Provisional driving licence

[XA04]

I've been looking around for what the minimum age is to apply for your provisional driving licence.... now...

I can't see anything on the Governments DVLA website on this, but on other websites it says 2/3 months before your 17th birthday.

Can you apply before or not?



If anyone can prove this with linkage to a government site that would be great,
Thanks.

[Dav0s]

i thought you could get it before you are 16 :/

[ctid]

You can apply from 3 months before your 17th birthday but you cant use it until your 17th birthday. I know this because I just got mine and had my first driving lesson today

[Slamdog]

you can apply at 15, but you cannot do anything until you are 16 when you can get on a moped...

unless you are registered disabled.. in which case you can drive a car at 16.

[johnny02004976]

i got mine when i was 16

[XA04]

i got mine when i was 16

How many months before your 17th though?..






I just ask because my friend today was applying for his provisional licence.. he is only 16, but he needs to get one for his moped, but I don't recall seeing anything on the form saying you must be 17 or anything..

[ctid]

I have the documents that came with my provisional license from the DVLA in front of me. They say that for driving a car, you can apply 3 months before your 17th birthday but the license won't come into effect until the day of your 17th birthday. The only exception to this is if you are claiming the highest level of disability allowance.

[XA04]

I have the documents that came with my provisional license from the DVLA in front of me. They say that for driving a car, you can apply 3 months before your 17th birthday but the license won't come into effect until the day of your 17th birthday. The only exception to this is if you are claiming the highest level of disability allowance.

Oh right, OK.

Thanks

[hitman67]

I got mine 3 months before my 17th birthday, and took my first lesson on that day. Scared the crap out of my dad with the way I drove the A3...

[Slamdog]

i got mine at 15


Couldn't use it till I was 16 though...

[Rave]

Got mine just before I turned 16, and did my CBT on my 16th birthday. I honestly can't remember if I had to send it back to the DVLA to get provisional car entitlement added, but I don't think I did, I just put on the form that I'd like my car and motorbike provisional entitlement to start from my 17th birthday.

[XA04]

hmmm, interesting.

So could I just apply for a licence and I will get it - then be able to use it for the car when im 17?

[XA04]

Well I'll get an application form - as they're free. And I'll examine it to see if it mentions anything on that.

[Rave]

Unless you intend to ride a moped there's not much point having a provisional licence before you're 17- just apply a couple of months in advance of your birthday if you're keen to start driving, to make sure it arrives in time.

[XA04]

Well, I've already ordered for the form off the DVLA website. Will just have a look at it anyway.

Main reason I want it is so that I have it and it's out of the way.

[XA04]

Got the forms today.

Now it doesn't actually say anything about age for some reason, but I've figured out some stuff.

Quote from leaflet:

All provisional licences automatically include vehicle categories A (motorcycle), B (car), F (agricultural tractors), K (mowing machine) and P (mopeds).

So that basically means that the standard licence allows you to drive those - however in a picture of the licence, it shows you at the bottom it shows you what vehicles you can use (in the code letters, e.g. B, A, F etc).

Now since your not allowed to drive a car until your 17, if you applied for a licence before then you would get the licence but only be able to ride a moped, tractor and such - not a car.

I've read that you can apply for your licence to start at a specified date, but ONLY 2 months after applying... so that obviously means that you can apply for your licence 2 months before your 17th birthday.


That's what I've figured out anyways - they don't say it simply do they!?!