What licence does a driver or rider need, and what rules apply to learners and new drivers?
The provisional and full driving licence, the requirements for learners and L/R plates, and the restricted (R) driver scheme for newly qualified drivers in Northern Ireland.
A CCEA GCSE Motor Vehicle and Road User Studies answer on driving licences: the provisional and full licence, the rules for learner drivers and L plates, and the Northern Ireland restricted (R) driver scheme.
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What this dot point is asking
CCEA wants you to know the licences a driver or rider needs, the rules for learners (provisional licence, L plates, supervision, no motorways), and the Northern Ireland restricted (R) driver scheme for newly qualified drivers. Northern Ireland has some rules that differ from the rest of the UK, so the R plate and 45 mph limit are commonly examined.
The answer
The driving licence
To drive on a public road you must hold a valid driving licence for the category of vehicle, and the vehicle must be taxed, insured and roadworthy.
You must be a minimum age (for example 17 for a car), meet the eyesight standard, and declare any relevant medical conditions.
Rules for learner drivers
A learner driving a car must:
The L plate warns other road users that the driver is inexperienced, so they should be patient and leave extra room. Learner motorcyclists/moped riders must complete compulsory basic training (CBT) before riding on the road and also display L plates.
The Northern Ireland restricted (R) driver scheme
Northern Ireland has a special scheme for newly qualified drivers.
New drivers are also subject to stricter penalty-point rules - reaching a lower points total in the early period leads to losing the licence and having to re-test.
Worked example: can this learner drive here?
Examples in context
Example 1. The L plate. Seeing L plates, an experienced driver hangs back and gives the learner room at a junction rather than pressuring them.
Example 2. The R driver on a dual carriageway. A driver who passed last month must keep to 45 mph on a 70 mph dual carriageway and display R plates, even though faster traffic is around them.
Try this
Q1. What licence must a person hold to learn to drive? [1 mark]
- Cue. A provisional licence.
Q2. Give the minimum age and experience a learner's supervisor must have. [2 marks]
- Cue. At least 21 and have held a full licence for at least 3 years.
Q3. What is the speed restriction for a Northern Ireland R driver? [1 mark]
- Cue. They must not exceed 45 mph (for the first year).
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of CCEA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
CCEA style4 marksState two rules that a learner driver in a car must obey, and explain what an L plate (or R plate) tells other road users.Show worked answer →
Two learner rules (any two): must hold a provisional licence; must display L plates (front and rear); must be supervised by a qualified driver who is at least 21 and has held a full licence for at least 3 years; must not drive on a motorway; the vehicle must be taxed, insured and roadworthy.
An L plate (red L on white) tells other road users that the driver is a learner, so they may be inexperienced and slower; other drivers should be patient and allow extra room. An R plate (in Northern Ireland) shows the driver is a newly qualified restricted driver who must keep to a lower speed limit.
Markers reward two valid learner rules plus the meaning of the plate.
CCEA style3 marksExplain the Northern Ireland restricted (R) driver scheme: who it applies to, and the main restrictions it places on a new driver.Show worked answer →
The restricted (R) driver scheme applies to newly qualified drivers in Northern Ireland for a period (one year) after passing the test.
Main restrictions: the driver must display R plates (front and rear) and must not exceed 45 mph during the restricted period. (R drivers are also subject to a lower threshold of penalty points before disqualification under the new-driver rules.)
Markers reward: applies to new drivers for the first year, R plates displayed, and the 45 mph speed restriction.
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Sources & how we know this
- CCEA GCSE Motor Vehicle and Road User Studies specification — CCEA (2017)
- nidirect - driving licences and learning to drive — nidirect (NI Government) (2024)