Driving lessons

This might be stupid question but...

Do I need to get a provisional license to take driving lessons? I'm currently driving on my US license and I'm looking up places online to take a few lessons from and they're saying you need to have your provisional license before you can take lessons. I'm assuming that this won't apply to me because I can legally drive but I thought I'd go ahead and ask here because I know some of you have taken some lessons too.

Thanks.

I thought you needed your provisional.  It's not too big a deal to get it anyways.  You get to keep your US one.  I used my USA one to drive on until I took lessons and passed both tests.  I kept driving all the time throughout with my US license. 

The only person I showed the provisional to was my drivign instructor and any other official that needed it for those purposes.  Had I been pulled over or in an accident I would have shown my US one and proof of insurance.  Not sure how legal I was... but it's what I did.  No where did it say I could not continue to drive on my US one....

I was hoping I wouldn't have to, but thanks.

Also, anyone who has taken lessons, how many did you take? I've been driving for 12 years so I obviously don't need to learn to drive... I just need to learn anything I might not know about driving in the UK and get rid of any bad habits I've picked up. I don't know if that's going to take 1 lesson or 10. I know you can't tell me for sure but it would be nice to have an idea. So I was wondering how many lessons some of you took.

Thanks again.

Okay, so I found this on the DVLA website for people who hold a license from another country:

If you are required to pass a GB driving test in order to gain a full British licence you must first apply for a provisional driving licence. To do this you should complete an application form D1 (previously D750), available from Post Office® branches, and return it to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AD with the correct fee.

Once you are in possession of the valid provisional licence, you must comply with the conditions applicable to provisional licence holders.  These are printed on the back of the licence itself.  You may not take a test unless you are resident in this country.  Once you have passed both theory and practical parts of the driving test, you may then apply for your full licence.


So...this is saying I must get a provisional license. And, once I do, that's all I can drive under. I can no longer drive with my US license. So, once I get my provisional license I can only drive with a licensed driver in the car?! Am I understanding correctly? Because that sounds crazy to me.

I took about 10 hours of lessons.  Then again I have never been able to reverse to save my life...

You have a year to drive on your US license, but when that year runs out, you must be in possession of a UK license or your insurance could be invalid.
Plan to take your test about three months at least before your year runs out, you might find it difficult to book a second chance in time, if necessary.
I took three lessons with a famous school, it was crazy she wanted me to take 12- 14 lessons at 19 pounds a pop. I have been driving almost twenty years in US and Europe. Rip off. I got another lady recommended to me and she was superb. Three lessons later and I passed the test.  And she was cheaper.