What happens when you pass your driving test, and what to sort out next

The end of the test

Back at the centre, the examiner gives you the result and explains any driving faults they marked; you can pass with up to 15 of them. If you chose to have your instructor or supervisor listen, they hear the feedback too, which helps when you look back at the summary later.

The examiner then:

• gives you a pass certificate
• asks whether you want your full licence sent to you automatically, and takes your provisional photocard if you do
• sends a summary of the test, including any faults, by email or by post

Keep the fault list even though you passed. Your minors show the habits most likely to creep back once nobody is checking, and GOV.UK suggests talking the result through with your instructor so any further lessons, or Pass Plus training, focus on the right skills. Our guide to how driving test faults are marked explains each entry.

Getting your full licence

For most people there's nothing to do. Your full licence is issued and posted to you, and while you wait, the pass certificate is your proof that you've passed. If the licence hasn't arrived 3 weeks after you applied, which for most people means the day of the test, GOV.UK says to contact the licensing service.

You need to apply yourself if:

• you kept your provisional photocard, for example because you needed it as ID
• your name or address has changed and no longer matches your provisional licence
• you have an old-style paper provisional licence issued before 1998

To apply, sign the declaration on your pass certificate and post it with form D1, original documents confirming your identity and your provisional licence; a passport photo is only needed if your provisional is the paper kind. Do it within 2 years of passing, or you'll have to take the test again.

Two less common cases are worth knowing. If the photo on your provisional photocard has expired but still looks like you, the examiner can go ahead with the test; if you pass, they hand the licence back and you apply for a new photocard yourself. And if your name or gender has changed, the automatic route can't be used, so you apply by post as above.

Before you drive home alone

1. Check your insurance. You need cover as a full licence holder for the car you're driving. If you've been on a learner policy or added to someone's policy as a learner, ask the insurer what changes now you've passed. Our post on insurance for new drivers has ways to keep the cost down.
2. Check the car's paperwork: it must be taxed and have a current MOT if it needs one.
3. Take off the L plates. GOV.UK says they should come off when the car isn't being driven by a learner.
4. Decide on P plates. Green P plates are optional in England, Scotland and Wales, and you can leave them on for as long as you like. Northern Ireland is different: new drivers there must display R plates for a year.

The 2-year new driver rule

For the first 2 years after you pass, your licence is revoked if you reach 6 or more penalty points. Points still valid on your provisional licence count, because they carry over when you pass. If you lose your licence this way, you have to apply for a new provisional licence and pass both the theory and practical tests again.

The phone rule catches people out most easily: it applies even when you're stopped at traffic lights or queuing in traffic, and you can only use a device you don't hold, such as one in a dashboard mount or controlled by voice.

Keep building experience

The test covers a great deal, but not everything. Learners can only use motorways with an approved instructor in a dual-control car, so your first motorway drive may come after you've passed; see our post on motorway driving after passing. Pass Plus is one structured option for further training, and driving at night and in bad weather are worth building up with an experienced passenger at first.

• Plan your first solo drives on roads you know, at quieter times.
• Add one new challenge at a time: a busier junction, a dual carriageway, then a motorway.
• Keep passengers to a minimum for the first few weeks, so your attention stays on the road.
• Refresh the rules you rarely needed as a learner, such as motorway lane discipline, with our Highway Code summary.
• Choosing a car? Our guide to buying your first car covers what to check.

Still preparing for your test?

If your test is still ahead, preparation is what gets you to this point. SteerClear's mock test, scored by fault type, and its readiness score out of 100 help you judge when you're ready to book, and Mac, the app's AI driving coach, explains each drive and what to work on next. SteerClear is independent and has no affiliation with GOV.UK or the examiners. Start with the practical driving test guide or a mock driving test, and if things don't go your way on the day, our guide to a failed driving test explains the next steps.