In the UK, you can start learning to drive when you are 17 years old. However, you cannot take the driving test and get your full driver’s license until you are at least 17 years and 6 months old. To start learning to drive, you will need to hold a valid provisional driving license, which you can apply for online or by post. You can apply for a provisional license up to three months before your 17th birthday. If you get or have applied for the enhanced rate of the mobility component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), you can start driving a car when you are 16 years old.

Here are the key points regarding the legal age to drive in the UK:

• You can apply for a provisional driving license when you’re 15 years and 9 months old.
• You can start driving a car when you’re 17.
• You can drive a car when you are 16 if you get, or have applied for, the enhanced rate of the mobility component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) .
• You can only drive by yourself on public UK roads when you’ve passed both your theory and practical tests.
• You must be at least 21 years old to apply for a license to drive buses or lorries.