What do you need to do to get started learning to drive? This page details all the procedures you must follow to get you on the road and learning to drive.
Anybody over 17 is entitled by law to learn to drive a car provided they hold a learner’s permit (or 16 if they wish to drive a works vehicle such as a tractor). To get a learner’s permit, you need to complete the following stages
Theory Test
Eyesight Report
NDLS
Physically receive the learner’s permit
The Driving Theory Test
The first step in learning to drive is to study for and pass the Drivers Theory test.
The Official Driver Theory Test Questions and Answers, Motorcycles, Cars, and Work Vehicles, provides a comprehensive list of all questions and answers.
The Book is available in three formats: Book, CD-ROM, and Online. It can also be purchased directly from the official Driving Theory store at dttstore.prometric.com.
Book: €18
CD Rom: €22
Online: 1 Month €22 3 Months €27 6 Months €40
We strongly recommend having a physical copy of the book that you can quickly refer to throughout your learning and beyond. It is also handy to have on the day of your driving test to help refresh the Road Signs while in the waiting room.
The Online format allows you to sit multiple tests and will give your scores in total as well as broken down by category:
Control of the Vehicle
Legal Matter/Rules of the Road
Managing Risk
Safe and Responsible Driving
Technical Matters
If you are particularly weak in any category, you can focus solely on questions within this category until you improve.
Booking the Theory Test
You can book the Theory Test online at www.theorytest.ie. To do so, select Category B (Car) and a location. Appendix A lists 40 test centres throughout Ireland.
To sit the test, you must have one of the following forms of ID
Public Services Card (with photograph)
Passports (valid for international use only or up to a maximum of 12 months expired)
Irish Passport Cards (in good condition)
National Identity Card from EU/EEA Member States or Switzerland
Irish Category B (Car) or Category A (Motorcycle) Learner Permit or Full Driving Licence (in good condition)
Non-Nationals must prove they have residency entitlement by providing one of the following:
• Public services card -where place of birth or nationality is within EU/EEA/Switzerland.
• Irish/UK (long-form) birth certificate or adoption certificate
• EU/EEA/Switzerland Driving Licence or Irish Learner permit which shows place of birth as within EU/EEA/Switzerland
• Certificate of entry in the Irish Foreign Births Register
• Irish passport/passport card (current or expired by no more than 12 months)
• Current passport for all EU/EEA/Swiss citizens (valid for international use)
• Current national identity card for EU/EEA/Swiss citizens
• Irish certificate of naturalisation
• Current certificate of registration (Garda National Immigration Bureau/GNIB card) or Irish residence permit (IRP) for non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens (The GNIB and IRP cards must be presented with a current passport valid for international use or a Public Services Card)
You should turn up for the theory test 30 minutes before the test is due to begin. The test is done on a computer, and you have 45 minutes to answer 40 questions. You need to get 35 correct to pass. If successful, you will get a pass certificate before you leave. If unsuccessful, you can resit, and there are no limits on how many times you can sit the test. If you have trouble with English an interpreter can be arranged in advance.
The Eyesight Report
In addition to passing the Theory Test, you must also pass a basic eye test. Please print a D.502 form online (Appendix 2) and bring it to any opticians. Ask them for a Driving Test Eye Test; they will know what you need.
The law says that to drive, you must:
Have a visual acuity (with corrective lenses, where necessary) of at least 0.5 (6/12) when using both eyes together.
Your horizontal field of vision must be 150° or more.
If you have sight in one eye only, you must have a visual acuity (with corrective lenses, where necessary) of at least 0.6 (6/10), an unrestricted field of vision in the eye concerned, and your monocular vision must have existed for enough time to allow you to adapt.
If you need to wear corrective lenses to meet these standards, your optician or GP must tick the form in the appropriate box. Then, a Code 01 will be added to the back of your Learner’s Permit stating that you must wear Glasses or lenses while driving. Failure to do so can result in an on-the-spot fine.
National Driving Licence Service
You must attend an NDLS centre in person to obtain your Learner’s Permit. There are 35 NDLS Centres; you can locate your nearest one at www.ndls.ie. You can make an appointment online to secure a place or go to the day and wait in a queue. They always have an Administrator specially for walk-in cases so that you will be seen that day, but be prepared to wait, especially on a Saturday. If “walking in,” it’s best to go early when they open at 9 am to avoid the crowds.
For Identification and Proof of Address purposes, you should bring along your Public Services Card. If you do not have one, then you must supply the following:
Photographic ID,
Evidence of PPSN,
Evidence of address (where your address is as provided to the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection DEASP) and
Evidence of residency entitlement (where your place of birth or nationality is within the European Union / European Economic Area/Switzerland).
A List of acceptable documents is available on WWW.NDLS.IE
You must complete the Learner Permit D201 Form, which is available online, or there are copies at the NDLS Centre. Upon entry, you must register your attendance and wait for your number to be called.
Once everything has been completed, it takes 3 weeks to receive your Learner’s Permit. As you must have a licence on you at all times while driving, you cannot drive until you physically receive the Learners Permit. Driving Instructors will check your Permit at the beginning of the lesson, and failure to produce it will result in the lesson being cancelled and may still get charged. The NDLS Receipt is inadequate.
EDT Driving Lessons
Once you have received your Learners Permit you can now commence driving lessons with an Approved Driving Instructor. We will need to check the permit before the lesson starts to confirm identity, so the full licence must be used, not just the NDLS receipt. Learners must complete 12 mandatory EDT Driving Lessons and wait 6 months before they can sit the driving test.
Reduced EDT
If you have a licence in another jurisdiction, you can avail of the reduced EDT system, which is 6 EDT Driving Lessons instead of 12. You are also exempt from the 6-month rule. You can find additional information on our EDT Driving Lessons Page.