Last week the DVSA announced further measures to prevent the resale of driving tests in the UK.
If you’re planning to book your driving test soon, here’s everything you need to know about the DVSA Test Rule Changes 2026
The new rules for booking and managing car driving tests will be introduced from spring 2026. These changes are listed below with a timescale for the changes.
Rule | Current rules | New rules | From when |
Number of changes allowed | Up to 6 changes | Only 2 changes | From 31 March 2026 |
Who can book your test | You or your driving instructor | Only you | From 12 May 2026 |
Who can manage your test | You or your driving instructor | Only you | From 12 May 2026 |
Where you can move your test | Any test centre | Only to the 3 nearest test centres | From 9 June 2026 |
As stated above the new rules will be implemented over 3 phases starting from 31st March 2026. The second change will be implemented on 12th of May 2026, and the final change on the 9th June 2026
NO! From 12th May 2026, only the learner will be allowed to book, change, cancel or swap their own driving test.
The learner will have to confirm that:
From 12th May 2026, it will be against the law to book, change, cancel or swap a driving test for somebody else.
From 31st March 2026, you will only be able to make 2 changes to your existing booking. If you’ve already used all changes under the current rules, you will be able to make 2 more changes from 31st March 2026.
Only use your limited changes when your circumstances genuinely change.
If you book a new test from 9th June 2026, you will only be able to move your test to:
Example
You book your test at Chesterfield. The 3 nearest centres to Chesterfield are:
Then you can use your first change to move your test to one of those.
You decide to move your test to Sheffield (Handsworth). This means you are allowed to make one more change.
You can use your second change to move your test to the 3 centres nearest to Sheffield (Handsworth). These are:
Also you can use your second change to move back to the test centre your first booked at, which was Chesterfield.
A chart showing an example of your options for changing your test.
If you have an existing booking, the new rule applies to where your test is currently booked at on 9th June 2026 – not where you first booked.
Example
In February 2026, you booked your test at St Helens with a test date of July 2026. In May 2026, you decide to use your first change to move it to Watford with a test date of July 2026.
On 9th June 2026, the new rules come in. Your test is now at Watford, so you can use your second change to move to the 3 nearest centres to Watford. These are:
You can only move your test to these centres. You cannot move your test back to St Helens.
From 9th June 2026 for local learners, the new guidance shows that:
Northampton can be moved to Wellingborough, Kettering or Rugby
Kettering can be moved to Wellingborough, Northampton or Bedford
Wellingborough can be moved to Kettering, Northampton or Bedford
If you need to make more changes after you have used your 2 changes, you will have to cancel your test and book a new one.
You will get a full refund if you cancel at least 10 full working days before the test date.
From 12th May 2026, if you’re a driving instructor, you will no longer be able to use the service to book and manage car driving tests for your pupils.
From 12th May 2026, it will be against the law for you or anyone else to:
Any driving tests you have already booked for your pupils are still valid and will go ahead as planned.
You will need to make sure your pupils have their driving test reference numbers for these tests. This is so they can manage their tests themselves.
If you are a driving instructor, you will still be able to manage when you are available to take your pupils for driving tests.
You can set:
This means that if a learner driver adds your driving instructor personal reference number to your booking, the booking system will automatically check if you are available.
Only these things count as a change:
If you change more than one thing at the same time (for example, the date and test centre together), this still counts as one change.
Example
If you change your test from Northampton on 4 June to Kettering on 12 May, this counts as one change
From 12 May 2026, only the learner will be allowed to change, cancel or swap their own driving test.
You will have to confirm that you:
These things will not count towards your change limit:
When you book your test, you should:
YES. From 12 May 2026, it will be against the law to change, cancel or swap a driving test for someone else.
The new DVSA rules mean planning your driving test is more important than ever.
At Latimer Driver Training, we recommend speaking to your instructor and only booking when you’re truly ready.
If you’re looking for expert guidance, professional driving lessons, or instructor training, visit our website www.l-dt.co.uk/ to get started, or contact us at www.l-dt.co.uk/contact-us/
