Choose the vehicle class before arranging training and booking. Buying lessons does not establish that TD has accepted a test application or issued a learner licence.
What to have ready
Before you start
Private-car and light-goods-vehicle applicants must be at least eighteen and meet driving-fitness requirements. TD's current process allocates the written test first and a road test after passing, based on the chosen region and prevailing demand. A test application and learner licence are separate processes: the test can be applied for first, with learner licensing timed to training. Road learning still requires a valid licence for that class and compliance with its conditions.
What to do, step by step
- Choose private car or light goods vehicle and consider automatic or manual transmission. Read the official test guidance and health declaration. Physical disabilities may require a driving-ability assessment before application; enquire with TD.
- Apply using TD82 or the official online route, with identity, address evidence issued within the last three months and required fees. Retain the appointment letter and use current waiting information as guidance rather than a guaranteed date.
- Arrange training with an instructor licensed for the relevant class, obtain the learner licence and check its twelve-month validity. Confirm the training vehicle, insurance, prices, cancellation terms and vehicle supplied for the test.
- Prepare documents and arrival timing from the appointment letter. Use the official postponement or region-change process within its deadline. If a new date falls beyond learner-licence validity, arrange the required new licence before further lessons.
Costs, timing, and things to check
Test-form validity differs from the learner licence: TD describes an eighteen-month test form, with failure or absence capable of invalidating it and requiring a new form. An unexpired learner licence does not establish that an old test application remains usable.
Passing the road test still requires the appropriate licence application and probationary compliance. Read lesson-package and booking-service terms carefully. A private instructor cannot guarantee the examiner's result or TD's allocation of a test date.
A practical example
A student books the written test, then schedules training and learner licensing around the road test. If postponement moves it beyond learner-licence expiry, they check reapplication and test-form validity before continuing road lessons.
Confirm testing, learner licensing and lesson terms separately, rechecking validity whenever dates change.
Official information and enquiries
These are the reference and service entry points for this guide. Check current fees, eligibility, and schedules with the authority. The preparation date is not each source's official update date.