The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has today announced when new rules will come into force for driving tests. It said the new booking system would make the system fairer and give learners control of their bookings.
From May 12, 2026, only learner drivers will be permitted to book or amend a car driving test, while from June 9, 2026, location restrictions will apply when relocating a booked test. This follows DVSA's announcement that from March 31, 2026, the number of amendments a learner driver is allowed to make to a car driving test booking will be reduced to two, down from six.
The forthcoming changes, which follow a nationwide consultation on improving the booking regulations, are part of a clampdown on third-party services exploiting the test booking system. They aim to reduce the resale of driving tests and will create a level playing field for learner drivers, giving them greater control over their learning to drive journey.
Roads and Buses Minister, Simon Lightwood, said: "Learning to drive is hard enough without an unfair booking system. Learners deserve clear, honest access to tests – not being ripped off by third-party sites.
"These changes put learners back in control, stop the system being gamed, and help make sure tests go to those who really need them. I welcome DVSA's action to make things fairer and support learners on their journey to becoming safe, confident drivers."
Beverley Warmington, the new chief executive of DVSA, said: "We have listened to learners, driving instructors and voices from across the driver training industry on how to make the booking rules fairer. Our priority is to stop learners being exploited by third parties and put them in control of booking their driving test. The changes announced today will help us achieve that goal and build on the more than 149,000 additional tests delivered between April 2025 and February 2026."
Changes to driving test bookings from May 2026
From May 12, 2026, third parties will no longer be able to book or alter practical car driving tests for learner drivers. This includes unofficial test booking and cancellation finder services as well as driving instructors.
Learners who are unable to book a test on GOV.UK and require extra support will still be able to secure a test by contacting DVSA's customer service centre. The DVSA has also said it will introduce terms and conditions for public bookings and a declaration that all car learner drivers must agree to before they can finalise or modify their test booking.
This is intended to enable the DVSA to take action against those who knowingly violate the rules, including instances where third parties book a driving test on behalf of a learner. Furthermore, from June 9, 2026, learners will only be able to transfer their driving test to the three closest driving test centres.
It stated that implementing a location restriction "will help deter bookings at locations where the learner doesn't intend to take their test. This will give a clearer view on which areas have the highest demand, allowing DVSA to better manage and focus driving examiner resources".
It continued: "Introducing these changes will disrupt cancellation finding services and make it fairer for learner drivers when searching for and booking their test. When the new rules come in, learners should only ever pay the actual fee DVSA charges – £62 on weekdays and £75 on evenings, weekends and bank holidays – giving them greater control and confidence when booking a driving test."
Driving instructors and driving schools will still be able to collaborate with their learner drivers to determine when they are test-ready and provide guidance and support throughout their learning and booking process, including through the DVSA Ready to Pass? campaign. They will also be able to specify times they're available to accompany pupils to their test, preventing learners from booking tests at times that don't suit their instructors.
Why the driving test changes are being introduced
The alterations come after a consultation on enhancing driving test booking regulations, which ran from May 28 to July 23, 2025, and garnered more than 100,000 responses. The DVSA stated that 70.7 per cent of those who responded to the consultation agreed or strongly agreed with the proposal of limiting bookings to learner drivers only.
It also noted that 42.5 per cent concurred or strongly concurred with limiting the number of swaps or changes an individual could make to their test.
The consultation examined how the DVSA could refine the rules for booking driving tests. Of the 93,421 responses analysed, 72 per cent were from learner drivers.
Parents or guardians who booked a test for a learner made up 7.7 per cent of respondents, while 9.9 per cent were an ADI or trainee driving instructor.
Respondents were asked for their opinions on two main areas where the DVSA could modify the driving test booking system. These included who could book and manage driving tests and how changes to driving tests could be handled.
The full outcome of the consultation on improving car driving test booking rules can be found here: Improving car driving test booking rules: response to consultation - GOV.UK
Further guidance on changes to the driving test booking rules can be found here: Changes to driving test booking rules in 2026 - GOV.UK
