A learner’s licence is the permit that lets you drive on a public road while supervised, and you need one before you can apply for a driving licence. You get it by passing a written test on road signs, the rules of the road, and vehicle controls.
Here is what the process actually involves.
Are you old enough?
The minimum age depends on which code you are applying for, and you must have reached it on the date of the test, not the date you book.
| Code | Vehicle | Minimum age |
|---|---|---|
| Code 1 | Motorcycles and tricycles up to 125cc | 16 |
| Code 1 | Motorcycles and tricycles over 125cc | 18 |
| Code 2 | Vehicles up to 3 500kg | 17 |
| Code 3 | Vehicles over 3 500kg | 18 |
If you are not sure which one you need, the codes are covered in more detail in Learner’s licence codes explained.
What to take with you
You need to bring all of the following when you book:
- Your identity document
- Two identical black-and-white ID photographs
- The booking fee
- Proof of your postal and residential address, such as a utility account
If you live in an informal settlement, a letter with an official date stamp from your ward councillor serves as proof of address instead.
If you are 65 or older, you also need a medical certificate (form MC).
Fees are not listed here on purpose. They change, and they can differ between centres, so check the current amount with your DLTC rather than trusting a number on a website.
Booking your test
Booking happens in person. Go to your nearest Driving Licence Testing Centre (DLTC) and complete the application form for a learner’s licence, form LL1.
You will also have an eye test as part of the application. This is a screening for whether your eyesight meets the standard for driving, not part of the written test, and it happens before you sit the paper.
You will be given a booking receipt with your test date. Keep it, because you need it to be allowed to write.
On the day
Bring your booking receipt and your identity document. Without both, you will not be permitted to write.
The test itself is a written paper covering three sections: road signs, the rules of the road, and vehicle controls. You have to pass every section separately, which is the part that catches most people out. There is a full breakdown in What is on the learner’s test.
If you pass, you pay the issue fee and your learner’s licence is issued.
After you pass
A learner’s licence is valid for 24 months and cannot be extended. If it expires before you get your driving licence, you have to write the learner’s test again from scratch.
That window matters more than people expect. Twenty-four months sounds generous, but driving test waiting lists in many areas are long, so it is worth booking your driving test well before your learner’s runs out.
Before you book
Study first. The application process assumes you have already worked through the road signs and vehicle controls, and the pass marks are high enough that walking in cold is a wasted booking fee.
You can browse every road sign, read the rules of the road, and then write a full mock test under the real structure and time limit to see where you stand.
