Tougher rules for booking driving tests introduced: here’s what you need to know

Revised rules for booking practical driving tests have now come into force in a bid to reduce record waiting times and clamp down on black-market bookings.

Driving instructors are now no longer able to book tests for rookie drivers that they are not teaching, while businesses that do not employ instructors are not allowed to book tests, although individuals can still book a slot for themselves. 

Those charging administration fees for booking must make it abundantly clear at the point of sale, plus the minimum notice period in which you can cancel your test before waiving your £62 booking fee has also been extended from three working days to 10.

These changes come as part of a seven-step plan from the government and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to slash waiting times, which includes a consultation with the industry over further proposals on how to reduce wait times. Some of the suggestions include allowing learners to book even further in advance than the current 24-week limit, as well as enforcing fees and longer wait times for those that don’t show up, fail with several major faults and/or abuse their examiner.

Another major concern is that shady individuals and businesses are using bots to book up practical tests and resell them for as much as £200. While this is certainly exploitative, reselling a driving test is currently not illegal in the UK. However, the Minister for the Future of Roads, Lilian Greenwood, says the Government will “review and improve the rules around booking tests, including measures to ban the resale of driving test appointments”.

The DVSA claims it’s already making efforts to shut down some of the websites responsible for this, although many novice drivers are still being left unable to confirm a slot after crooks have stolen their details to book tests for resale.

Aside from tightening the rules, Greenwood says the Government plans to recruit and train 450 driving examiners, a move which is intended to offset the roughly 130 staff the DVSA typically loses per year in resignations. So far, the government says it has recruited over 50 new examiners, with the total of 450 examiners expected to be enlisted throughout 2025 forecast to create as many as 590,000 additional tests.

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