To learn to drive a motorcar on the roads of Great Britain you must hold a valid provisional driving licence. You must usually be 17 before you can start learning to drive although there are some exceptions which include certain disabled drivers and drivers of some agricultural vehicles.

It can take between three and six weeks to process a provisional licence application but you can send for your provisional any time after three months before your 17th birthday. You can also book your lessons in anticipation of your 17th birthday but you will only be able to take a lesson if your provisional licence has been received before the appointment time. If you are waiting for a replacement licence or have temporarily mislaid it you must still be able to show the licence to the appropriate authorities (such as the police!) within 5 days of being asked to produce it.

Most driving schools, including A2Z of Motoring, will accept a pupil's word that they are properly licensed when they book their initial assessment lesson. It is the responsibility of the instructor to then check that the pupil's licence is valid, however, it ultimately always falls on the pupil to ensure that they remain eligible to drive at all times. Despite long-standing rumours, there are no plans to increase the age from which you can learn to drive to 18.