The Licence Centre ltd - Failure Is Not An Option

Car Drivers
Before you begin Learning to drive isn't always as easy as it looks. Below is some information from the Driving Standards Agency (DSA), that we hope will help you getting your driving licence. Before you start learning to drive you must make sure you hold a valid Great Britain or Northan Ireland provisional driving licence or a Full Motorcycle Licence. It is also compulsory that you make sure that ANY vehicle you drive is roadworthy, taxed and you have insurance for that vehicle. How to get a Provisional Licence To apply for a provisional UK licence, you need to fill in a D1 form. This can be obtained from your local post office. You can apply for a provsional licence up to 3 months before your 17th birthday, but your licence will not be valid until you become 17. Once you have applied for your provsional licence, and it is valid, you can apply to take your theory test either straight away or when your driving instructor has advised you to. Foreign Licences If you hold a valid Community licence and you are only visiting the UK, you are entitiled to drive any vehicle for as long as your licence is valid. The appropriate full entitlement for the vehicle you wish to drive must be shown on your licence. The EEA countries are as follows: A - Austria B - Belgium C - Czech Republic / Cyprus (Republic of) D - Denmark E - Estonia F - Finland / France G - Germany / Greece H - Hungary I - Iceland / Ireland / Italy L - Latvia / Liechtenstein / Lithuania / Luxembourg M - Malta N - Netherlands / Norway P - Poland / Portugal S - Slovenia / Slovakia / Spain / Sweden U - United Kingdom If you live within the EEA and wish to live in the UK you will have to apply for a UK licence. For more information please visit the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) website - website address available on our Links page. If you live outside the EEA and hold a full driving licence, it may be possible to exchange it for a british licence. To find out of you are able to exchange your licence to a UK licence please contact DVLA on 0870 850 0 007. If, for any reason, you cannot exchange your licence or you do not currently hold a full driving licence, then you will have to apply for a UK provisional licence and take a theory and practical test. For more information about licences within th European Community please visit the Europa Transport website (website link on our links page) Medical conditions If you have ever had or currently suffer from any medical condition, that may affect your vehicle control , it is very important that you inform the DVLA of your past or current condition and the same if you have a medical condition that may progress into a new condition or a worse condition, failure to do so is known as a criminal offence and will result in a rather heavy fine! Taking your driving lessons Once you have recieved your new provisional licence, you are entitled to start taking driving lessons. It is very unlikely that anyone apart from an approved driving instructor (ADI) will be able to teach you the correct and up to date rules of the road. You are however allowed to take driving lessons with another adult over the age of 21 years and they must have held a full UK licence for a minimum of 3 years. As a learner driver it is up to you to make sure you display 'L' Plates (can also be 'D' plates in Wales) on both the front and back of your vehicle when you are driving. If you fail to do so you shall be fined and given points on your licence.

Car Drivers

Before you begin

Learning to drive isn't always as easy as it looks. Below is some information from the Driving Standards Agency (DSA), that we hope will help you getting your driving licence.

Before you start learning to drive you must make sure you hold a valid Great Britain or Northan Ireland provisional driving licence or a Full Motorcycle Licence. It is also compulsory that you make sure that ANY vehicle you drive is roadworthy, taxed and you have insurance for that vehicle.

How to get a Provisional Licence

To apply for a provisional UK licence, you need to fill in a D1 form. This can be obtained from your local post office. You can apply for a provsional licence up to 3 months before your 17th birthday, but your licence will not be valid until you become 17.

Once you have applied for your provsional licence, and it is valid, you can apply to take your theory test either straight away or when your driving instructor has advised you to.

Foreign Licences

If you hold a valid Community licence and you are only visiting the UK, you are entitiled to drive any vehicle for as long as your licence is valid. The appropriate full entitlement for the vehicle you wish to drive must be shown on your licence.

The EEA countries are as follows:

A - Austria

B - Belgium

C - Czech Republic / Cyprus (Republic of)

D - Denmark

E - Estonia

F - Finland / France

G - Germany / Greece

H - Hungary

I - Iceland / Ireland / Italy

L - Latvia / Liechtenstein / Lithuania / Luxembourg

M - Malta

N - Netherlands / Norway

P - Poland / Portugal

S - Slovenia / Slovakia / Spain / Sweden

U - United Kingdom

If you live within the EEA and wish to live in the UK you will have to apply for a UK licence. For more information please visit the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) website - website address available on our Links page.

If you live outside the EEA and hold a full driving licence, it may be possible to exchange it for a british licence. To find out of you are able to exchange your licence to a UK licence please contact DVLA on 0870 850 0 007.

If, for any reason, you cannot exchange your licence or you do not currently hold a full driving licence, then you will have to apply for a UK provisional licence and take a theory and practical test.

For more information about licences within th European Community please visit the Europa Transport website (website link on our links page)

Medical conditions

If you have ever had or currently suffer from any medical condition, that may affect your vehicle control , it is very important that you inform the DVLA of your past or current condition and the same if you have a medical condition that may progress into a new condition or a worse condition, failure to do so is known as a criminal offence and will result in a rather heavy fine!

Taking your driving lessons

Once you have recieved your new provisional licence, you are entitled to start taking driving lessons. It is very unlikely that anyone apart from an approved driving instructor (ADI) will be able to teach you the correct and up to date rules of the road.

You are however allowed to take driving lessons with another adult over the age of 21 years and they must have held a full UK licence for a minimum of 3 years.

As a learner driver it is up to you to make sure you display 'L' Plates (can also be 'D' plates in Wales) on both the front and back of your vehicle when you are driving. If you fail to do so you shall be fined and given points on your licence.

Bike Riders
Before you begin From the age of 16, you can start training for your motorcycle licence. Although most people may tell you 'if you can ride a bicycle, you can ride a motorbike' - learning to ride a motorbike or scooter isnt always as easy as it may look or seem! Before you start training, you must apply for a provisional motorbike/moped licence. If you held a full car licence before 1st february 2001, you are entitled to ride up to a 50cc moped as long as you display 'L' plates (Or 'D' plates in Wales) on the front and rear of your moped at all times, and you are not allowed to ride on motorways or carry a pillion passenger. If you obtained your full car licence after 1st February 2001, you must first complete a CBT (Compulory Basic Training) course before you are allowed to ride any motorcycle/moped. You are automatically entitled to take a CBT course if you hold a full car licence, without having to apply to the DVLA for a provisional motorbike/moped licence. Provisional Licence Entitlement If you are 16 years old and hold a valid provsional motorcycle/moped licence, but haven't yet completed a CBT course, you are not yet allowed to ride on the road. In order to be legally allowed on the road, you must complete a CBT course and obtain a DL196 certificate. Once you have completed this course you are allowed to ride upto a 50cc moped as long as you display 'L' plates (or 'D' plates in Wales)on the front and rear of your moped, don't go onto motorways, don't carry a pillion passenger - for 2 years minimum. Once you turn 17 you can then ride upto a 125cc scooter or bike. If you took your CBT when you were 16 on a 50cc moped with no gears, and you now want to ride upto a 125cc bike with gears then we advise that you either take another CBT or speak to an instructor and ask them if they could teach you how to ride with gears. What is a Moped? A moped is classified as a motorcycle but has the following specifications; Maximum speed of 50km per hour (about 31mph) Maximum engine capacity of 50cc If the moped was first used before 1 September 1977, should be able to be moved by pedals Types of Full motorcycle licences There are 2 different types of full motorcycle licences which you can aim for. These are: A light motorcycle licence (A1). Having an A1 licence restricts riders to any motorcycle up to a 125cc and a power output of 11kW (14.6bhp - Brake Horse Power). The motorcycle test must be taken on a motorcycle between 75cc and 125cc. A standard motorcycle licence (A). An A licence can only be obtained if the test is taken on a motorcycle between 120cc and 125cc and capable of a minimum 100 km/h (about 60mph). This test can be taken by anyone over the age of 17 years. When you have passed your standard test, you are restricted to ride a motorcycle of no more than 25kW (33bhp) for 2 years. How to choose a qualified intsructor Before taking any motorcycle training, you want to make sure you are being taught by a qualified and licenced instructor. To find out if you being taught by a qualified instructor, we recommend that you ask the following questions. Ask the training school if their instructors are certified by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) and if they have an Approved Training Body (ATB holder). For an instructor to be qualified to teach CBT's, they must have completed a 2 day assessment and thier ATB must have sites approved by the DSA for off-road training. If you require any further information about licences please visit www.dsa.gov.uk

Bike Riders

Before you begin

From the age of 16, you can start training for your motorcycle licence. Although most people may tell you 'if you can ride a bicycle, you can ride a motorbike' - learning to ride a motorbike or scooter isnt always as easy as it may look or seem!

Before you start training, you must apply for a provisional motorbike/moped licence. If you held a full car licence before 1st february 2001, you are entitled to ride up to a 50cc moped as long as you display 'L' plates (Or 'D' plates in Wales) on the front and rear of your moped at all times, and you are not allowed to ride on motorways or carry a pillion passenger. If you obtained your full car licence after 1st February 2001, you must first complete a CBT (Compulory Basic Training) course before you are allowed to ride any motorcycle/moped. You are automatically entitled to take a CBT course if you hold a full car licence, without having to apply to the DVLA for a provisional motorbike/moped licence.

Provisional Licence Entitlement

If you are 16 years old and hold a valid provsional motorcycle/moped licence, but haven't yet completed a CBT course, you are not yet allowed to ride on the road. In order to be legally allowed on the road, you must complete a CBT course and obtain a DL196 certificate. Once you have completed this course you are allowed to ride upto a 50cc moped as long as you display 'L' plates (or 'D' plates in Wales)on the front and rear of your moped, don't go onto motorways, don't carry a pillion passenger - for 2 years minimum. Once you turn 17 you can then ride upto a 125cc scooter or bike.

If you took your CBT when you were 16 on a 50cc moped with no gears, and you now want to ride upto a 125cc bike with gears then we advise that you either take another CBT or speak to an instructor and ask them if they could teach you how to ride with gears.

What is a Moped?

A moped is classified as a motorcycle but has the following specifications;

Maximum speed of 50km per hour (about 31mph)
Maximum engine capacity of 50cc
If the moped was first used before 1 September 1977, should be able to be moved by pedals

Types of Full motorcycle licences

There are 2 different types of full motorcycle licences which you can aim for. These are:

A light motorcycle licence (A1). Having an A1 licence restricts riders to any motorcycle up to a 125cc and a power output of 11kW (14.6bhp - Brake Horse Power). The motorcycle test must be taken on a motorcycle between 75cc and 125cc.
A standard motorcycle licence (A). An A licence can only be obtained if the test is taken on a motorcycle between 120cc and 125cc and capable of a minimum 100 km/h (about 60mph). This test can be taken by anyone over the age of 17 years. When you have passed your standard test, you are restricted to ride a motorcycle of no more than 25kW (33bhp) for 2 years.

How to choose a qualified intsructor

Before taking any motorcycle training, you want to make sure you are being taught by a qualified and licenced instructor. To find out if you being taught by a qualified instructor, we recommend that you ask the following questions. Ask the training school if their instructors are certified by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) and if they have an Approved Training Body (ATB holder). For an instructor to be qualified to teach CBT's, they must have completed a 2 day assessment and thier ATB must have sites approved by the DSA for off-road training.

If you require any further information about licences please visit www.dsa.gov.uk