Road Traffic Act 1988

98 Form of licence. E+W+S

[F1 (1) A licence shall be in the form of a photocard of a description specified by the Secretary of State or such other form as he may specify and—

(a) the licence shall state whether, apart from subsection (2) below, it authorises its holder to drive motor vehicles of all classes or of certain classes only and, in the latter case, specify those classes,

(b) the licence shall specify (in such manner as the Secretary of State may determine) the restrictions on the driving of vehicles of any class in pursuance of the licence to which its holder is subject by virtue of section 101 of this Act and any conditions on the driving of vehicles of any class in pursuance of the licence to which its holder is subject by virtue of section 92(7ZA) of this Act, and

(c) in the case of a provisional licence, the licence or its counterpart shall specify (in such manner as the Secretary of State may determine) the conditions subject to which it is granted.

F1 (1A) The Secretary of State may specify different descriptions of photocards, and different forms of licences not in the form of a photocard, for different cases and may determine the form of licence to be granted in any case.]

(2) Subject to subsections (3) [F2 , (4) and (4A)] below, a [F3 person who holds a licence which] authorises its holder to drive motor vehicles of certain classes only (not being—

[F4 (a) a provisional licence, or

(b) any other prescribed description of licence)]

[F5 may]drive motor vehicles of all other classes subject to the same conditions as if he were authorised by a provisional licence to drive motor vehicles of those other classes.

(3) [F6 Subsection (2) above does not] authorise a person to drive—

(a) a vehicle of a class for the driving of which he could not, by reason of the provisions of section 101 of this Act, lawfully hold a licence, or

(b) unless [F7 he has either passed a test of competence to drive a motor bicycle or attained the age of 21 years, a motor bicycle]which, by virtue of section 97(3)(d) of this Act, a provisional licence would not authorise him to drive before he had passed that test [F8 ; or][F9 or attained that age (as the case may be)]

[F8 (c) unless he has passed a test of competence to drive, a motor bicycle [F10 or moped] on a road in circumstances in which, by virtue of section 97(3)(e) of this Act, a provisional licence would not authorise him to drive it before he had passed that test.]

(4) In such cases [F11 or as respects such classes of vehicles]as the Secretary of State may prescribe, the provisions of subsections (2) and (3) above shall not apply or shall apply subject to such limitations as he may prescribe.

[F12 (4A) [F13 Subsection (2) above does not]authorise a person on whom a notice under section 92(5)(b) of this Act has been served to drive motor vehicles otherwise than in accordance with the limits specified in the notice.]

F14 (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 98(1)(1A) substituted (1.7.1998) for s. 98(1) by S.I. 1998/1420, reg. 7(2)

F2 Words substituted by Road Traffic (Driver Licensing and Information Systems) Act 1989 (c. 22, SIF 107:1), s. 5(10)(a)

F3 Words substituted by S.I. 1990/144, regs. 2(1), 3, Sch. 1 para. 4(b)(i)

F4 S. 98(2)(a)(b) substituted for paras. (a)–(c) by Road Traffic (Driver Licensing and Information Systems) Act 1989 (c. 22, SIF 107:1), s. 7, Sch. 3 para. 11(b)

F5 Word substituted by S. I. 1990/144, regs. 2(1), 3, Sch. 1 para. 4(b)(ii)

F6 Words substituted by S.I. 1990/144, regs. 2(1), 3, Sch. 1 para. 4(c)

F7 Words in s. 98(3)(b) substituted (23.7.1996 for specified purposes and otherwise 1.1.1997) by S.I. 1996/1974, reg. 2, Sch. 1 para. 7(3)(a)

F8 S. 98(3)(c) and word immediately preceding it inserted by Road Traffic (Driver Licensing and Information Systems) Act 1989 (c. 22, SIF 107:1), s. 7, Sch. 3 para. 11(c)(ii)

F9 Words in s. 98(3)(b) inserted (23.7.1996 for specified purposes and otherwise 1.1.1997) by S.I. 1996/1974, reg. 2, Sch. 1 para. 7(3)(b)

F10 Words in s. 98(3)(c) inserted (1.7.1998) by S.I. 1998/1420, reg. 7(3)

F11 Words inserted by Road Traffic (Driver Licensing and Information Systems) Act 1989 (c. 22, SIF 107:1), s. 7, Sch. 3 para. 11(d)

F12 S. 98(4A) inserted by Road Traffic (Driver Licensing and Information Systems) Act 1989 (c. 22, SIF 107:1), s. 5(10)(b)

F13 Words substituted by S.I. 1990/144, regs. 2(3), 3, Sch. 3 para. 1(b)

F14 S. 98(5) repealed (1.7.1992) by Road Traffic Act 1991 (c. 40, SIF 107:1), ss. 17(3), 83, Sch. 8; S.I. 1992/1286, art. 2, Sch.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 98(2) restricted by S.I. 1987/1378, reg. 34 (as inserted by S.I. 1990/842, reg. 11)

C2 S. 98(2) excluded (1.4.1991) by S.I. 1990/2612, reg. 10(1)(2)(3)

S. 98(2) restricted (12.11.1999) by S.I. 1999/2864, reg. 19(1)(3)

C3 S. 98(3) excluded (1.4.1991) by S.I. 1990/2612, reg. 10(1)(2)(3)

S. 98(3) excluded (23.6.1999) by S.I. 1999/1736, art. 8(4)

C4 S. 98(3)(c) excluded by S.I. 1987/1378, regs. 23E(3), 23G(3) (as inserted by S.I. 1990/2334, reg. 4)

S. 98(3)(c) excluded (12.11.1999) by S.I. 1999/2864, reg. 69(1)(5)