DVSA CHANGES TO BOOKING THE ‘L’ TEST
- Derek Francis
- Mar 17
- 2 min read
The rules for booking practical car driving tests are changing to make the system fairer. These changes are part of the outcome of our consultation to improve the way driving tests are booked.
Who these changes affect
The changes will only apply to car driving tests. If you book vocational or motorcycle tests using OBS there won’t be any changes.
When we’re making the changes
Following the changes announced in January 2026 on limiting the number of times a learner driver can change or swap their test (from 31 March 2026), we’re now able to confirm the dates for the rest of the planned rule changes.
from 12 May 2026, only learners are allowed to book a test and make changes to their own booking
from 9 June 2026, learners can move their booked test only to nearby centres
Why we’re making these changes
We know this is a significant change for driving instructors.
Misuse of the booking system has made it harder for us to offer slots fairly. The consultation response to this change was split, with some of you feeling strongly that learners should have full control. Others felt just as strongly that instructors need flexibility to manage bookings effectively.
We've made a decision based on the evidence – our consultation found that the majority of learners wanted full control and we have acted to prioritise fairness for learners and tackle exploitation. But we recognise that reasonable professionals disagree on this and we respect that.
Introducing these changes means learners should only ever pay the actual fee DVSA charges.
From 12 May 2026: only learner drivers can book and manage their own test
From 12 May 2026, no-one other than learner drivers will be able to book or manage a car driving test.
This includes unofficial booking services and cancellation finder services. These services will no longer be able to operate lawfully and your pupils should not use them.
This will be through a declaration box on the public online booking service on GOV.UK. Any bookings made through the DVSA customer service centre will need to agree to the terms verbally before making a booking.
Changes to the online business service (OBS)
The OBS you currently use to book and manage car practical driving tests for your pupils will have restricted functionality from this date. This means you will no longer be allowed to:
book tests
change tests
swap tests between pupils
cancel tests
An updated set of terms and conditions for OBS will be published ahead of the changes being introduced.
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