How do I get my license in the UK?

Okay I'm probably missing something but I honestly have no clue where to begin! I get that you can have one for a year but then how do I get a permanent one? Is is more difficult than the US one? Does my 13 years of driving experience count for nothing? Do I absolutely have to take classes with an instructor?
Thank you so much in advance!!

Search please next time.  This part of the forum is full of exactly the same question

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=56723.0

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=57813.0

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=57513.0

See above
A lot of people think so
Basically
Its not a legal requirement, but its helpful. 

I get that you can have one for a year but then how do I get a permanent one?

You don't actually get a U.K. license for a year; it's just that the law says you can drive on your American license for a year.   

But, unfortunately, 13 or 30 years experience counts for nothing, and you'll have to undergo exactly the same range of tests as a 17-year-old Brit just starting out.  If you haven't acquired a U.K. license within the year, then you're under the same conditions as a learner.