The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1999

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Conditions attached to provisional licencesE+W+S

16.—(1) A provisional licence of any class is granted subject to the conditions prescribed in relation to a licence of that class in the following paragraphs.

(2) Subject to the following paragraphs, the holder of a provisional licence shall not drive a vehicle of a class which he is authorised to drive by virtue of that licence—

(a)otherwise than under the supervision of a qualified driver [F1, or driving instructor,] who is present with him in or on the vehicle,

(b)unless a distinguishing mark in the form set out in Part 1 of Schedule 4 is displayed on the vehicle in such manner as to be clearly visible to other persons using the road from within a reasonable distance from the front and from the back of the vehicle, or

(c)while it is being used to draw a trailer.

(3) The condition specified in paragraph (2)(a) shall not apply when the holder of the provisional licence—

[F2(a)is driving a motor vehicle constructed to carry only one person which is not adapted to carry more than one person and is a vehicle in sub-category B1 (invalid carriages), a motor tricycle, a motor vehicle having four wheels and an unladen weight not exceeding 550 kilograms or a motor vehicle of a class included in category F, G, H or K;]

[F3(aa)is driving a motor vehicle of a class included in [F4former] sub-category B1 which is adapted to carry only one person and has at any time between 1st August 2002 and 1st March 2003, had the use of an NHS invalid carriage that was issued to him by reason of his having a relevant disability.]

(b)is riding a moped or a motor bicycle with or without a side-car [F5, a category P vehicle or a category Q vehicle]; or

(c)is driving a motor vehicle, other than a vehicle of a class included in category C, C+E, D or D+E, on a road in an exempted island.

(4) The condition specified in paragraph (2)(b) shall not apply—

(a)when the holder of the provisional licence is driving a motor vehicle on a road in Wales, and

(b)a distinguishing mark in the form set out in Part 2 of Schedule 4 is displayed on the motor vehicle in the manner described in paragraph (2)(b).

[F6(4A) When the holder of the provisional licence is driving an electric scooter being used in a trial the condition specified in paragraph 2(b) shall not apply.]

(5) The condition specified in paragraph (2)(c) shall not apply to the holder of a provisional licence authorising the driving of a vehicle of a class included in category F7... C+E, D+E or F, in relation to motor vehicles of that class.

(6) The holder of a provisional licence authorising the driving of—

(a)a moped, F8...

(b)a motor bicycle with or without a side-car,

[F9(c)a category P vehicle, or

(d)a category Q vehicle.]

shall not drive such a vehicle while carrying on it another person.

(7) The holder of a provisional licence authorising the driving of a motor bicycle other than [F10an A1 motorcycle] shall not drive such a vehicle otherwise than under the supervision of a certified direct access instructorF11... who is—

(a)present with him on the road while riding another motor bicycle,

(b)able to communicate with him by means of a radio which is not hand-held while in operation,

(c)supervising only that person or only that person and another person who holds such a provisional licence, and

(d)carrying a valid certificate issued in respect of him by the Secretary of State under regulation 65(4),

while he and the instructor are wearing apparel which is fluorescent or (during hours of darkness) is either fluorescent or luminous.

[F12(7A) The holder of a provisional licence authorising the driving of a moped or [F13an A1 motorcycle] shall not drive such a vehicle on a road when undergoing relevant training, unless the instructor giving the training is at all times—

[F14(a)present with the person holding the licence on the road while riding a two-wheeled vehicle in category AM or A or a category P vehicle or, if the instructor is suffering from a relevant disability of such a nature that they are unable to ride a two-wheeled vehicle, a three-wheeled vehicle in category AM or A, and]

(b)supervising only him or him and not more than 3 other persons each of whom holds such a provisional licence.

(7B) In paragraph (7A)—

(a)“relevant training” means training (otherwise than as part of an approved training course for motor cyclists) in how to drive a moped or learner motor cycle given by a professional instructor; and

(b)“professional instructor” means an instructor paid money or money’s worth for giving such training.]

(8) The holder of a passenger-carrying vehicle driver’s provisional licence shall not drive a vehicle which he is authorised to drive by that licence while carrying any passenger in the vehicle other than—

(a)the person specified in paragraph (2)(a), or

(b)a person who holds a passenger-carrying vehicle driver’s licence and either is giving or receiving instruction in the driving of passenger-carrying vehicles, or has given or received or is to give or receive, such instruction.

(9) The conditions specified in paragraphs (2)(a), (7) and (8) shall not apply when the holder of the provisional licence is undergoing a test.

(10) The conditions specified in paragraphs (2), (6), (7) and (8) shall not apply in relation to the driving of motor vehicles of a class in respect of which the provisional licence holder has been furnished with a valid test pass certificate stating that he has passed a test for the grant of a licence authorising him to drive vehicles of that class.

(11) The condition specified in paragraph (7)(b) shall not apply in the case of a provisional licence holder who is unable, by reason of impaired hearing, to receive directions from the supervising instructor by radio where the licence holder and the instructor are employing a satisfactory means of communication which they have agreed before the start of the journey.

[F15(11A) The holder of a disability assessment licence shall not drive a vehicle of a class which he is authorised to drive by virtue of the licence otherwise than during a period which—

(a)commences with the beginning of such period prior to the taking of the disability assessment test required by a relevant notice as is specified in writing by the Secretary of State when serving that notice; and

(b)ends with the completion of the test;

and, for these purposes, a “relevant notice” is a notice under section 94(5)(c) of the Traffic Act requiring the person to submit to a disability assessment test.]

F16(12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(13) In this regulation—

[F17(za)“driving instructor” means a person whose name is entered in F18... the register established under section 123 of the Traffic Act.]

(a)“exempted island" means any island outside the mainland of Great Britain from which motor vehicles, unless constructed or adapted specially for that purpose, cannot at any time be conveniently driven to a road in any other part of Great Britain by reason of the absence of any bridge, tunnel, ford or other way suitable for the passage of such motor vehicles but excluding any of the following islands, namely, the Isle of Wight, St. Mary’s (Isles of Scilly), the islands of Arran, Barra, Bute, Great Cumbrae, Islay, the island which comprises Lewis and Harris, Mainland Orkney, Mainland Shetland, Mull, the island which comprises North Uist, Benbecula and South Uist and Tiree;

[F19(aa)“NHS invalid carriage” means a motor vehicle included in sub-category B1 (invalid carriages) that is owned by the Department for Health];

(b)“provisional licence", in relation to a class of vehicles, includes a full licence which is treated, by virtue of section 98 of the Traffic Act, as authorising its holder to drive vehicles of that class as if he held a provisional licence therefor;

(c)“qualified driver" shall be interpreted in accordance with regulation 17.

Textual Amendments

F1Words in reg. 16(2)(a) inserted (9.12.2016) by The Driving and Motorcycle Riding Instructors (Recognition of European Professional Qualifications) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/1089), regs. 1, 6(2)(a)

F2Reg. 16(3)(a) substituted (19.1.2013) by The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/977), reg. 1(2), Sch. 3 para. 10(a)(i)

F3Reg. 16(3)(aa) inserted (1.3.2003) by Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/222), regs. 1, 3(1)

F4Word in reg. 16(3)(aa) inserted (19.1.2013) by The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/977), reg. 1(2), Sch. 3 para. 10(a)(ii)

F5Words in reg. 16(3)(b) inserted (19.1.2013) by The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/977), reg. 1(2), Sch. 3 para. 10(a)(iii)

F6Reg. 16(4A) inserted (4.7.2020) by The Electric Scooter Trials and Traffic Signs (Coronavirus) Regulations and General Directions 2020 (S.I. 2020/663), regs. 1(2), 4(5)

F7Words in reg. 16(5) omitted (16.12.2021) by virtue of The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) (No. 5) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/1450), regs. 1(2), 5

F8Word in reg. 16(6)(a) omitted (19.1.2013) by virtue of The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/977), reg. 1(2), Sch. 3 para. 10(b)(i)

F9Reg. 16(6)(c)(d) added (19.1.2013) by The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/977), reg. 1(2), Sch. 3 para. 10(b)(ii)

F10Words in reg. 16(7) substituted (19.1.2013) by The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/977), reg. 1(2), Sch. 3 para. 10(c)