt from the 6-month minimum learning period but must still complete the Programme of Training and Logbook.
Is the £17 charged again if I fail my test?
DfI describes it as a cost for the use of the app. It does not mention a further charge after a failed test. Check with DVA if you are asked to pay again.
I started learning before 1 October 2026. Do I need the app?
Only if you test on or after 1 April 2027. See the NI transition rules.
Looking for lessons or an instructor? Our sister site Compare Driving Instructors covers lesson prices and choosing an instructor.
Related: what changed on 1 October 2026, provisional licence rules. Main guide: Learning to drive in Northern Ireland.
Sources
- DVA, “Create or access your Graduated Driver Licensing Account” (nidirect.gov.uk)
- DVA, “The Programme of Training and Logbook” (nidirect.gov.uk)
- DVA, “Guidance for parents and supervising drivers” (nidirect.gov.uk)
- DVA, “Minimum ages and rules for learner drivers and riders” (nidirect.gov.uk)
- Department for Infrastructure, “Graduated Driver Licensing FAQs” (infrastructure-ni.gov.uk)
- Department for Infrastructure, “DVA Graduated Driver Licensing Privacy Notice” (infrastructure-ni.gov.uk)
- DVA, “What Graduated Driver Licensing means for learner drivers” (nidirect.gov.uk)
- DVA, “Motor vehicle documentation, learner and newly qualified driver requirements” (nidirect.gov.uk)
- Department for Infrastructure, The Motorways Traffic (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026, SR 2026/143, regulation 4 (new regulation 11(2) and 11(3)) (legislation.gov.uk)