If you are disqualified as a driver, as well as being off the road for a period of time, the court can make an order that you retake your theory test and take an extended practical driving test to show that you are ready to get behind the wheel again.
You will not be able to get your full licence resumed until you have completed these retakes.
You are more likely to be ordered to take an extended driving test if your driving offence is a dangerous one or one that forces mandatory disqualification.
An extended driving test is obviously going to bring about all of the stress and nervous tension of your original test flooding back.
However, you do have the experience of having driven previously and also of having sat a test before, so it’s just a case of polishing up on your skills and knowing what the extended test may include.
To help get you prepared for this test, we have put together this useful guide which will give you all of the information and advice you need to prepare for, and hopefully pass, your extended driving test.
When your disqualification period comes to an end, you will be able to recover your full driving licence if you:
Please Note:
You are not entitled to drive a bus or lorry if you have only got a provisional car driving licence
The extended practical driving test takes longer to complete and is more demanding than the normal learner driving test.
The test lasts for about 70 minutes and takes in a wide range of roads including dual carriageways and motorways where appropriate.
Because you have been a fully qualified road user before and have experience of driving on all of these types of roads, the test is designed to ensure that your skills on each are still up to scratch.
You may find it worthwhile to take some pretest driving lessons in preparation for the test.
This will be especially useful if it has been some time since your original driving test.
You could have picked up bad habits or some road rules or driving test requirements have changed, meaning you need to polish up before sitting your test again.
It is not possible to apply for an extended test online or by telephone.
You must apply in person or by post at any of the Driver and Vehicle Agency’s (DVA) test centres.
The fees for the extended test are as follows:
When booking an appointment for the extended practical driving test ensure that you apply for the correct category of vehicle and pay the appropriate fee.
If you lose your licence due to conviction for dangerous driving, you automatically lose any bus and lorry driving entitlement (vocational driving licence), irrespective of the category of vehicle being driven when the offence occurred.
It is up to the DVA to decide on whether you can regain your vocational entitlements.
Considerations are made as follows:
Disqualification from driving is a serious matter and is done to protect other drivers and road users.
If you have been disqualified from driving you must reflect on the circumstances that led to the disqualification and if appropriate, take the steps outlined above to get back on the road with a commitment to driving safely no matter what.
As with everything when it comes to driving, you have to prove to the DVLA and any other necessary bodies that you are safe to be behind the wheel driving again, regardless of how many years you had previously driven for.
Driving tests, driving laws and road rules are put in place to protect all road users and pedestrians.
If you’ve been disqualified from driving, then you have committed serious offences or repeatedly broken laws, such as speed limits.
Therefore, it’s right that you should have to go through the testing process again.
If you successfully regain your licence, then the whole process will have hopefully improved you as a driver and made you appreciate why certain rules and laws exist.
If you end up losing your licence a second time, there may be no way back as far as you driving vehicles is concerned.