News Beat
DVSA shares 3 UK driving test changes coming in spring 2026
In just a few months’ time, the rules for booking and managing car driving tests will adjust, so how could this affect you?
As the DVSA explains, one new rule will mean that only learner drivers will be allowed to book their own driving test.
This means driving instructors will not be able to book it for their students going forward.
The Department for Transport is consulting on introducing a Minimum Learning Period for learners.
The consultation asks if a minimum period should be introduced between passing the theory test and taking the practical car driving test.
Have your say 👇https://t.co/T7kuuI4Vbl pic.twitter.com/g9839Mhptc
— Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (@DVSAgovuk) January 8, 2026
Are driving tests changing in 2026? New booking rules
Other rules coming into place when it comes to booking driving tests from spring this year are as follows:
- you will only be allowed to make a total of two changes to your driving test appointment
- you will only be allowed to move your test to centres near to where you originally booked
But what counts as a change? The DVSA outlines that each of these things are a change:
- changing the date or time
- changing the test centre
- swapping your appointment with another learner driver who already has a test booked
The agency adds: “If you need to make more changes after you have used your two changes, you have to cancel your test and rebook it.
“You’ll get a full refund if you give at least 10 full working days’ notice.”
Tips for Learning to Drive in the UK
It continues: “Driving instructors will still be able to use the online service to manage when they are available to take their pupils for driving tests.
“This means that if a learner driver adds their driving instructor’s personal reference number to their booking, the booking system will automatically check if their instructor is available.”
An exact date for when the new rules for booking driving tests begin will be confirmed nearer the time.
This comes after the DVSA also revealed driving test candidates will now be required to spend longer on faster roads during tests (this began from the end of November 2025).
Plus, the number of stops learners must make in a test have been reduced from four to three.
Other amendments include decreasing the frequency of emergency stops from one in three tests to one in seven.
10 Obscure driving laws you may not know
Giving examiners the power to increase the length of independent driving, which can involve following a satnav, traffic signs, or both, to between 20 minutes and the full duration of the test, is another change recently announced.
Can I change my car driving test to an earlier date?
Currently, learner drivers can change to an earlier car driving test, which is sometimes called a ‘cancellation appointment’.
They can also move their driving test to a later date and change which test centre they take their test at.
However, the DVSA warns that although you can change your test up to the time it starts, you must give notice to change or cancel, or you will have to pay again.
Recommended reading:
You will have to pay for your driving test again if you give less than 10 full working days’ notice for car driving tests.
The agency advises: “Monday to Saturday count as working days but Sundays and public holidays do not.
“If you cannot change your driving test appointment, cancel your test.”
