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A government initiative to reduce casualties among newly qualified drivers and those incurring endorsable traffic offences within a period following the first driving test was introduced in 1995 and took effect from 1 June 1997.

How the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995 affects you If you reach six or more penalty points on your driving licence within two years of passing your first driving test, ie during the probationary period, your driving licence will be revoked. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), acting on behalf of the Secretary of State, will automatically revoke your driving licence when notified by a court or fixed penalty office. There is no right of appeal against revocation under the provisions of the act. You may only appeal against the conviction, which led to the revocation of your driving licence through the convicting court.

All valid penalty points will be taken into account when deciding whether six or more points have been accumulated in the two-year probationary period. Penalty points gained prior to the first driving test, which are within the three-year validity period, will also be taken into account. However, these will only come into scope of the Act if you incur further penalty points during the probationary period. Also, penalty points incurred after the probationary period has expired will be taken into account if the offence was committed during the probationary period.

How to regain your full licence

As the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995 reverts your driving status back to learner, you must follow the same procedures as a first time applicant ie pay the current application fee for a new provisional licence. An exchange fee will also be charged when converting the provisional to full. A full licence cannot be granted to you until you obtain a provisional licence and passed the relevant driving test.

Full entitlement to all categories of vehicle previously held will only be reinstated upon passing a test in any one of the driver's previously held entitlements. A successful test for entitlement to a category of vehicle not previously held will result in a full licence for that category only.

Special needs and the practical driving test

You should let the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) know when you book your practical test if you have any hearing problems, language difficulties, movement restrictions or adaptations fitted to your vehicle.

DSA is committed to equal opportunities for all and provides a number of facilities for candidates with special needs or physical disabilities.

When booking your practical test, please let DSA know if you:

are deaf or have severe hearing difficulties
are in any way restricted in your movements
have any physical disability
No matter how serious your disability might be, you will still take the same driving test as every other test candidate. However, more time is allowed for the test. This is to allow the examiner to talk to you about your disability and any adaptations fitted to your vehicle.

Vehicle adaptions

Information about vehicle adaptations for disabled motorists and the elderly can be obtained from the Mobility Advice and Vehicle Information Service (MAVIS).

Using an interpreter You may bring your own interpreter for your practical test as long as they are:

not a driving instructor
over 16 years of age

You will be responsible for arranging your interpreter and fees.

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