DVSA introduces new rule with £75 charge for two million UK drivers

The DVSA has introduced a new rule for car driving test bookings with a £75 charge that will impact two million people. From Tuesday, May 12, 2026, only learner drivers can book and manage their own driving test as part of a crackdown on exploitation by third-party services. The change positions learners firmly in control of their own booking, meaning it is now against the law for third parties, including unofficial test booking and cancellation finder services to make bookings. Driving instructors are also prohibited on making bookings on a learner's behalf. The move comes in a bid to stop third parties making a profit from learner drivers with unneeded test fees. Simon Lightwood, Minister for Roads and Buses, said: "This government inherited record waiting times and a huge backlog of learners waiting for tests, with the system seeing too many people paying over the odds to third-party touts. "But we’re taking action and seeing results, delivering almost 2 million tests over the past year, more than 158,000 extra tests since June 2025, and military driving examiners now on the ground helping boost capacity across the country. "These new rules put learners back in control by stopping others from snapping up tests and reselling them for profit, helping make the system fairer and ensuring tests go to the people who genuinely need them." The new rules aim to make booking driving tests fairer for learners who have been impacted by huge waitlists and hiked prices. Tests should only cost £62 on weekdays and £75 on evenings, weekends and bank holidays. This change builds on the alteration made to the number of changes that can be made to a test, which dropped from six to two on March 31. In June another change is set to limit learners to moving their test only to one of the 3 nearest driving test centres. Beverley Warmington, DVSA Chief Executive, said: "Our priority is to stop learners being exploited by third parties, put them in control of their driving test and make the process fairer by clamping down on businesses that resell tests at inflated prices. "These new measures help bring a halt to a system where the use of bots and third parties increases the amount some learners pay for a test and blocks test availability for many others. "These measures will help free up appointments for genuine learners who are ready to take their test. "We’re determined to reduce waiting times further, building on the more than 158,000 additional tests delivered between June 2025 and March 2026 - supported by driving examiner numbers at their highest level since 2018 and the recent deployment of military driving examiners who are already carrying out tests." Provisional data shows that the number of driving tests taking place has increased over the last year in another attempt to make it easier for drivers to get on the road.