Before you can even think about getting behind the wheel of a car you will need a driving license. If you are a learner driver then you will need to apply for a provisional license. This can be done online or through the post office. At the current time you will be required to send in with your application a payment of £50 and relevant forms of identification.
As long as all this is okay you will be forwarded your provisional license. This will now allow you to organise driving lessons. Whilst you are also able to drive with someone who is 21 years of age or over, who has been in possession of a full driving license for 3 years or over, it is advisable that you arrange your lessons with a competent professional driving instructor from a reputable driving school.
Your driving school of choice will also need to see that you are in receipt of a provisional driving license before they will be allowed to take you out on the road. Your license will show your name, date and place of birth, duration for which it is valid, your unique driver reference number, your signature, your address, the categories of vehicle you are allowed to drive and of course your photograph.
Once you have passed your driving test you will be able to apply to have your provisional license changed for a full one which will show all the same information and of course the fact that you are licensed to drive on your own. Once this information has been updated with the DVLA the information they hold will also be accessible by other companies.
Anything you do in respect of your driving such as parking tickets, speeding fines and/or other offences you receive will be recorded against your name and driver number. If the police stop you in your car for any reason not only will they check your license, but they will also be able to check if you have the appropriate insurance.
Your license will also become useful for many other instances where a company will require a form of identification. Throughout your life from banks to stores to almost anyone asking for proof of who you are, you’re driving license will almost certainly become your primary form of identification.
Your license currently needs updating every ten years with a new photograph and you should advise the DVLA every time you change address or of any other changes that may affect what you can and can’t drive. I hate my driving license and it stays firmly put in my purse and only comes out when absolutely necessary. Why? Because the photograph is awful! I think it is a pre-requisite of driving licenses that we all dislike our photo but as it is one of the most important documents I own I guess I will just have to wait until the next change and remember to put some lippy on!
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