From today (12 May 2026), only learner drivers can book and
manage their own driving test - part of a crackdown on
exploitation by third-party services.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has introduced
new rules for car driving test bookings, putting learners firmly
in control of their own booking.
The change means it is now against the law for third parties,
including unofficial test booking and cancellation finder
services, as well as driving instructors, to make bookings for
someone else.
It's also a breach of DVSA's terms and
conditions for the booking service for third parties to
change, swap or cancel a driving test for someone else.
Find out more about the
new driving test booking rules.
Stopping people reselling tests for profit
, Minister for Roads and
Buses, said:
This government inherited record waiting times and a huge backlog
of learners waiting for tests, with the system seeing too many
people paying over the odds to third-party touts.
But we're taking action and seeing results, delivering almost 2
million tests over the past year, more than 158,000 extra tests
since June 2025, and military driving examiners now on the ground
helping boost capacity across the country.
These new rules put learners back in control by stopping others
from snapping up tests and reselling them for profit, helping
make the system fairer and ensuring tests go to the people who
genuinely need them.
Beverley Warmington, DVSA Chief
Executive, said:
Our priority is to stop learners being exploited by third
parties, put them in control of their driving test and make the
process fairer by clamping down on businesses that resell tests
at inflated prices.
These new measures help bring a halt to a system where the use of
bots and third parties increases the amount some learners pay for
a test and blocks test availability for many others. These
measures will help free up appointments for genuine learners who
are ready to take their test.
We're determined to reduce waiting times further, building on the
more than 158,000 additional tests delivered between June 2025
and March 2026 - supported by driving examiner numbers at their
highest level since 2018 and the recent deployment of military
driving examiners who are already carrying out tests.
New rules are making booking fairer
The new rules aim to make booking driving tests fairer for
learner drivers.
Learners should only ever pay the official DVSA fee - £62
on weekdays and £75 on evenings, weekends and bank holidays.
The changes introduced today build on the reduction in the number
of changes that can be made to a test from 6 to 2, which came
into force on 31 March 2026.
From 9 June 2026, further restrictions will come into force,
limiting learners to moving their test only to one of the 3
nearest driving test centres. This will help to deter bookings at
locations where learners do not intend to take their test.
Driving instructors and driving schools can still:
- advise learners on when they are ready to take a test and
offer support throughout their learning journey
- set their available times, preventing learners from booking
tests at times that do not work for them
More driving examiners and more driving tests
DVSA is
continuing to increase driving examiner capacity to help provide
more tests. As of April 2026, there were 1,604 full-time
equivalent driving examiners in post - the highest level of
examiner capacity since March 2018.
DVSA has
doubled its training capacity for new driving examiners, meaning
it can recruit more driving examiners and get them testing
sooner.
More driving tests taking place
Provisional data shows that the number of driving tests taking
place has increased over the last year.
1,998,608car driving tests taken between April 2025 and
March 2026 - an increase of 8.6% from the previous year
Number of car driving tests taken
April 2022 to March 2023
1,688,955
April 2023 to March 2024
1,945,225
April 2024 to March 2025
1,839,817
April 2025 to March 2026
1,998,608
Source: Table DRT121G, Driving test and theory
test data: cars
More people passing their test
The same provisional data shows an increase in the number of
people passing their driving test.
1,000,043car driving tests passed between April 2025 and
March 2026 - an increase of 11.7% from the previous year
Number of car driving tests passed
April 2022 to March 2023
816,775
April 2023 to March 2024
931,494
April 2024 to March 2025
895,368
April 2025 to March 2026
1,000,043
Source: Table DRT121G, Driving test and theory
test data: cars
