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Apply for your first provisional driving licence
Get your first provisional driving licence for a moped, motorbike or car from DVLA online.
This service is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).
Apply using your Government Gateway ID. If you don’t have one or need to re-register, you’ll get an ID as part of your application.
If you’ve already got your provisional driving licence you don’t need to apply again to drive a car.
Start now on driving licensing online
To get your first provisional driving licence online for a moped, motorbike or car you must:
- be at least 15 years and 9 months old
- be able to read a number plate from 20 metres away
- provide an identity document unless you have a valid UK biometric passport
- provide addresses where you’ve lived over the last 3 years
- pay £34 by MasterCard, Visa, Electron, Maestro or Delta debit or credit card
- have your National Insurance number if known
Your licence should arrive within one week if you apply online.
When you can apply
You can apply for a provisional driving licence when you’re 15 years and 9 months old.
Vehicles you can drive with a provisional licence
When you have your provisional driving licence you can:
- ride a moped - you can’t ride on the road until you’ve completed a compulsory basic training (CBT) course
- drive a car, as long as you’re following the rules for learning to drive
Your licence will say when you can start driving different vehicles. Check how old you have to be to drive them.
You can drive a car when you’re 16 if you get, or have applied for, the enhanced rate of the mobility component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
You’ll get a confirmation email from DVLA after you’ve applied. You might be asked to take part in research by email, but you can opt out.
You can apply by post by completing a D1 application form, which you can get from:
- the DVLA form ordering service
- a Post Office
Postal applications take up to 3 weeks.
You must include:
- original documents confirming your identity
- a colour passport-style photograph
- the fee of £43 by cheque or postal order payable to DVLA (don’t send cash)
You must send original documents - you can’t use the Post Office document certification service.
Send your completed application and payment to:
- DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AD - if all your documents are from the UK
- DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AF - if any of your documents are from outside the UK