Make sure your own car or a hire car passes the examiner's checks, so your driving test is not cancelled on the day and you do not have to pay for it twice.
You can take your driving test in your own car if it meets the GOV.UK rules: taxed, insured for a driving test, roadworthy, with an MOT if it needs one, L plates, an extra interior mirror for the examiner and a proper passenger head restraint. Your own car does not need dual controls, but a hire car does.
Most people take the test in their instructor's car, the car they know from lessons. You can use your own car or a family car instead, as long as it meets every rule below.
The risk sits with you. If the car breaks one of the rules, the test is cancelled and you have to book and pay again.
There is a good reason to test in the car you drive most: you know it. The bite point, the mirrors and your parking reference points all change from one car to the next, so do your last lessons or practice drives in the car you will take the test in. Our reverse bay parking reference points show why that matters.
Your car must:
Some items are there for the examiner rather than for you, so they are easy to forget:
It must also be in good condition:
Tidy it too. GOV.UK asks you to clear rubbish and loose items from the dashboard, footwells, door pockets, cup holders and seats.
Some cars do not give the examiner a clear view all round, so you cannot use them for the test:
Other models may also be unsuitable, because not every car has been used on a test. If you want to use a convertible or a coupe (a car with a fixed roof, 2 doors and a sloping back), check with your test centre first, using the contact details in your booking confirmation.
Some cars with airbag recalls can only be used with proof that they are safe:
| Car | Cars affected | Recall issued |
|---|---|---|
| Citroën C3 | Built 2009 to 2016 | 20 June 2025 |
| Citroën C4 | Built 2 February 2010 to 20 May 2018 | 7 August 2025 |
| Citroën DS3 | Built 2009 to 2016 | 20 June 2025 |
| Citroën DS4 | Built 2 February 2010 to 20 May 2018 | 7 August 2025 |
| Citroën DS5 | Built 2 February 2010 to 20 May 2018 | 7 August 2025 |
| DS Automobiles DS3 | Some built 2016 to 2019 | 20 June 2025 |
The examiner checks the recall online before the test. If they cannot, you need proof, such as a stamped recall letter or a screenshot from the online recall service. Without the right proof, the test is cancelled and you could lose your fee.
A dashcam fitted for insurance can stay, as long as it faces out of the car, does not film the inside and does not record sound inside.
Driver aids allowed on the test: electronic parking brake, hill-start assist, cruise control, speed limiters, parking sensors and cameras, lane assist, blind spot monitoring and traffic sign recognition.
Not allowed during the test: self-parking, Tesla autopilot and your own sat nav. For independent driving, the examiner provides a sat nav and sets it up for you.
Aids such as parking sensors help, but the Highway Code says not to rely on driver assistance systems, because you stay responsible for the car (rule 150). Keep looking all round.
A manual car has 3 pedals, and an automatic or semi-automatic car has 2. You can take the test in either. If you pass in an automatic or semi-automatic, your licence lets you drive only automatic and semi-automatic cars.
You can take your test in a hire car if it has dual controls and meets all the other rules above. Before you book one, check that its insurance covers a driving test and that it has the extra mirror and L plates.
You cannot drive yourself to the test alone. On the way there you are still a learner, so the usual rules apply: a qualified supervisor aged at least 21 who has held a full licence for 3 years, L plates and learner insurance. The learner driver rules cover each one.
DVSA asks you to arrive 5 minutes before your appointment, so leave time to park. If you have not driven there before, find your test centre and look at the roads around it first.
Before you drive, the examiner checks your licence, checks any recalled model online and asks you to read and sign a declaration about insurance and where you live. Read it before you sign it. Then come the vehicle safety questions: a tell me question before you drive and a show me question on the move.
Both are about the car you bring, so learn where the bonnet catch, the demisters and the washer controls are in your own car. Our free show me, tell me answers cover all 21 questions. Getting one or both wrong counts as 1 driving fault; our guide to minor, serious and dangerous faults explains how the rest of the test is marked.
| Check | What you need |
|---|---|
| Tax and MOT | Taxed, and a current MOT if the car is over 3 years old |
| Insurance | Covers a driving test, and covers you as a learner on the drive there |
| Warning lights | None showing a safety problem |
| Tyres | No damage, legal tread on every tyre, no space-saver fitted |
| L plates | On the front and back |
| Examiner's mirror | Extra interior rear-view mirror fitted |
| Passenger seat | Working seatbelt and a proper head restraint, not slip-on |
| Dashcam | Faces out, does not film or record sound inside |
| Recall proof | In the car, if your model is on the recall list |
| Inside the car | Tidy, and nobody has smoked in it |
Pack your licence too. Our list of what to bring to your driving test covers the rest, and how to pass your driving test puts the whole day in order.
Yes, if it meets every rule on GOV.UK, including tax, test insurance, L plates, an extra mirror for the examiner and a proper passenger head restraint. If it breaks a rule, the test is cancelled and you pay again.
No, your own car does not. A hire car does need dual controls.
Yes, if it has dual controls and meets all the other rules. Check that its insurance covers a driving test.
Yes, if it faces out of the car, does not film the inside and does not record sound inside.
Yes. After you pass, your licence lets you drive only automatic and semi-automatic cars.
Last checked: 13 October 2026.
