# Northern Ireland car-learning and licensing route

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    ---
    type: "Public Service Route"
    title: "Northern Ireland car-learning and licensing route"
    description: "Official Northern Ireland route through provisional licensing, learner conditions, tests and full-licence output."
    status: "observed"
    assertion_status: "official"
    service_family: "learn-to-drive-car"
    jurisdiction: "northern-ireland"
    provider: "driver-and-vehicle-agency-northern-ireland"
    observed_at: "2026-08-07"
    sources:
      - id: "nidirect-provisional-licence"
        title: "Apply for a provisional driving licence online"
        resource: "https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/services/apply-provisional-driving-licence-online"
        author: "organisation:driver-and-vehicle-agency-northern-ireland"
        observed_at: "2026-08-07"
      - id: "nidirect-learner-rules"
        title: "Minimum ages and rules for learner drivers and riders"
        resource: "https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/minimum-ages-and-rules-learner-drivers-and-riders"
        author: "organisation:department-for-infrastructure-northern-ireland"
        observed_at: "2026-08-07"
      - id: "nidirect-theory-test"
        title: "About the driving theory test"
        resource: "https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/about-driving-theory-test"
        author: "organisation:driver-and-vehicle-agency-northern-ireland"
        observed_at: "2026-08-07"
      - id: "nidirect-practical-test"
        title: "About the practical test for cars"
        resource: "https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/about-practical-test-cars"
        author: "organisation:driver-and-vehicle-agency-northern-ireland"
        observed_at: "2026-08-07"
      - id: "nidirect-claim-test-pass"
        title: "Claiming a driving test pass"
        resource: "https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/claiming-driving-test-pass"
        author: "organisation:driver-and-vehicle-agency-northern-ireland"
        observed_at: "2026-08-07"
    ---

    # Northern Ireland car-learning and licensing route

    The [Driver and Vehicle Agency](../organisations/driver-and-vehicle-agency-northern-ireland.md)
    provides the selected licensing and testing stages in the
    [Northern Ireland context](../jurisdictions/northern-ireland.md). This is not a
    DVLA or DVSA route.

    The observed sequence requires provisional entitlement before learning. The
    Northern Ireland learner guidance independently states supervisor, vehicle,
    insurance and plate conditions and a 45 mph learner limit. A theory-test pass
    precedes the practical-test booking in the selected car path. The practical
    test produces a result; after a pass, DVA must receive the test-pass handoff,
    normally through the examiner's automatic upgrade where applicable or through
    the stated claim process.

    Private training and [insurance](../organisations/motor-insurer.md) remain
    separate dependencies. No GB motorway-learning rule or GB test service is
    silently assigned to Northern Ireland.

    All facts were observed on 2026-08-07 and remain subject to the
    [evidence limitations](../evidence/learning-to-drive-speeding-sources.md).