Know the learner driver rules in England before you practise: who can supervise you, L plates, insurance, passengers, motorway lessons, penalty points and the proposed minimum learning period.
Learner driver rules in England come down to three things: drive only with a qualified supervisor, show L plates front and back, and be insured as a learner. Your supervisor must be at least 21 and have held a full licence for 3 years. The law sets no passenger limit, and motorways are allowed only with an approved instructor.
You need a qualified supervisor with you every time you drive. When you practise with family or friends, your supervisor must:
While supervising, they must not hold and use a phone, must be under the drink-drive limit and must not be under the influence of drugs. They also must not take any payment from you, not even money for fuel.
Only an approved driving instructor (ADI) or a trainee instructor can charge you for lessons. ADIs have a green badge, and trainees a pink one.
You must show an L plate on the front and the back of the car, where other road users can see it easily. The plate is a red L on a white background and has to meet the legal size, so buy a proper set rather than making your own. In Wales you can use D plates instead.
Take the plates off when a learner is not driving the car. Not showing L plates, or showing ones of the wrong size, can bring up to 6 penalty points.
After you pass, green P plates are optional, and you can keep them on for as long as you like.
You must be insured for every car you practise in.
Check the small print. Some insurers want the supervisor to be over 25, even though the law allows 21. Driving without insurance can bring an unlimited fine, a driving ban and up to 8 penalty points. If you plan to take the test in your own car, it must also be insured for the test itself: see using your own car for the driving test.
Yes. The regulations that set the conditions for a provisional car licence list three: drive under the supervision of a qualified driver, display L plates, and do not tow a trailer. None of them limits passengers. The passenger limits in the same regulation apply to learner motorcyclists and to learner bus and coach drivers, not to learner car drivers.
Your insurer may set its own conditions, so check your policy. And keep it sensible: friends in the back are a distraction you do not need while you are learning, and your supervisor needs to concentrate on your driving.
You can apply for a provisional licence from 15 years and 9 months, and you can usually drive a car from 17. Learners can drive at any time of day or night, and the speed limits are the same as for full licence holders. The national speed limit guide explains what the limit is on each type of road.
Since 4 June 2018, learner drivers can drive on motorways, but only with an approved driving instructor in a car with dual controls and L plates. Motorway lessons are voluntary, and you can never drive on a motorway with family or friends. Read can learner drivers drive on the motorway to see how a first motorway lesson works.
Private practice is most useful on the kind of roads you will meet on test day, so find your test centre and look at the roads around it. Quiet drives are also a good time to test yourself on signs with our free road signs guide and quiz.
Learners can get penalty points on their provisional licence, the same as any other driver.
| Offence | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Driving without proper supervision | Fine up to £1,000 and up to 6 points |
| Driving without insurance | Unlimited fine, driving ban and up to 8 points |
| No L plates, or the wrong size | Up to 6 points |
| Using a hand-held phone | £200 and 6 points |
| Speeding (minimum penalty) | £100 and 3 points |
Points do not disappear when you pass. Unexpired points on your provisional licence carry over to your full licence. Under the new driver rule, your licence is revoked if you reach 6 or more points within 2 years of passing your test, and the carried-over points count towards that total. You would then have to apply for a new provisional licence and pass both the theory and practical tests again.
A single phone offence as a learner puts 6 points on your licence, which leaves you no room at all once you pass.
The rule changes for learners in 2025 and 2026 are about booking the test:
The rules for learning itself have not changed. There is still no minimum number of lessons or hours of practice.
That could change. The Department for Transport consulted on a minimum learning period for learner drivers from 7 January to 11 May 2026. It asked about a minimum time between passing the theory test and taking the practical test, a minimum number of supervised hours, a set syllabus and a logbook. When the government announced its road safety strategy, it described a minimum learning period of 3 or 6 months.
As of 13 October 2026, the consultation page says the department is analysing the feedback, and no outcome has been published. Nothing is law yet. Until then, how to pass your driving test shows how lessons and private practice fit together, and the minor, serious and dangerous faults guide shows what your practice should be aiming at.
Yes. The conditions on a provisional car licence cover supervision, L plates and towing, not passengers. Check your insurance policy, and keep passengers to a minimum while you learn.
At least 21, with a full licence for that type of car held for at least 3 years. Some insurers ask for a supervisor over 25.
No. A learner must always be supervised by a qualified driver or an instructor. Driving without proper supervision can bring a fine of up to £1,000 and up to 6 points.
Yes. Learners can drive at any time of day or night, so you can practise in the dark with your supervisor.
The changes in force are about booking: 10 full working days' notice to change for free, 2 changes per booking, and only the learner can book. A minimum learning period has been proposed, but as of 13 October 2026 no decision has been published.
Last checked: 13 October 2026.
