Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department's consultation entitled Introducing a minimum learning period for learner drivers, published on 7 January 2026, what would be the minimum legal age at which an individual could practically (a) drive on a road with a learner’s ‘L’ plate, (b) drive on a road with a Restricted ‘R’ plate and (c) drive on a road with a full driving license.

The minimum legal age at which an individual can take a driving test is 17 (or 16 in specific circumstances where an exemption applies). The same minimum legal age applies for individuals starting to learn to drive on public roads with an approved driving instructor or an eligible supervising driver.

The time it takes to progress through learning, testing and licensing depends on the individual and how long it takes them to develop the necessary skills and competences. To improve safety, we are consulting on introducing a minimum learning period in Great Britain (GB), to make sure learner drivers get the necessary time and training to prepare themselves for a lifetime of driving. This would allow learners more time to gain essential experience, for example in different weather conditions, before driving independently and reduce the risk to themselves and other drivers.

Should we introduce a mandatory minimum learning period for learner drivers following the consultation, the current minimum legal age requirements for driving would not change.

Northern Ireland requires that Restricted ‘R’ plates are displayed for 12 months from the date of passing a driving test, but Restricted ‘R’ plates are not required in GB. Optional Probationary ‘P’ plates may be displayed in GB to signal to other drivers that the driver is a new driver, but they are not mandatory.