Driving licence application DL1 - guidance notes

When you apply for a provisional driving licence for a car, motorcycle or moped, you need to fill in a DL1 application form which is available from main Post Office branches or directly from DVA by calling the number at the link below.

• Driver & Vehicle Agency - driver licensing

For more information visit:

• Apply for a provisional driving licence

General information for DL1 application form

These notes contain important information about applications for Northern Ireland driving licences.

You should only use form DL1 for making applications for ordinary driving licences (such as for cars, motorcycles and tractors) but you cannot use it to apply for licences to drive goods vehicles or passenger-carrying vehicles, or to apply for a taxi drivers’ licence.

You should read the notes carefully before filling in the application form. The notes are meant to be a comprehensive guide, but they do not set out all of the licensing laws that apply.

Licence costs and how you pay

Information on what the driving licence fees are can be found on at: The cost of a driving licence or you can call the DVA driver licensing telephone line.

• DVA - driver licensing contact details

You should not send cash or blank cheques. DVA will not accept responsibility if they go missing. Cheques and postal orders should be made payable to DVA and crossed “A/ C PAYEE”.

You should write your name, address and date of birth (and driver number if you know it) on the reverse of the cheque or postal order.

Some things to note:

• DVA will only accept a maximum of two payment types for each application
• DVA will accept shared payment for a maximum of five applications made at the same time
• DVA will not accept a shared payment of £1,000 or more

Posting your application

You need to make sure that each section of your form is fully filled in and return it to DVA Driver Licensing at the address in the link below.

• DVA - driver licensing contact details

The driving licence fee includes return of your supporting documents (where applicable) by second class post. If you would like your supporting documents returned by secure delivery, you need to send a suitable pre-paid Royal Mail special delivery envelope. DVA will not give compensation for any loss or delay resulting from the use of second-class post.

Filling in the DL1 application form

Note one - section one A

Driver number

If you already hold a Northern Ireland driving licence and you know your driver number (shown on the paper counterpart or at section five of the licence photocard) you need to fill in section one A.

Note two - section one B

Name

You may need to give proof of your identity.

For details see, note four - section one C, section one D.

Note three - section one B

Address

DVA can only give driving licences to you if you live at an address in Northern Ireland.

Telephone number and email address

Giving DVA a daytime telephone number and/ or email address will help DVA contact you quickly if it needs any more information to fill in your application.

Codeword

If you have not already done so, you need to choose a codeword which is both secure and memorable. You are asked to give this as a security measure. Before discussing your driver details over the telephone DVA will ask for this information to avoid giving details about you to any unauthorised caller.

Note four - section one C, section one D

Confirm your identity

If this is your first application or if your last licence was issued before 1 April 1999, you need to give proof of your identity. There can be no exceptions.  

Once you have given proof of identity, you will not normally need to give it to DVA again in the future, but you will need to give documentary evidence of your identity if:

• you change your name (for example, through marriage/ civil partnership)

• your appearance has changed significantly

You can find more information about identity documents and photographs at:

• Providing proof of identity for a driving licence

Photographs that do not meet the published criteria, or are of poor quality, will be rejected.

What you must do

If this is your first application, or you have not been issued with a Northern Ireland licence since 1 April 1999, your application must be sent with both these documents:

• a colour, passport size photograph 
• original documents as proof of your identity

If you have been issued with a new style photocard licence at any time after 1 April 1999, your application must be sent with both these documents:

• a colour, passport size photograph - if you are applying for a duplicate licence or change of name/ address without renewal, a photograph is not normally needed
• suitable proof of your identity but only if your name has changed since your last licence

If you change your name

If you change your name, you must surrender your licence and apply for a new licence straight away. It is an offence not to do so.

You must give documentary evidence of the change of name; for example, passport in the name by which you are now known or birth and marriage/ civil partnership certificate.

The evidence you give must show a clear link between the name on your identity document and your current name. Photocopies of the documentary evidence are unacceptable.

Your last licence must be sent with the application.

If you have lost either part, you will need to apply for a duplicate or you can choose to renew your licence and forward the right fee.

Note five - section one E

If you change address within Northern Ireland, you must surrender your licence and apply for a new licence straight away using the Driving licence application DL1 form. It is an offence not to do so. Your address must be in Northern Ireland.

Note six – section two

Your driving licence

This section allows you to tell DVA which type of licence you want.

Note seven – section two A

First provisional licence

You need a provisional licence while learning to drive a car or ride a moped or motorcycle.

You may apply for your provisional car licence two months before your seventeenth birthday, but you must not drive until it comes into effect. You may apply for a tractor or moped licence at age 16. If you apply for a first provisional licence for tractors/ mopeds at 16 you will automatically be given provisional entitlement for a car (given the necessary health standards are met and you are not disqualified from driving at the time).

You must not drive a car until the car entitlement comes into effect. If you are aged 16 and getting Disability Living Allowance at the higher rate and want to drive a car, you need to give your National Insurance Number.

Motorcycles

A provisional licence will give you entitlement to learn to drive motorcycles in category A, A2, A1 or AM. You can find details of age rules and what these categories entitle you to at:

•  Motorcycle licence requirements

Note eight – section two B

Changing a provisional licence to a first full licence

On passing your test, the examiner will advise the circumstances under which you may qualify for an automatic licence upgrade. If you do not meet the rules you must send in both parts of your provisional driving licence along with your test pass certificate to get your driving licence upgraded to a full licence.

If you have changed your address, you must tell the DVA of this by filling in the change of address section on the back of the test pass certificate.

If you have printed out a test pass certificate, then you must fill in your new address on the DL1 form and post this in along with both parts of your driving licence.

If you do not have both parts of your driving licence, you must fill in the DL1 form and return it to the DVA along with the fee of £30. You should not send cash.

If you wish to change the photograph on your driving licence, you must fill in the DL1 form and return this with both parts of your driving licence, a passport size photograph and your test pass certificate.

Adding another category to a full licence

If you already have a full licence and wish to add another category after passing a test for that category, you must surrender your existing licence and test pass certificate.

If your current licence was issued more than five years ago, your application must be sent with a colour passport size photograph.

Note nine – section two C

Expiry renewal

When your existing driving licence is due to expire, DVA will send you a reminder notice that will detail how to renew your licence. DVA can only accept expiry renewal applications for Group 1 (car/ motorcycle) licences if they are received no more than two months before the existing licence is due to expire.

You can apply to renew your Group 1 licence online at:

• Renew your driving licence

You can also use form DL1 to renew your licence if you have not received a reminder or you do not want to renew online. The provision of an expiry renewal reminder is a complimentary service. It is the licence holders’ responsibility to make sure that their licence is up-to-date and that a renewal application is made in time.

Over 70 renewal/ medical renewal

If you passed your test before 1 January 1997, you may have been given extra entitlement to drive medium-sized goods vehicles and minibuses (under certain restrictions). These are C1 and C1E (8.25 tonnes), D1 (not for hire or reward) and D1E (not for hire or reward).

If you are renewing your licence at age 70 or over or renewing a medically restricted licence and you wish to keep your entitlement to drive medium-sized goods vehicles and/ or minibuses, you must be able to meet the higher health standards that apply to drivers of lorries and buses. There is an exception with eyesight standards which is the same as for car drivers.

You need to send a filled in Medical Examination Report (form DLM1) if you wish to keep either of these entitlements.

Note ten – section two D

Change of name and/ or address

You need to fill in sections one D and/ or one E (see notes four and five above) if you have changed your name and/ or address.

Remove expired endorsements

Endorsements will normally stay on a licence for four years from the offence date. If you were disqualified until passing a further driving test, the four year period begins from the date of conviction.

If you were disqualified for certain alcohol-related motoring offences, endorsements will stay on your licence for eleven years from the date of conviction.

You must surrender any existing licence you have and include the right fee and a new colour photograph.

Duplicate licence

A duplicate licence is issued to replace a valid licence that has been lost, stolen or destroyed. The duplicate will be an exact copy of the original licence, including any relevant endorsements and will be valid to the same expiry date as before.

The issue date, shown at section four A on the front of the licence photocard, will however, be different.

Surrender of licences

You must surrender your old licence and counterpart if you still have it. You must fill in the declaration in this section giving the reason why you need to replace your licence. Once a licence has been formally reported as lost, stolen or destroyed it will be cancelled by DVA.

You cannot legally use a driving licence once it has been reported as lost or stolen and cancelled by DVA.

If you use a cancelled driving licence it may result in you being detained by the police or other law enforcement bodies.

If you are aged 70 or over, or are under medical restriction, you will have to pay for a duplicate licence, even if your renewal licence is issued free of charge.