01/09/2026
I received a question in my inbox today that I thought was worth sharing, as I’m sure plenty of people won’t know the answer.
“I have 8 points on my provisional licence. I’ve recently passed my theory test and I’m taking my practical test next week. If I pass and get my full licence, will it immediately be revoked?”
The answer might surprise some people.
You can still take your practical driving test with 8 points on your provisional licence, and if you pass, your full licence is not automatically revoked simply because you already have more than six points.
The important difference is when those points were received.
Under the New Drivers Act, if you accumulate six or more penalty points for offences committed during the first two years after passing your first driving test, your licence will normally be revoked.
Points already on your provisional licence don’t simply disappear when you pass. Valid points are carried over onto your full driving licence.
This means somebody passing with 8 existing points needs to be exceptionally careful.
If they commit another offence during their first two years which results in further penalty points, the existing points can count towards the six-point threshold and their licence can then be revoked.
Revoked does not simply mean waiting a few months and getting your licence back either. You go back to learner status, apply for another provisional licence and have to pass both the theory and practical driving tests again before getting your full licence back.
There is also the separate normal “totting-up” system to remember. Reaching 12 or more penalty points within the relevant three-year period can result in a court disqualification.
So yes, somebody can potentially pass their driving test with 8 points already sitting on their provisional licence and walk away with a full licence.
They are simply starting their driving career with considerably less room for mistakes than most new drivers.
It’s also quite a reminder that your driving record begins before you pass your test. A provisional licence isn’t a practice licence where offences don’t count.
Those points can follow you through the test-centre doors. 👀
Did you know you could already have more than six points on your licence before you’d even passed your driving test?
Source: GOV.UK / New Drivers Act.
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Sheena Ahmed
Motorvation school of Motoring
