Progressing to a Provisional Licence
In order to progress from a Learner’s Permit to a Provisional Licence, you must fulfil the criteria and be recognised as a competent driver. In short, you must:
- Have had a Learner’s Permit for a minimum of 12 months (under 25 years of age) or 6 months (over 25 years of age).
- Complete at least 75 hours (including a minimum of 15 hours at night) of driving experience with a qualified supervising driver.
A record of the 75 hours of compulsory driving experience is kept in the Log Book, which can be found within The Driving Companion. A Provisional Licence can be gained when the above criteria have been met and you have been issued with a Certificate of Competency. The Certificate of Competency can be achieved by successfully completing either a Competency Based Training course (CBT) or a Vehicle On Road Test (VORT).
Vehicle Restriction
If you are under the age of 25, you must not drive a high-powered vehicle
That means:
- Vehicles with engines of eight or more cylinders
- Vehicles with turbocharged or supercharged engines (excluding diesel powered vehicles).
- Vehicles that have been modified to increase engine performance.
High-powered vehicle restrictions do not apply:
- When you turn 25 years of age.
- If you had your P1 or P2 licence before 4th September 2010.
Prior to 4th September 2010
In order to progress from a Learner's Permit to a Provisional Licence, you must fulfil the criteria and be recognised as a competent driver. In short, you must:
- Have had a Learner's Permit for a minimum of 6 months
- Be 16 and a half years of age or older
- Complete at least 50 hours (including a minimum of 10 hours at night) of driving experience with a qualified supervising driver
A record of the 50 hours of compulsory driving experience is kept in the Log Book, which can be found within The Driving Companion. A Provisional Licence can be gained when the above criteria have been met and you have been issued with a Certificate of Competency. The Certificate of Competency can be achieved by successfully completing either a Competency Based Training course (CBT) or a Vehicle On Road Test (VORT).