12 Sep, 2012
A common reason pupils contact us is to ask about ID for the Theory Test. Generally, the pupils are in a panic because it's only a few
days away from their test appointment and they have lost part of their provisional licence.
First off, we would advise everyone to check that they have both parts of the required ID (provisional licence and photo card) well before
their theory test appointment date.
If you have a tendency to lose things, keep both parts together, even on driving lessons. When not being used, put them in a safe place away from
everyday paperwork.
Funnily enough, The 2 questions we get asked most about ID coincides with the 2 parts of the licence. Pupils fall into 2 camps - those who have
lost the paper counterpart and those who have lost the photo ID card.
If you lose part of your ID but want to keep the test fee and take the Theory Test - the best solution is to re-schedule the test.
Candidates are allowed 3 clear working days' before the appointment date to cancel or re-schedule their
test without losing the fee. Once inside the 3 day limit, there is no way to change or cancel the test without losing your money.
So, if you are lucky enough to have time to change the date, do it. In the meantime, you may find the part of the ID you had lost.
If not, you will be able to re-order a new provisional licence and counterpart - of course, you will have to pay for this service (Currently
the cost is £20). The DVLA aims to send out new provisional licences within 2 weeks of receiving your application (you should receive the licence
quicker if you re-order it online).
For candidates that realise they've lost part of the ID inside the 3 day cut-off period (there are many of them!), the chances of taking the test drop
dramatically.
The best odds are for those who have the Provisional Driving Licence Photo ID card.
Some candidates have gone to the test centre with their photo ID plus any other ID they can get their hands on and been allowed to take the test.
Some candidates just showed their provisional licence photo ID card and the DSA official let them take the test.
Some candidates have done both, but weren't allowed to take the test! Basically, it's a lottery!
At the end of the day, you are in the hands of the DSA official who, by rights, should cancel the test. However, if you do decide to give it a go and turn up with
your Provisional Photo ID card only - the best advice is to BE POLITE!
Unfortunately, if you only have the Provisional Licence paper counterpart, your chances of taking the test are zero. This is due to scams
in the past where people took Theory Tests for the real candidate by using various forms of fake photo ID.
Because of this, the DSA Theory Test centres will only accept the Provisional Driving Licence Photo ID Card as proof - absolutely
no other photo ID (including a Passport) will be accepted.
In summary: keep both parts of the licence together in a safe place. If you think you've lost the paper counterpart - re-schedule ASAP.
