New UK driving test rules come into force today to make system fairer

The new rules include a ban on third parties booking tests

A ban on driving instructors reserving tests has taken effect as data reveals average waiting times have soared to more than 22 weeks.

From today (Tuesday, May 12), only learner drivers are permitted to book and manage their driving tests, whereas previously instructors could also make bookings. The move is intended to make it more difficult for individuals to profit by using automated software – known as bots – to rapidly secure available slots and resell them at inflated prices.

A BBC investigation in December uncovered that certain driving test touts were offering instructors as much as £250 per month in exchange for access to their booking website login credentials.

Tests carry a standard charge of £62, however a National Audit Office (NAO) report released in December revealed that learners were forking out up to £500 to secure a slot through the black market.

It is now illegal to book a driving test for someone other than yourself. Learners across Britain are contending with a significant backlog in driving test availability.

Freedom of information data obtained by AA Driving School indicates that average waiting times climbed from 20.8 weeks in January to 22.4 weeks by April 6. Before the coronavirus pandemic in February 2020, the waiting period stood at just five weeks.

From June 12, learners will only be able to reschedule a slot to one of the three test centres closest to the original booking location. This measure is designed to tackle instances of individuals reserving tests regardless of location, with no genuine intention of attending. They then try to relocate tests to a more suitable centre should a slot become available at a later date.

This makes it difficult for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to calculate the necessary capacity at particular test centres.

A further measure designed to improve the fairness of the system will reduce the number of amendments for individual bookings from six to two with effect from March 31.

Beverley Warmington, DVSA’s chief executive, commented: “Our priority is to stop learners being exploited by third parties, put them in control of their driving test and make the process fairer by clamping down on businesses that resell tests at inflated prices. These new measures help bring a halt to a system where the use of bots and third parties increases the amount some learners pay for a test and blocks test availability for many others. These measures will help free up appointments for genuine learners who are ready to take their test.”

Roads minister Simon Lightwood said: “This Government inherited a huge backlog of learners facing record waiting times but we’ve taken action and are seeing results – delivering almost two million tests in a year, with over 158,000 extra tests since June 2025.”

Emma Bush, managing director of AA Driving School, said: “Learner drivers continue to face unacceptable delays in accessing driving tests. The data clearly shows more needs to be done to really get a handle on the situation and start to push waiting times back.” She stated that Tuesday’s changes are “unlikely to be the silver bullet which turns the tide on long waiting times”, while conceding they “mark a shift towards overhauling the booking system for the better”.

She added: “It is only part of the solution though. To really improve waiting times over a prolonged period, there needs to be unrelenting focus from the DVSA on retaining and recruiting driving test examiners.”

The DVSA revealed it employed 1,604 full-time equivalent driving examiners last month, representing the highest figure since March 2018.

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