The New Drivers Act
The act applies to all drivers from, Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the European Community and European Economic Area, Isle of Man, Channel Islands and Gibraltar.
Drivers from designated countries
The act applies to you if you have exchanged a driving licence from a designated country for a British licence and pass a further driving test in this country.
The designated countries are: Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Hong Kong, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland and Zimbabwe.
Getting your full driving licence back
To get your full driving licence back you must first reapply for a provisional driving licence.
You’ll also need to pass the theory and practical driving tests again and claim your test pass.
Pass the theory and practical driving tests
You’ll need to pay for and resit the theory and practical driving tests.
Claim your test pass
After passing your driving test, you’ll need to exchange your provisional driving licence for a full one.
Penalty points gained before passing your driving test
Any penalty points you gain before passing your first driving test are taken into account. However, having six or more doesn’t mean your licence will be revoked straight after you pass your test.
Gaining further points after passing your test, taking your total to six or more, will mean your licence will be revoked.
Your driving entitlement for other vehicles
Any other entitlements you had on you driving licence, such as lorry or bus, will only be restored after the approval of a traffic commissioner in the area you live.
The traffic commissioner may request you retake a driving test for those vehicles.
After passing your retest
It’s important to remember that passing a retest doesn’t remove the penalty points from your driving licence. The penalty points remain valid.
Appealing against the withdrawal of your driving licence
You can only appeal against the conviction that led to you getting the six penalty points. Contact the convicting court for advice on how to appeal.
Check the DVLA website for more information on the above.
