How old do you have to be in the UK to apply for a provisional license to drive a car?

I know you have to be 17 for your provisional license to be valid but at what age can you apply for one?How old do you have to be in the UK to apply for a provisional license to drive a car?
You can apply when you are 16, but no earlier than 3 months than your 17th.


Where it states the date you would like your licence to start you put down your 17th birthday


I did the same and I had my first lesson on my 17th.


Also I work at DVLA - so I should know.








';Normally, for car drivers, the earliest date your provisional licence can become valid is your 17th birthday, however you can apply for the licence up to three months before your 17th birthday.';


http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Lea鈥?/a>How old do you have to be in the UK to apply for a provisional license to drive a car?
i thought you could apply a few months before your 17th
as far as i know it is still 16 cos u only need 2 b 16 to ride a 50cc motorbike
17, on your birthday, I suppose you could send it in a couple of days b4
Oliver, In the UK it is licence, and nothing else will do, go to the bottom of the class.
Someone said 16 and they may be right, but I always thought you couldn't apply until your 17th birthday. As for wannabe pedant, Raymo, BOTH spellings are acceptable here in the UK, so you may wish to apologise to her. Also, America, being a place, starts with a capital letter.





Addendum for Barking Mad:


Living up to your name I see. Check the Oxford English dictionary and then get back to me. Also, your first sentence ended with the word 'do', so a full stop and not a comma was order of the day. If I'm bottom of the class, you are going to have to repeat the entire year. ;-)
seventeen or eighteen in some parts but yes 17 is right
Actually you can learn to drive and pass at 16 in the UK if you are getting a certain type of benefit. But normally you need to be 16 and 9 months to apply for a provisional.
You can apply for a provisional licence on your sixteenth birthday cos you're allowed by law to ride a moped or small 50cc bike on the roads at least.
apply wen ur 16 n 9 months!! wen u fill in d form u cn ask for ur license 2 b valid a curtain tym bt d max tym is 3 months afta u send away d form. i cnt wait 2 drive lol 3 monhs 2 go 4 me wooooooooooooo lmao!!
16 as i have just done my step daughters which then entitles you to drive a moped at 16 then car at 17
17 years old. Go to:


http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Dri鈥?/a>


http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Dri鈥?/a>





and to apply for your licence online go to:


http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Mot鈥?/a>


http://forms.dvla.gov.uk/forms/ordering_鈥?/a>
17 in most places. Good luck
you can apply at sixteen !! but id hurry up if i were you they're changing the rules ... soon youl have to wait till yuor 21. im applying for myn right now 2!
as far as i know u can apply anytime but it won't be issued till you're 17
For an able-bodied person the age at which you can apply for a provisional car licence is 16yrs 10months.
Not sure how old you need to be but the word is licence - this isn't america.