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You can apply for a provisional driving licence when you鈥檙e 15 years and 9 months old.

You can start driving a car when you鈥檙e 17.

Check which vehicles you can learn to drive.

Rules for learning to drive

You must have a provisional driving licence for Great Britain or Northern Ireland when you鈥檙e learning to drive or ride.

You must be supervised when you鈥檙e learning to drive a car. This can be by a driving instructor or someone else who meets the rules, for example family or friends.

The car you learn in must display 鈥楲鈥� plates.

You can drive at any time, day and night.

You can only drive on motorways if all of the following apply:

• you鈥檙e driving in England, Scotland or Wales
• you鈥檙e with an approved driving instructor
• the car is fitted with dual controls

Speed limits

In England, Scotland and Wales the speed limits when driving with 鈥楲鈥� plates are the same as when you鈥檝e passed your test.

In Northern Ireland the speed limit is 45 miles per hour when you鈥檙e learning to drive a car.

Anyone you pay to teach you to drive must be either:

• a qualified and approved driving instructor (ADI)
• a trainee driving instructor

You can find your nearest driving instructors.

Instructors set their own prices for driving lessons - there鈥檚 no minimum or maximum cost.

Check your instructor鈥檚 badge

Instructors have to display a badge in their windscreen to prove they鈥檙e registered with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). They display:

• a green badge if they鈥檙e a qualified driving instructor
• a pink badge if they鈥檙e a trainee

Driving lessons

There鈥檚 no minimum number of lessons you must have or hours you must practise driving.

How many lessons you need will depend on how quickly you learn. You can download a form to record your progress with your instructor.

You can complain about a driving instructor if you鈥檙e not happy with their service or behaviour.

You can practise driving with family or friends. Anyone you practise your driving with (without paying them) must:

• be over 21
• be qualified to drive the type of vehicle you want to learn in, for example they must have a manual car licence if they鈥檙e supervising you in a manual car
• have had their full driving licence for 3 years (from the UK, the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein)

It鈥檚 illegal for:

• your friend or family member to use a mobile phone while supervising you
• you to drive on the motorway when practising with family or friends

Insurance

You need your own insurance as a learner driver if you鈥檙e practising in a car you own. Your family member or friend will usually be covered on this.

If you鈥檙e practising in someone else鈥檚 car, you need to either:

• make sure you鈥檙e covered by the car owner鈥檚 insurance policy as a learner driver
• take out your own insurance policy that covers you driving in the car as a learner driver

Recording your practice

You can download a form to record any practice you do without your driving instructor.

You must put an L plate on the front and back of your vehicle so they can be seen easily.

In Wales, you can use a D plate instead.

An L plate or D plate must:

• have a red L or D on a white background
• be the right size

You should take L plates off your vehicle when it鈥檚 not being used by a learner.

P plates

You can display green 鈥榩robationary鈥� P plates to show that you鈥檝e just passed your driving test. You do not have to display them. You can leave them on your vehicle for as long as you like.