New driving test rules start in two weeks — here is what changes for learners in Flintshire
Learner drivers using test centres at Wrexham and Chester have two weeks to act before new rules from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency cut the number of permitted changes to a driving test booking from six to two.
The first change takes effect on 31 March 2026.
A second, more significant change follows on 12 May 2026, when it becomes a criminal offence for anyone other than the learner driver to book, change, cancel or swap a driving test.
That includes driving instructors, who currently book and manage tests on behalf of their pupils as a matter of routine.
Any tests already booked by instructors remain valid and will go ahead as planned, but instructors will need to ensure their pupils have their driving test reference numbers so they can manage their own bookings from that date.
A third change comes into force on 9 June 2026, when learners booking a new test will only be able to move it to one of the three nearest test centres to where it is currently booked.
The DVSA said learners should only book at a test centre they intend to use and should choose a date they realistically expect to be ready by, given the two-change limit.
A change counts as altering the date, the time or the test centre, or swapping an appointment with another learner who already has a test booked.
Changing more than one thing at the same time — moving both the date and the centre together, for example — still counts as a single change.
Updating contact details, adding or removing an instructor’s reference number, and any changes DVSA itself makes due to bad weather do not count towards the limit.
If a learner uses both changes and still needs to alter their booking, they will have to cancel and start again with a new booking.
A full refund is available if the test is cancelled at least 10 full working days before the test date.
From 12 May, when booking or managing a test, learners will be required to confirm they are the person who will be taking the test and to agree to a new set of terms and conditions.
Driving instructors will still be able to set their availability through the DVSA system, so that when a learner adds an instructor’s personal reference number to a booking, the system can check automatically whether the instructor is free.
Friends and family members will still be able to help a learner book a test, but the learner must be present throughout and must complete as many steps as possible themselves.
The DVSA said it would email everyone with an existing booking before each set of new rules comes into force.
The new rules apply to car driving tests only and do not affect other licence categories.
Further information is available at gov.uk/guidance/changes-to-driving-test-booking-rules-in-2026.
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