Driving While We Have Your Form
First Applications
If you are applying for your first provisional licence for any category, you must not
- Drive vehicles in the categories applied for.
- Apply for a theory test in the categories.
- Apply for a practical test in the categories until the licence arrives and comes into effect.
Other Applications
Once we have received your complete and valid application, the law allows you to drive before the licence arrives as long as:
- you have held a NI or Great Britain licence issued since 1 January 1976 or another exchangeable licence
- you are not disqualified from driving (there are different rules for medium/large vehicles, minibus/bus drivers - DVLNI will decide whether to grant your entitlement to drive these vehicles)
- you have not been, and would not be, refused a licence for medical reasons
- you keep to any special conditions which apply to the licence.
