The documents topic of the theory test checks that you know the paperwork behind legal driving: your licence, insurance, the MOT, vehicle tax and the V5C log book. It also covers the rules that apply to you as a learner and in your first two years after passing. Get these wrong in real life and the results are fines, penalty points or even losing your licence, so it is worth learning them properly.
Last reviewed: September 2026. Checked against the Highway Code and GOV.UK.
What this topic covers in the theory test
Questions in this topic are usually short and factual. You might be asked:
- what the legal minimum level of motor insurance is
- when a car needs its first MOT, and what you can do if the MOT has run out
- which documents a police officer can ask you to produce
- what SORN means and when you need it
- who is allowed to supervise a learner driver
- what happens to a new driver who reaches 6 penalty points
- what the eyesight rule is and when you must tell DVLA about a medical condition
Most of the answers come from Annex 3 of the Highway Code (motor vehicle documentation and learner driver requirements) and Annex 5 (penalties). The figures below were checked on GOV.UK in September 2026.
Your driving licence
The Highway Code says you MUST have a valid driving licence for the category of vehicle you are driving (Annex 3). For a learner, that means a provisional licence.
According to GOV.UK, you can apply for your first provisional licence once you are at least 15 years and 9 months old, and most people can start learning to drive a car at 17. The application costs £34 online or £43 by post (GOV.UK, checked September 2026).
A photocard licence is not valid forever. GOV.UK says you must renew a photocard licence every 10 years.
Rules for learner drivers
Annex 3 sets out what a learner MUST do:
- hold a valid provisional licence
- be supervised by someone who is at least 21 years old, holds a full licence for that type of car and has held it for at least three years
- display red L plates (or D plates in Wales) on the front and back of the car
- pass the theory test and then the practical test before driving unaccompanied
GOV.UK adds that you can be fined up to £1,000 and get up to 6 penalty points on your provisional licence if you drive without the right supervision. Your supervisor also needs to be covered by insurance for you to drive their car, and some insurers set a higher minimum age for supervisors.
Learners can drive on motorways, but only with an approved driving instructor. Rule 253 lists the road users who must not use motorways, and GOV.UK is clear that you cannot practise on a motorway with family or friends.
Motor insurance
Insurance is the document with the biggest penalties attached. GOV.UK states that third party insurance is the legal minimum. That covers injury or damage you cause to other people, vehicles, animals or property. It does not pay to repair your own car.
The common levels of cover are:
- Third party only: the legal minimum
- Third party, fire and theft: adds cover if your own car is stolen or catches fire
- Comprehensive: also covers damage to your own car and injury to you (Annex 3 describes comprehensive cover in these terms)
If you are caught driving without insurance, the police can give you a £300 fixed penalty and 6 penalty points. If the case goes to court, you can get an unlimited fine and be disqualified. The police can also seize, and in some cases destroy, the vehicle. GOV.UK also warns that it is not enough for the car to be insured: you must be insured to drive it.
MOT
The MOT is an annual check that a vehicle meets road safety and environmental standards. The Highway Code says cars MUST normally pass an MOT three years from the date of first registration and every year after that (Annex 3).
Key facts from GOV.UK’s MOT guidance:
- The deadline is the third anniversary of registration, or the anniversary of the last MOT for older vehicles.
- You can be fined up to £1,000 for driving without a valid MOT.
- If the MOT has run out, you cannot drive or park the car on the road. The only exceptions are driving it to or from somewhere to be repaired, or to a pre-arranged MOT test.
Annex 3 also notes that cars and other light vehicles made or first registered over 40 years ago are normally exempt from the MOT, unless they have been substantially changed.
Vehicle tax (VED) and SORN
Vehicle Excise Duty, usually called vehicle tax or road tax, MUST be paid on all motor vehicles used or kept on public roads (Annex 3). GOV.UK adds that you must tax your vehicle even if it is exempt and you pay nothing.
Three points catch people out:
- Tax does not pass to a new owner. When a car is sold, DVLA cancels the seller’s tax and refunds any full months left, so the buyer must tax it before driving it away.
- You need a reference to tax a car. GOV.UK lists a DVLA reminder letter, the V5C log book in your name, or the green “new keeper” slip if you have just bought the car.
- SORN. If you want to keep a vehicle untaxed and off the public road, you MUST declare SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification). Annex 3 says a vehicle must either have a SORN in place or be insured.
The V5C registration certificate (log book)
The V5C shows who the registered keeper of a vehicle is. It is not proof of ownership, it records who is responsible for the vehicle. Annex 3 says the keeper MUST tell DVLA as soon as possible when they buy or sell a vehicle, or change their name or address. Both the buyer and seller share responsibility for completing the paperwork.
Which documents can the police ask for?
Annex 3 says you MUST be able to produce your driving licence, a valid insurance certificate and, if appropriate, a valid MOT certificate when a police officer asks. If you cannot produce your insurance certificate after a collision in which someone is injured, Rule 287 says you MUST report it to the police as soon as possible, and in any case within 24 hours, then produce the certificate within seven days.
New drivers: the 6-point rule
This is one of the most important rules in the topic. Under the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995, special rules apply for two years after you pass your first driving test (Annex 5).
GOV.UK’s new drivers guidance explains:
- Your licence will be revoked if you get 6 or more points within 2 years of passing your test.
- Any unexpired penalty points on your provisional licence carry over to your full licence when you pass. They count towards the 6.
- To get a full licence back, you have to apply and pay for a new provisional licence and pass both the theory and practical tests again.
To see how quickly this adds up: Annex 5 lists 6 points for using a hand-held mobile phone while driving, and 6 to 8 points for driving without insurance. One offence of either kind is enough to lose a new licence. Two speeding offences at 3 points each would do it too.
Eyesight and medical conditions
These rules are part of the documents topic because they affect whether your licence is valid. We state the rules here. For anything about your own health or eyesight, check with GOV.UK, DVLA or a qualified professional.
Eyesight
Rule 92 says you MUST be able to read a vehicle number plate, in good daylight, from 20 metres. If you need glasses or contact lenses to do this, you MUST wear them every time you drive. GOV.UK’s driving eyesight rules add a visual acuity standard of at least decimal 0.5 (6/12) on the Snellen scale and an adequate field of vision.
Medical conditions
Rule 90 says you MUST report to DVLA any health condition likely to affect your driving. GOV.UK says you can be fined up to £1,000 if you do not tell DVLA about a medical condition that affects your driving. You can check whether a condition needs reporting on GOV.UK’s health conditions and driving page.
Common mistakes learners make
- Thinking any adult can supervise. The supervisor must be at least 21 and have held a full licence for at least three years.
- Believing comprehensive insurance is the legal minimum. The minimum is third party.
- Assuming vehicle tax comes with a second-hand car. It does not: the buyer has to tax it.
- Forgetting that points on a provisional licence carry over and count towards the new driver 6-point limit.
- Mixing up the V5C and the MOT certificate. The V5C records the keeper; the MOT certificate shows the car passed its test.
- Thinking an expired MOT can be ignored for a short trip. You can only drive to a pre-arranged MOT or to or from repairs.
Quick-reference table
| Document or rule | Key fact | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Provisional licence | Apply from 15 years 9 months; most people can drive a car from 17 | GOV.UK |
| Learner supervisor | At least 21, full licence held for at least 3 years | Highway Code Annex 3 |
| Insurance | Third party is the legal minimum; £300 fixed penalty and 6 points if uninsured | GOV.UK |
| First MOT | By the third anniversary of registration, then every year | Highway Code Annex 3, GOV.UK |
| No valid MOT | Fine up to £1,000 | GOV.UK |
| Vehicle tax | Needed for vehicles used or kept on public roads; not transferred on sale | Highway Code Annex 3, GOV.UK |
| SORN | Needed to keep a vehicle untaxed and off the public road | Highway Code Annex 3 |
| New drivers | 6 or more points within 2 years of passing: licence revoked | Highway Code Annex 5, GOV.UK |
Practice questions
These practice questions are written by Get Driving Test Ready to help you revise. They are not official DVSA questions.
Q1. Your friend is 20 and passed her test four years ago. Can she supervise you on a practice drive?
A) Yes, as long as she sits in the front passenger seat.
B) No, because she is under 21.
C) Yes, because she has held her licence for more than three years.
D) No, because she needs to be a qualified instructor.
Answer: B. A supervisor must be at least 21 and have held a full licence for that type of car for at least three years. She meets the experience rule but not the age rule. (Highway Code Annex 3)
Practise this on the road: Before any private practice, check your supervisor is 21 or over and has held a full licence for that type of car for three years.
Q2. What is the minimum level of insurance you need to drive on a public road?
A) Third party, fire and theft.
B) Comprehensive.
C) Third party.
D) Breakdown cover.
Answer: C. Third party insurance is the legal minimum. It covers injury or damage you cause to others, not damage to your own car. (Highway Code Annex 3; GOV.UK: vehicle insurance)
Practise this on the road: Ask whoever owns your practice car to show you the insurance policy and confirm it covers you as a learner driver.
Q3. When does a car normally need its first MOT test?
A) By the third anniversary of its registration.
B) Only when it is sold.
C) By its fifth anniversary.
D) By its first anniversary.
Answer: A. Cars normally need their first MOT by the third anniversary of first registration, then every year after that. (Highway Code Annex 3; GOV.UK: getting an MOT)
Practise this on the road: Use the free GOV.UK MOT history check on your practice car's registration to see when its next MOT is due.
Q4. Your car's MOT expired yesterday. When can you legally drive it on the road?
A) Only to a pre-arranged MOT test, or to or from somewhere it is being repaired.
B) Only at night when roads are quiet.
C) For up to 14 days while you find a garage.
D) At any time, as long as the car is taxed.
Answer: A. GOV.UK says you cannot drive or park the car on the road once the MOT has run out. The only exceptions are driving to a pre-arranged MOT test, or to or from somewhere it is being repaired. (Highway Code Annex 3; GOV.UK: getting an MOT)
Practise this on the road: Look up your practice car's MOT expiry date online and set a reminder a month before it runs out.
Q5. You have just bought a used car from a private seller. What must you do before driving it home?
A) Declare SORN.
B) Tax the car and make sure you are insured to drive it.
C) Book an MOT, even if the current one is valid.
D) Nothing, the seller's vehicle tax carries over to you.
Answer: B. Vehicle tax does not transfer to you when you buy a vehicle, so you must tax it before you use it, and you must be insured to drive it. SORN would mean keeping it off the road. (Highway Code Annex 3; GOV.UK: if you've sold or bought a vehicle)
Practise this on the road: Ask your supervisor to show you how to check a car's tax and MOT status on GOV.UK before you drive it.
Q6. You want to keep an untaxed car on your driveway and not use it. What must you do?
A) Nothing, as long as it stays on private land.
B) Remove the number plates.
C) Declare SORN with DVLA.
D) Cancel the MOT.
Answer: C. If you want to keep a vehicle untaxed and off the public road, the keeper must declare SORN. (Highway Code Annex 3; GOV.UK: SORN)
Practise this on the road: Ask your family how they handle a car they are not using, and look at the SORN guidance on GOV.UK together.
Q7. You passed your test 18 months ago and already have 3 penalty points. You are then given 3 more. What happens?
A) You must take a speed awareness course.
B) Nothing, the limit is 12 points.
C) Your licence is revoked and you must pass the theory and practical tests again.
D) You get a warning letter from DVLA.
Answer: C. Under the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995, reaching 6 or more points within two years of passing means your licence is revoked, and you have to reapply for a provisional licence and pass both tests again. (Highway Code Annex 5; GOV.UK: penalty points for new drivers)
Practise this on the road: Discuss with your instructor which common offences carry points, and how quickly six points could end your licence after passing.
Q8. You have moved house. Which document must you update with DVLA so the car's records show your new address?
A) The MOT certificate.
B) The theory test pass certificate.
C) The vehicle registration certificate (V5C).
D) The insurance certificate.
Answer: C. The registered keeper must tell DVLA as soon as possible about a change of name or address, which is recorded on the V5C. You should also tell your insurer, but the question asks about DVLA. (Highway Code Annex 3)
Practise this on the road: Check where the V5C log book for your practice car is kept and whose name and address are on it.
Q9. From what distance must you be able to read a vehicle number plate in good daylight?
A) 20 metres.
B) 30 metres.
C) 10 metres.
D) 15 metres.
Answer: A. You must be able to read a number plate from 20 metres in good daylight, wearing glasses or contact lenses if you need them. (Highway Code rule 92)
Practise this on the road: On your next drive, park safely and check you can read a number plate about 20 metres away, wearing glasses if you need them.
Q10. You are in a collision in which someone is injured and you cannot show your insurance certificate at the scene. What must you do?
A) Report it to the police as soon as possible, and in any case within 24 hours.
B) Post a copy to DVLA within 30 days.
C) Report it to your insurer within a week and nothing else.
D) Nothing, the other driver's insurer will contact yours.
Answer: A. Rule 287 says you must report to the police as soon as possible and within 24 hours, then produce the certificate within seven days. (Highway Code rule 287)
Practise this on the road: Check where your provisional licence and the car's insurance details are kept before your next lesson.
Next steps
Go back to the theory test hub for the full list of topics. The incidents, accidents and emergencies topic covers what to do after a collision, including exchanging details, and attitude looks at the habits that keep new drivers clear of penalty points. When you are ready for the second half of the test, read our guide to the hazard perception test.