16/04/2026
What the new rules are
The new rules for booking and managing car driving tests will be introduced from spring 2026.
Rule Current rules New rules From when
Number of changes allowed Up to 6 changes Only 2 changes Since 31 March 2026
Who can book your test You or your driving instructor Only you From 12 May 2026
Who can manage your test You or your driving instructor Only you From 12 May 2026
Where you can move your test Any test centre Only to the 3 nearest test centres From 9 June 2026
Booking your car driving test
From 12 May 2026, you will need to book your car driving test yourself on GOV.UK. Your driving instructor will not be allowed to book it for you.
Before you book your test
Before you book, speak to your driving instructor to:
agree that you’re ready to take the test
ask them for their driving instructor reference number - you can enter this when you book to make sure your instructor is available
Booking your test
When you book your test, you should:
only book at a test centre you intend to use - you will only be able to move your test to nearby centres
choose a date you realistically expect to be ready by - you will only be allowed to make 2 changes to your appointment
use your driving instructor’s reference number
From 12 May 2026, you will have to confirm that you:
are the learner who will be taking the test
agree to a new set of terms and conditions
From 12 May 2026, it will be against the law to book or change a driving test for someone else.
Book your driving test.
Making changes to your car driving test
From spring 2026, there are 3 changes to how you manage your driving test appointment:
you can only make 2 changes to your booking (since 31 March 2026)
only you are allowed to make changes to your own booking (from 12 May 2026)
you can only move your test to nearby centres (from 9 June 2026)
How many times you can change your test
You can only make 2 changes to your existing booking. If you had used all your changes under the old rules, you can make 2 more changes from 31 March 2026.
Only use your limited changes when your circumstances genuinely change.
What counts as a change
Only these things count as a change:
changing the date or time
changing the test centre
swapping your appointment with another learner driver who already has a test booked
If you change more than one thing at the same time (for example, the date and test centre together), this still counts as one change.
Example
If you change your test from Northampton on 4 June to Kettering on 12 May, this counts as one change
What does not count as a change
These things do not count towards your change limit:
updating your address or contact details on your booking
adding or removing your driving instructor’s reference number
any changes that DVSA needs to make to your test (for example, due to bad weather)
If DVSA changes your test (for example, due to bad weather), you will be reset to having 2 changes available again. However, you will only be able to make these extra changes by phone.
If you need to make more changes
If you need to make more changes after you have used your 2 changes, you will have to cancel your test and book a new one.
You will get a full refund if you cancel at least 10 full working days before the test date.
Change your driving test appointment.
Who is allowed to make changes to your test
From 12 May 2026, only you will be allowed to change, cancel or swap your own driving test.
You will have to confirm that you:
are the learner who will be taking the test
agree to a new set of terms and conditions
From 12 May 2026, it will be against the law to change, cancel or swap a driving test for someone else.
Where you can move your test
If you book a new test from 9 June 2026, you will only be able to move your test to:
any of the 3 centres nearest to where your test is booked
the test centre you first booked at on that current booking
Example
You book your test at Chesterfield. The 3 nearest centres to Chesterfield are:
Sheffield (Handsworth)
Ashfield
Sheffield (Middlewood Road)
You can use your first change to move your test to one of those.
You decide to move your test to Sheffield (Handsworth). You are allowed to make one more change.
You can use your second change to move your test to the 3 centres nearest to Sheffield (Handsworth). These are:
Rotherham
Sheffield (Middlewood Road)
Worksop
You can also use your second change to move back to the test centre you first booked at, which was Chesterfield.
A chart showing an example of your options for changing your test.
Check which test centres are nearest to each other.
If you made a booking before 9 June 2026
If you have an existing booking, the new rule applies to where your test is currently booked at on 9 June 2026 - not where you first booked.
Example
In February 2026, you booked your test at St Helens with a test date of July 2026. In May 2026, you decide to use your first change to move it to Watford with a test date of July 2026.
On 9 June 2026, the new rules come in. Your test is now at Watford, so you can use your second change to move to the 3 nearest centres to Watford. These are:
Borehamwood (London)
Pinner (London)
Mill Hill (London)
You can only move your test to these centres. You cannot move your test back to St Helens.
Helping someone to book and manage their driving test
You will still be able to help someone you know to book and manage their driving test. They might be a friend, family member, or someone you support as part of your job.
The person you’re helping must be with you while you help them.
You will need to ask the person you’re helping to complete as many of the steps as they can by themselves.
Use an email address and phone number that either belongs to them or they have easy access to. If they do not have their own email address, you can help them set one up.
How driving instructors are affected
From 12 May 2026, if you’re a driving instructor, you will no longer be able to use the service to book and manage car driving tests for your pupils.
From 12 May 2026, it will be against the law for you or anyone else to:
book a test for your pupils
change a test for your pupils
swap tests for your pupils
What happens to tests you’ve already booked
Any driving tests you have already booked for your pupils are still valid and will go ahead as planned.
You will need to make sure your pupils have their driving test reference numbers for these tests. This is so they can manage their tests themselves.
Manage your availability to take your pupils to driving tests
If you are a driving instructor, you will still be able to manage when you are available to take your pupils for driving tests.
You can set:
morning and afternoon hours you are available for each day of the week
one-off times you are unavailable - for example, when you are on holiday
how many minutes you need between tests
This means that if a learner driver adds your driving instructor personal reference number to your booking, the booking system will automatically check if you are available.
What will happen next
DVSA will email you before the new rules start. The email will explain what you need to do.
DVSA will use the email address you gave when you booked your test.
Published 9 December 2025
Last updated 26 March 2026 + show all updates
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