What happens once you pass your driving test?

As I posted above, I passed my practical driving test today. 

In order to get my licence, the examiner told me that I could either give him my provisional and the paper counterpart for him to send to the DVLA, or that I could send it myself. Either way,  I would get it back in 20 working days or so. I figured I'd just leave it with him.

I was just looking through some old threads, and reading the back of my pass certificate and see that if you give it to the examiner the service is free, but if you send it in yourself you have to pay a fee. I can't work out why this would be. Is there some advantage to keeping it to mail in yourself? (not that I can get it back at this point--just wondering). Am I not supposed to be driving until I get my licence back from the DVLA?

Since you've passed your test you are allowed to drive as normal.  They should've given you a little certificate or something saying that you've passed your test.  This is your proof of licence until your official one comes back to you.  The examiner should have told you this and handed you a million and one leaflets about Pass Plus and whatnot (or at least mine did).  If you've been here over a year, you'll need to be driving with your P plates, otherwise, if you've been over here less than a year you can drive as normal without P plates (unless you want to use them).   

Congrats!   

OK, what is a "P" plate?

What happened to the "L" plate?   

OK, what is a "P" plate?

What happened to the "L" plate?  

'P' plates are what you can put on the car just after you've passed the test to show that you are a 'just passed' new driver. They are similar to the 'L' plates but the 'P' is green, so you use 'L' before you've passed and 'P' afterwards.

If you've been here over a year, you'll need to be driving with your P plates, otherwise, if you've been over here less than a year you can drive as normal without P plates (unless you want to use them).  

However, are you sure that you have to use the 'P' plates? Is there a rule now that all new drivers have to have them, because I never bothered to use them after I passed my test at age 17, and neither did either of my younger brothers (the youngest passed in February this year). I've always been under the impression that they were optional.

Thanks.

I was just wondering why you would have to pay a fee to do something the seemingly hard way? (i.e. mailing it in yourself, rather than just letting them do it for you). Just wondering if there was a good reason for it, but if I can go ahead and drive while I wait for my licence, I guess not!

And yep--I got all the leaflets. That's how my instructor and husband knew I passed when I got out of the car. My instructor shouted to my husband 'she's got the booklet!!' It was a funny moment.

And yep--I got all the leaflets. That's how my examiner and husband knew I passed when I got out of the car. My examiner shouted to my husband 'she's got the booklet!!' It was a funny moment.

Ur lucky! the examiner scared my husband half to death. She got out of the car, walked passed him with her head down and said 'she's just over there' cause she had me park on the road near the test centre cause the parking lot in the test centre was full... then I got out of the car and ran towards him and said 'I PASSED'. He was sure i had failed or crashed into a tree or something cause i wasnt in the parking lot and she walked in. haha.

Also, after I passed I never used the 'P' plates... and Ive never heard of that being a rule or never adviced to use them. So thats new to me.  Enjoy driving! I gave her my provisional to send in as well.. and got my license in the post within a week. I just kept my pass certificate in the glove box. 

Just realised that I meant 'instructor' in that story and not 'examiner.' Will edit now. I should never post so early in the morning!

Yeah, my instructor and husband were watching me from the waiting room, and my husband was convinced I failed since it was taking FOREVER. The examiner (who was a bit of a grump--I really thought he was going to fail me, because he seemed so miserable) was going on about how I was overly cautious about stopping for traffic while I reversed around a corner. And then he went over all the pamphlets he gave me, but frankly, he could have been speaking a foreign language the entire time. After I heard 'you passed' I couldn't concentrate on anything!

However, are you sure that you have to use the 'P' plates? Is there a rule now that all new drivers have to have them, because I never bothered to use them after I passed my test at age 17, and neither did either of my younger brothers (the youngest passed in February this year). I've always been under the impression that they were optional.

"P" plates in Great Britain are still completely unofficial and optional.  They've only been around for a few years, and in my opinion are a waste of time anyway (I figure that good drivers will be courteous anyway, and the arrogant, impatient driver can see a "P" plate and be tempted to take chances that he might not otherwise have taken).

Northern Ireland has an "R" plate which is a legal requirement for newly licensed drivers, and imposes several restrictions for the first year, such as being limited to 45 mph (I'm not sure if/how that would apply to somebody already licensed elsewhere). 

But as far as mainland Britain is concerned, it's only the "L" plates* which are mandatory for learners, and you can throw those away the second you have your pass certificate from the examiner.

* Or alternative "D" plates in Wales.

Ah, thanks for the clarification Paul.   

Its the L plates that you have to worry about (if you've been here for over a year), but since you've passed - no worries.   

And yep--I got all the leaflets. That's how my instructor and husband knew I passed when I got out of the car. My instructor shouted to my husband 'she's got the booklet!!' It was a funny moment.

Haha!  My instructor knew I passed when the evaluator didn't make me reverse into a bay at the end; we just pulled up and parked on the street.  He said, "If you do well during the test, they often skip that part, so I knew you were ok."