Applying for a provisional driving licence
Before you learn to drive, you must apply for a provisional driving licence. If you already hold a valid full driving licence and want to add a higher category, you must first apply for provisional entitlement in the category you require. You can apply online or by post.
Apply for a provisional driving licence online
You can apply for your provisional car, motorcycle and tractor driving licence online at the link below.
If you apply online, you'll get your provisional driving licence much sooner than if you apply by post.
Apply for a provisional licence by post
You can apply for your provisional driving licence by completing the DL1 application form which is available from main Post Office branches
You will need to enclose original documents confirming your identity, a passport style colour photograph and the fee of £62.50.
- Identity documents and photographs guidelines
Send your filled in application and payment to Driver Licensing at the address in the link below:
The provisional licence has a green plastic photocard and a green and pink paper counterpart.
How to pay
Do not send cash, bank notes or blank postal orders with your application; the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA) can't be held responsible if they go missing.
- make cheques or postal orders payable to DVA
- do not post-date your cheque, DVA can't accept it
- sign and date your cheque and make it out for the right amount
- the amount written in words must match the amount written in figures
- write your full name, address, date of birth and/ or driver's number if known on the back
- if you underpay, your application will be returned to you for the right payment
Applying for provisional entitlement for larger vehicles, buses or minibuses
If you hold a valid full licence at this time and want to add provisional entitlement to drive large vehicles, minibuses or buses, you must fill in the DL2 application form and the DLM1 medical report form. DL2 application forms are available from main Post Office branches.
The DLM1 (medical report form) must be filled in by a doctor and you should make sure that all the relevant questions are answered. The doctor will normally charge you for filling in the report and those registered for VAT will also need to charge the current rate on top of their fee.
The Visual Assessment section of the DLM1 form must be filled in by a doctor or by an optician/optometrist. The optician/optometrist will normally charge you an additional fee for filling in this section.
After a change in driver licensing rules, anyone who is under insulin control for their diabetes or has diabetes treated by tablets in the Sulphonylurea or Glinide class, may apply for or renew vocational entitlements to drive categories C1, C1E, D1, D1E, C, CE, D or DE.
For drivers with diabetes on insulin or other medications, there are three stages you need to go through when applying for or renewing the vocational entitlements shown above. Details of these stages can be found at the link below:
Large Goods Vehicles (LGV) Checklist
| You will need to: |
|---|
| fill in the DL2 form |
| ask a doctor to fill in the DLM1 form – this report will only be valid for four months from date of the doctor/optician’s signature |
| surrender both parts of your existing driving licence |
| include the fee of £20 by cheque or postal order made payable to DVA – your name and driver number should be written on the back of the cheque/postal order |
| make sure that all forms have been signed and dated |
The address to send this information to is at the link below:
Basic Disclosure Certificates (PCV entitlement only)
If you are applying for a passenger-carrying vehicle entitlement (PCV), that is buses or minibuses, a Basic Disclosure Certificate (BDC) is also needed.
Where the applicant is aged over 65 years, or where the ordinary driving licence is issued for periods of three years or less, a BDC will only be needed on renewal of the ordinary driving licence and no more often than every three years.
BDC's, which you can get online from Access NI, will show details of all convictions considered to be unspent or state that no such convictions were found.
You should note that while a conviction will not necessarily prevent you from being issued with a licence, some serious convictions may lead to a refusal.
Where a licence is refused, you may make an appeal.
To get a Basic Disclosure Certificate, you should contact AccessNI:
The DVA will only accept BDC's issued within a period of three months ending with the date of the application for the driving licence.
Applicants for PCV drivers' licences who need Standard or Enhanced Disclosure arrangements may give a BDC waiver letter from their employer showing that they are in registered employment and that they have not been convicted of any offence which could lead to the refusal of the grant of a PCV driver’s licence.
Applications for PCV entitlement without a valid Disclosure Certificate will not be accepted.
Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) Checklist
| You will need to: |
|---|
| fill in the DL2 form |
| ask a doctor to fill in the DLM1 form – this report will only be valid for four months from date of the doctor/optician’s signature |
| send a copy of your digital certificate to Driver & Vehicle Agency via the share button on your nidirect account and include the following email address - BusDriverConduct@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk - when you share your disclosure certificate with someone, it will only be visible to them for five days - you may share your certificate as many times as you like |
| surrender both parts of your existing driving licence |
| include the fee of £20 by cheque or postal order made payable to DVA – your name and driver number should be written on the back of the cheque/postal order |
| make sure that all forms have been signed and dated |
To login to your nidirect account, go to:
Send filled in forms to the DVA driver licensing at their address in Coleraine, see the page below for the postal address:
Return of supporting documents
Make sure you attach the correct postage to the envelopes when you are returning your documents to DVA Driver Licensing. DVA cannot accept the delivery of this post with insufficient or no postage.
The driving licence fee includes the return of your identity documents (where applicable) by second class post. If you would like your supporting documents returned by secure delivery, include a pre-paid Royal Mail Special Delivery envelope with your application.
DVA will not give compensation for any loss or delay resulting from the use of second class post.
DVA cannot guarantee to return your documents by a set date, for example, a holiday.
When to expect your licence
The DVA aims to process your licence within 10 working days of receiving a fully filled in application. This may take longer if your health or personal details have to be checked.
Allow at least six weeks for your driving licence to arrive. If your licence has not arrived six weeks after you made your application, contact DVA Driver Licensing.
If you do not tell DVA within ten weeks that your licence has not arrived, you will need to apply for a duplicate licence and pay the relevant fee.
Provisional licence period
A provisional driving licence will expire (when the date at 4b on the plastic card part of your driving licence has passed) every 10 years.