DVSA Announces Major Driving Test Changes: Restrictions Imposed on Some Motorists

The consultation is part of the DVSA’s seven-point strategy to cut down on driving test wait times, specifically targeting action two of the plan to review and enhance booking regulations.

The goal of these initiatives is to simplify and fairize the process of booking a driving test, while preventing exorbitant charges for learner drivers, with the agency ready to amend legislation if needed to enforce improvements.

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“We’re exploring ways to make the booking system fairer for everyone – but we need your input,” stated the DVSA on social media, questioning whether they should “restrict who can make bookings” and “limit changes to test centres”.

The suggestions are part of the organization’s response to widespread concerns about test availability and unfair booking practices.

The consultation, which began on May 28, asked the public to select from three options regarding who should be able to book driving tests.

These options include allowing only learners to book and manage their own tests, permitting both learners and instructors to book but limiting instructors from making changes, or keeping the current system.

The agency is also consulting on whether to completely remove the ability to swap tests between learners, limit swaps to two per booking, or maintain the current rules that allow up to six changes.

One proposal suggests restricting learners to changing test locations only within a specific geographical area, with proposed limits ranging from 10 to 40 miles from the original booking.

The DVSA’s prior call for evidence, which ran from December 2024 to February 2025, highlighted the extent of the issue after analyzing nearly 27,000 responses.

Nearly a third of learner drivers who responded reported using unofficial booking services to secure earlier test dates, paying an average of £122, nearly double the standard test fee.

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Some learners reported paying even higher amounts, with evidence showing that test reselling has created a substantial secondary market where learners “often pay double the standard fee for earlier test dates”.

The data also indicated that 327,377 driving tests were swapped in 2024, with over 29,000 tests being swapped 10 times or more, highlighting systematic exploitation of the booking system’s features.

The consultation outlined specific mechanisms to prevent test reselling, with the DVSA explaining that unofficial services typically book a test using a learner’s provisional licence details before using the swap feature to transfer it to paying customers.

Some driving instructors were also found to be involved, with 60 percent of instructor respondents admitting they swap tests among their pupils, while about a third charge “administrative and/or resale fees” for bookings.

The evidence revealed that some websites use “automated tools to constantly search for available test slots,” putting additional pressure on the booking system.

Rather than making reselling illegal, the DVSA’s approach focuses on removing the features that enable it, stating this would be “more immediately effective than enforcement after resales happen”.

The consultation forms part of DVSA’s seven-point plan to reduce driving test waiting times, with these proposals representing “action two” of the plan.

Following the consultation’s closure, the DVSA will review feedback and introduce improved rules, “changing the law if necessary,” though the agency has not specified an exact implementation timeline.