While learning to drive, a provisional driving licence is a necessity required by law to get started on the roads. However, how much does it cost? Are there any other costs involved? This article will answer all your questions in regard to this topic.
A provisional driving licence costs £34 when you apply online, and £43 if you apply by post. This total quickly escalates, however, when adding on the additional cost of insurance, a legal requirement for all drivers, even learners. Insurance varies depending on numerous different factors and is gone into detail extensively down below. There are no other extra costs involved, unless your licence is lost or destroyed, in which a replacement will cost you a total of £20.
This article will go over all the costs involved in obtaining a provisional driving licence in detail. Let’s jump in!
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How much does a provisional driving licence cost?
A provisional driving licence comes with a price. To apply online, it costs £34. To apply via post, it will cost you a total of £43, presumably due to the standard postage fees. All prices found on the UK Government website, on this page.
However, how long does it take to be delivered? Can I pay more to have faster delivery? This Think Student article will provide lots of helpful information on this topic.
How much does a replacement provisional driving licence cost?
The cost changes if you have to reapply for your provisional driving licence. You may have to reapply if you have lost your provisional driving licence, it has been stolen or damaged/destroyed or other alike situations. The application system is exactly the same, except this time it will only cost you £20. Ensure you report the theft of your driver’s licence to the police.
What is a provisional driving license?
A provisional driving license allows learner drivers to drive on UK roads– with the exception of motorways- under the supervision of your professional driving instructor or a fully licenced driver over the age of 21 who has possessed a driving licence for at least 3 years. You can easily tell whether a driver is on a provisional driving licence by the notorious red ‘L’ placed on the rear end of the car (L standing for learner).
What do you need a provisional driving licence for?
A provisional driving licence is required for many things that relate to gaining your full drivers licence. For example, you will need a provisional driving licence for your theory test, practical driving test, hazard perception and also your driving lessons.
Are you required to have a provisional driver’s licence?
While you are still learning to drive, you are legally obligated to own a provisional drivers licence. Driving without a licence could result in severe consequences for breaking the law. You could be issued a fine, penalty points, or even taken to court and possibly disqualified from driving.
Once you have passed your driving test, you no longer need to have a provisional driver’s licence, as you will have now obtained a full drivers licence.
Do you need insurance while on a provisional driving licence?
The answer to this question depends on your situation.
If you are learning to drive at a driving school or with a driving instructor, the vast majority of the time you will not need to pay for extra insurance, as this cost generally comes within the driving lesson price, however this is not true all of the time so it might be best to check this beforehand to ensure you understand what you have to pay for.
If driving in your own personal car, you are legally required to have at least the minimum amount of insurance obligated by law (covers you if you damage property and other alike situations, often referred to as third-party insurance).
If you are driving in a family relatives car – for example your parents car- you must inform the insurance company to ensure you are allowed to be covered by their existing insurance. This may increase their insurance bill.
How much does insurance cost if you are driving under a provisional licence?
There is another cost involved, too, that come with owning a provisional driving licence- insurance. Insurance is legally required for all drivers, whether they are on a provisional licence or have had their licence for decades. Insurance fees for starter drivers is known all across the UK to be astronomical, however for drivers on a provisional licence the costs dips slightly due to the added safety of a supervisor. The reasoning behind insurance being higher for younger drivers is because they are, statistically speaking, much more likely to get into an accident.
All prices are different depending on what car you drive, your age, and other such varying factors. It would be impossible to label an exact price for each length of insurance, since the cost would be different for everyone. Instead, these paragraphs will provide an idea of whether they will be expensive/ cheap, and who they will suit the best.
Insurance costs vary from company to company, but they also vary depending on how long you want your insurance for. Generally, there are three main options: short-term cover, full annual cover and named driver cover.
Short term insurance policies generally last 3-6 months and are ideal for those using a car exclusively for their driving test, as this is about the period of time that it takes to pass a driving test. Standardly, this insurance comes with fully comprehensive cover, meaning you will be covered for almost everything that could go wrong on the road, with the exceptions of drink-driving and other such incidents. This type of insurance is generally comprehended to be leaning over to the more expensive side, despite it only being for a short while, meaning you should definitely make sure this is the insurance that you want.
Full annual cover is lasts for the entire year and will give you the flexibility to cancel or upgrade your policy once you pass your driving test, however, do appreciate that cancellation fees can apply. If you are 18-24, choosing this sort of insurance can get extremely pricey, so do your research to ensure you understand what is best for you.
Finally, named driver cover allows you to drive under someone else’s insurance policy, for example your parents. You will be driving as a named driver; however this will mean that whoever’s policy you are driving under will have higher premiums. This option is generally cheaper, but not always, so as stated before, do your research. This type of insurance is useful for those driving in a relatives car.
You can also pay as you go with temporary car insurance with companies such as Veygo. They give you the option to purchase a couple of hours of insurance, so if you decide last minute to practise with a family member you can relatively easily purchase insurance before you start learning. It is worth noting this is usually a more expensive way of doing it compared to paying for longer term insurance. You can check out Veygo here.
How do you apply for a provisional driving licence?
The process of applying for a provisional drivers licence is fairly simple and manageable.
Before you begin, you must ensure that you are at least 15 years and 9 months old and can read a number plate from 20 metres away (this is possible for the majority of people- if you wear glasses or contact lenses, you are still able to do this, you will just need to be wearing them).
You will need to have a credit or debit card at hand to be able to make the payment, an identity document (unless you have a valid UK biometric passport), the addresses of where you have lived over the past 3 years and your national insurance number (if known).
The process is simple and clear and provides understandable instructions for what must be done. You will go through several steps of filling in your details, and eventually you will get to the payment section where you will enter your card details to complete the transaction.
To apply for your provisional license online go to the government website. Alternatively, you can go to a post office and ask for a “D1” form. You can learn more about this on the postoffice.co.uk.
Does a provisional drivers licence need to be renewed?
The short answer is yes and no- it all depends on the amount of time you have owned it for. For more information on how long a provisional driver’s licence lasts, take a look at this Think Student article.