UK Bans Third-Party Booking of Driving Tests as Average Wait Hits 22 Weeks

New government rules that took effect this week make it illegal for anyone apart from the learner driver to book a practical driving test with the DVSA. The legislation targets third-party resellers who have used bots to secure thousands of appointments and sell them at inflated prices.

It was introduced too late for Robert Kamugisha, a 21-year-old criminology student from Croydon who spent £726 on three test slots bought through resellers.

The actual cost to take a practical driving test is £62. Kamugisha passed his driving test in December on his third attempt. His total expenditure including car hire came to £1,176, excluding lessons.

Kamugisha's driving instructor encouraged him to use a reseller to secure an earlier test date. "I spent most of my savings," he told BBC News after passing. " "Once I got the booking confirmation, that's when I felt a bit of relief," Kamugisha added.

3 weeks, according to figures provided to BBC News by the DVSA. 3 weeks. Sophie Stuchfield, a driving instructor from Watford, told BBC News the black market has exploited surging demand.

She received 3,341 messages from people trying to sell her driving tests. Learner drivers are being asked to pay £200, £250 or £300 for a driving test. Some instructors charge learners an extra £300 on test day to use their car.

Stuchfield has refused to charge such fees, drawing criticism from other instructors in her area who do. "I already feel sorry for that person on how much they're having to spend on learning to drive," she said. The new rules mean only a learner driver can book their own test.

The government hopes this will reduce wasted tests and allow the DVSA to better identify genuine demand. BBC News reported that further changes will be introduced in June allowing learners to swap tests to only three of their local test centres.

The government delivered almost two million tests over the past year. It has delivered 158,000 extra tests since June 2025. Military driving examiners are helping boost capacity across the country, Simon Lightwood, the Minister for Roads and Buses, said.

Lightwood stated the government inherited record waiting times and a huge backlog of learners waiting for tests.