The question “Can you take a driving test in your own car?” is often asked by learners who complete additional practice outside of lessons.
The short answer to this question is yes, you can, but you will need to do a few things to ensure the DVSA examiner will allow you to go out for the test.
- Can you take a driving test in your own car? – The rules
- What cars are not allowed for the driving test?
- Additional restrictions for driving test cars
- What car can I use for my driving test?
- Will I have to take someone with me to my driving test?
- Why doesn’t my instructor want to take me for the driving test?
- What else do I need when going for a test in my own car?
- Can you hire a car for the driving test?
- International drivers going to the driving test in their own car
- Should the car have dual controls for the driving test?
- What are the disadvantages of taking my own car to my driving test?
Can you take a driving test in your own car? – The rules
Firstly, you must ensure the car is properly insured for you to use on your driving test and that you are also insured to drive to the test centre. If the vehicle is solely insured for the test, then you won’t be able to practise a few hours beforehand to calm your nerves and get in the zone. Most of the time, insurers do insure the car for both before and during the driving test.
Your chosen car must be taxed, have a current MOT (if it is older than 3 years old) and be deemed to be a suitable vehicle by the DVSA.
What cars are not allowed for the driving test?
Your vehicle must meet the standards required by the DVSA if you plan to use it on your driving test. If your car does not meet these standards when you arrive at the test centre, your test will be cancelled and you will lose the money you paid for it.
Some cars are not allowed because they do not provide the examiner with good all-round vision. For this reason, the following cars are not acceptable:
- Any panel van (cars without rear seats or rear side windows)
- Smart Fortwo (2 door)
- Toyota iQ
- BMW 218 convertible
- BMW Mini convertible
- Ford KA convertible
- VW Beetle convertible
Furthermore, if any of the following apply to your car, it cannot be used for your test:
- It has warning lights showing, such as the airbag warning light
- It has tyre damage or does not meet the legal tyre tread depth on every tyre
- It is using a space-saver spare tyre
- It does not have an exterior interior rear-view mirror fitted for the examiner to use
- It is not in a roadworthy condition
- Have L plates on the front and rear
- It does not have a seatbelt and headrest for the examiner, as well as for yourself (not slip-on style)
- It can’t reach at least 62mph
- It does not have an mph speedometer
- It has fewer than or more than 4 wheels
- It has a maximum authorised mass (MAM) of more than 3,500kg (this will be in the vehicle’s handbook)
Additional restrictions for driving test cars
The Citreon C3, Citreon DS3 and DS Automobiles DS3 are restricted by the DVSA because they have known safety faults. If you plan to take your test in any of these, you will need to provide proof that either the fault has been fixed or that it did not need to be fixed.
You may have auto-drive features in your chosen vehicle, such as self-parking or Tesla Autopilot. These will not prevent you from using the vehicle, but you will not be able to use them whilst on your test.
In addition, you will not be allowed to use a vehicle that has a camera/audio recording device fitted to the inside of the vehicle (external devices such as dash cams that record external footage are acceptable).
What car can I use for my driving test?
As long as your chosen car meets the DVSA’s guidelines, most makes and models of cars are suitable, including SUVs and most four-seater sports cars.
Some convertibles are also allowed. These are generally hard top models with good rearview visibility (some convertibles have a restricted view from behind, which makes them unsuitable). One of our driving instructors in Watford teaches in an Audi A3 convertible, and this has been accepted by the DVSA for many driving tests. However, if you are considering taking your driving test in a convertible, we would always strongly recommend checking it first with the DVSA in advance of your test. You can find the guidelines for suitable vehicles on the DVSA website.
If you are in any doubt about your vehicle choice for your driving test, then do contact the DVSA to check with them. You can email them at customerservices@dvsa.gov.uk or call them on 0300 200 1122. When emailing the DVSA, you should do this in advance as they are incredibly busy, and you may not get a response within 24-48 hours.
Will I have to take someone with me to my driving test?
Yes, you must be accompanied by an adult who is at least 21 years old, holds a valid UK driving licence and has a minimum of 3 years of driving experience.
You must not arrive at the test centre on your own without supervision. If you do, you will risk the driving examiner reporting you to the police, regardless of whether you pass the driving test or not. We know of several incidents where this has happened, and it is never pretty.
The typical punishment for driving without the correct supervision is up to 6 points and £1,000.
Check out the below news alert from Thames Valley Police about a learner driver who had their car seized when he was driving by himself after failing his test.
Why doesn’t my instructor want to take me for the driving test?
There are many right and wrong reasons why an instructor wouldn’t want to take you for your driving test. Click the link for more information.
What else do I need when going for a test in my own car?
You will need your driving licence, and the car you arrive in must have at least one L Plate on the front of the car and one L Plate on the back of the car. You should also have an extra interior mirror for the examiner’s use during the test. These mirrors can be purchased for around £10-12 from places like Halfords. However, they can be found online for almost half the price, but you will need to order in advance so that they arrive in time for the test.
Can you hire a car for the driving test?
Yes, you can if it is fitted with dual controls and meets the DVSA’s guidelines. However, you will need to check with the car hire company first. Many car hire companies include insurance for general drivers, but the insurance isn’t tailored for learners, so be honest when enquiring.
There is one company, Arnold Clark, that offers dual-controlled hire cars for as little as £18 an hour. To find out more, visit Arnold Clark’s website.
International drivers going to the driving test in their own car
If you are an international driver and have just arrived in the UK, then your international licence should allow you to drive for 1 year in the UK before you need to stop. However, the moment you apply for a provisional licence, your international licence in the UK will become invalid. Basically, this is because you can’t have the best of both worlds – you cannot be learning to drive on a provisional licence whilst driving around on an international licence the rest of the time.
Due to this, you must not be driving on your provisional driving licence on your own. Therefore, if you turn up for the driving test on your own, the examiners may assume you are an international driver, and they will often report you to the police.
A few years ago, one of our driving instructors in Eastbourne saw an international driver arrive for their driving test on their own. This person went on their driving test and passed. What the international driver didn’t know was that while they were on the test, one of the examiners had called the police. The international driver passed, drove away, and the police were waiting for him outside the test centre. He was pulled over by the police, and his car was towed away.
In this instance, he would most likely have received 6 points on his licence, a hefty fine, plus charges to get his car released.
Should the car have dual controls for the driving test?
If it is a hire car, it needs to have dual controls; if it is not, then the car does not need to have dual controls.
In our experience, some learners prefer to take their driving test in their own car because they have practised a lot in it and feel more comfortable driving it. However, we would estimate that 99% of our pupils prefer to take their driving test with their driving instructor.
What are the disadvantages of taking my own car to my driving test?
Whilst you may be familiar with the controls of your car, especially if you have been practising in it, choosing to take your test in it does have some disadvantages.
You will need to pay for insurance to cover your test, which might be an additional cost, especially if you are not already insured. You will also need to ensure that the car is test-ready and meets all the DVSA’s requirements. Many people don’t want the responsibility and worry of this when they have enough to be thinking about on their test.
However, the main disadvantage is that it will not have dual controls. This means that if anything goes wrong on your test or nerves get to you, your examiner cannot stop the car. You will likely be nervous and, often under pressure, people’s decision-making ability lowers – it rarely improves. For this reason, the examiner will probably feel safer and more comfortable in a dual-controlled car compared to a non-dual-controlled car, though this shouldn’t affect the result of your driving test.
Conclusion
Deciding what car to take your driving test is an important decision. You need to consider what would make you feel the least anxious and most prepared on the day. For many of our learners, this is why they choose to take their test in their driving instructor’s car; they feel familiar with its controls as they have done most of their practice in it, and they don’t have to worry about ensuring the car is test-ready, as their instructor already has this responsibility covered. Nevertheless, know that if you do choose to take your driving test on your own, if you take into consideration all of the points covered above, you will be fine.
Good luck on your test!
