How to acquire a UK licence with an expired US licence / UK provisional licence

So, I think I may have underestimated how long the wait times would be between the various stages of acquiring a UK licence and I'm worried that my US licence may be expired by the time I need to take the practical test. I've been here for almost 8 months and I'm just now getting off my lazy bum to start the process (no excuse, I know, but I didn't realize there was a separate provisional licence requirement and it looks like this may add a fair bit of time to things). Although it's possible it'll all work out in the allotted time, what would a contingency plan look like, should my US licence be expired?

Specifically, since I don't own a car and don't know anyone here who could 'accompany' me as a valid UK driver, how would I provide an L-plated car and what would I need to do to make everything kosher? Do driving instructors provide a service for something like this? Will the DSA even check the entry stamp on my entry clearance?

If the timing does work out favourably, are there any restrictions on using a rental car? In California, you generally had to get special dispensation from the rental agency and DMV required some special authorisation paperwork.

I skimmed the forum, thinking this must've been asked previously, but maybe my search-fu is weak. Thanks for any insight!

Specifically, since I don't own a car and don't know anyone here who could 'accompany' me as a valid UK driver, how would I provide an L-plated car and what would I need to do to make everything kosher? Do driving instructors provide a service for something like this?

 The instructor Tim took lessons through allowed him to use their car for taking his road test, but I don't know if that's a universal thing or not.

Although it's possible it'll all work out in the allotted time, what would a contingency plan look like, should my US licence be expired?

You can't drive if you only have an expired US license as that would be illegal, but if you get your provisional UK license, I don't see how your US license would matter at all. 

Specifically, since I don't own a car and don't know anyone here who could 'accompany' me as a valid UK driver, how would I provide an L-plated car and what would I need to do to make everything kosher? Do driving instructors provide a service for something like this? Will the DSA even check the entry stamp on my entry clearance?

If you sign up for lessons with a driving school or qualified instructor, they will provide the car in which you will take your test, normally the same one in which your lessons are taken.

But the licence conundrum -- don't know the answer to that but someone who does is sure to be around soon. From what you post, are you are saying that your provisional licence will not be sent to you in time for the expiration of your US licence, leaving you covered by neither for a period, is that right?

I've been here for almost 8 months and I'm just now getting off my lazy bum to start the process (no excuse, I know, but I didn't realize there was a separate provisional licence requirement and it looks like this may add a fair bit of time to things).

The provisional licence should only take about 3 weeks or so to arrive (according to the government website), so if you applied for it now, you should have it by early June. You will need the provisional licence in order to take the theory and practical tests.

Specifically, since I don't own a car and don't know anyone here who could 'accompany' me as a valid UK driver, how would I provide an L-plated car and what would I need to do to make everything kosher? Do driving instructors provide a service for something like this?

Since you don't currently have a car, I'm assuming you haven't really driven in the UK so far? If you're not planning to drive on a daily basis, you don't really need to worry about having a L-plated car and an accompanying licenced driver for day-to-day use.

In this case, in order to pass the tests, I think your best bet would be to take some driving lessons with a UK instructor. The instructor will provide the car, the L-plates and will be your 'accompanying licenced driver' during your lessons and you will be able to take the practical test in their car - so no need to worry about getting a rental car.

Hopefully you can pass the tests before your 12 months is up, but if not, you'll just have to only drive with an instructor if you don't have a car/licenced driver to accompany you.

Will the DSA even check the entry stamp on my entry clearance?

Not sure about the DVLA, but if you are stopped by the police and are found to be driving on an expired US licence, you can get into big trouble.

The provisional licence should only take about 3 weeks or so to arrive (according to the government website)

I think they might be exaggerating to cover themselves in case of delays.  My provisional license took less than a week to arrive.  And I've heard of others with similar time frames.  It was a surprisingly efficient process. 

You can't drive if you only have an expired US license as that would be illegal, but if you get your provisional UK license, I don't see how your US license would matter at all.  

I think it'd mostly matter for renting the car I intended to take the test on and proving that I had brought it to the DSA legally. Perhaps they're not as finicky on that sort of thing here, but I remember California caring about those sort of details quite a lot. I'd hate to have the test centre want to check my entry clearance stamp and then ticket me for driving with invalid credentials (just a provisional licence and no accompanied driver) - probably a bad way to start off the test, I'm guessing. =)

Since you don't currently have a car, I'm assuming you haven't really driven in the UK so far? If you're not planning to drive on a daily basis, you don't really need to worry about having a L-plated car and an accompanying licenced driver for day-to-day use.

In this case, in order to pass the tests, I think your best bet would be to take some driving lessons with a UK instructor. The instructor will provide the car, the L-plates and will be your 'accompanying licenced driver' during your lessons and you will be able to take the practical test in their car - so no need to worry about getting a rental car.

Ahh great, that sounds perfect. Living in Central London, I haven't really had any particular need for a car, but I've rented a few times for trips out and about. Nonetheless, my fear-and-paranoia levels are still a bit elevated with the whole opposite-lane thing and I was planning on finding a decent instructor for some UK brush-up lessons and practice, so that sounds like it'd work out well, should my US licence be expired by the time everything is sorted.

Thanks all!

how long are the provisional licenses valid for? 

how long are the provisional licenses valid for? 

Mine's good for ten years.

Mine's good for ten years.

Wow!  My PA Learner's Permit was only valid for a year and I hated trying to cram in learning how to drive in a short amount of time. I'm glad they give you a lengthy time to learn!

I think it'd mostly matter for renting the car I intended to take the test on

Are you taking lessons?
If so, you will use the instructor's car for taking your test.  You dont need to rent a car.

I don't know why renting a car keeps being a factor for the OP....just book a few lessons with a school or instructor (you really should have a few anyway, because they are going to help you find out specific things that will get you to pass instead of fail -- UK driving is very different from Us driving and that's not just which side of the road.

You can then take your test in that school or instructor's car. It's already got it's L plates and you have a ready-made "accomanying qualified driver" in the person of the instructor. Forget renting some car, just look up the yelllow pages and hook up with a driving instructor and his car. The lessons are -- in my opinion -- a "must have" anyway even for the most long-experienced US driver. We've mostly all found we needed some over here.

I don't know why renting a car keeps being a factor for the OP....just book a few lessons with a school or instructor (you really should have a few anyway, because they are going to help you find out specific things that will get you to pass instead of fail -- UK driving is very different from Us driving and that's not just which side of the road.

You can then take your test in that school or instructor's car. It's already got it's L plates and you have a ready-made "accomanying qualified driver" in the person of the instructor. Forget renting some car, just look up the yelllow pages and hook up with a driving instructor and his car. The lessons are -- in my opinion -- a "must have" anyway even for the most long-experienced US driver. We've mostly all found we needed some over here.

Thanks for the insight. =) I was planning on scheduling a few lessons, but I doubt that the instructors lend their cars and their time out of the generosity of their hearts. I was assuming it'd probably be a fair bit more convenient and cheaper to just rent a car (or use one of the city's car sharing services) and take the test on my own, if my US license were still valid (since I wouldn't need L-plates or an accompanied driver).  And, well, I wasn't sure if instructors even offered a service like this.  =)

Thanks for the insight. =) I was planning on scheduling a few lessons, but I doubt that the instructors lend their cars and their time out of the generosity of their hearts. I was assuming it'd probably be a fair bit more convenient and cheaper to just rent a car (or use one of the city's car sharing services) and take the test on my own, if my US license were still valid (since I wouldn't need L-plates or an accompanied driver).  And, well, I wasn't sure if instructors even offered a service like this.  =)

They're not 'offering a service' - it's part of their job . You have to pay for every hour that you are in their car anyway and on test day you usually have a 1-hour lesson just before the test to brush up on a few final things beforehand, then say goodbye to your instructor (who waits at the test centre for you and then drives you home afterwards) and get into their car with your examiner - that's just how it works here. Everyone I know took their test in their instructor's car, so it's not an unusual thing to do. Most driving schools suggest that you use one of their cars because they have all been tested to make sure they are road-worthy and so you don't have to worry about producing insurance documents or an MOT certificate when you go for the test (if you use your own car, these documents will be checked before you can take the test, but an instructor's car will already be approved). If anything, I would think hiring a car would be more expensive than using an instructor's car.

The provisional licence should only take about 3 weeks or so to arrive (according to the government website), so if you applied for it now, you should have it by early June. You will need the provisional licence in order to take the theory and practical tests.

I think they might be exaggerating to cover themselves in case of delays.  My provisional license took less than a week to arrive.  And I've heard of others with similar time frames.  It was a surprisingly efficient process. 

DVLA can vary tremendously.  Sometimes things come back surprisingly quickly, other times if something goes astray they can be remarkably slow and inept.   Even at the slow end of the scale, I don't think even DVLA could take 4 months to issue a provisional license, so if you apply now you'll certainly be able to keep driving without interruption.  After 12 months though, if you haven't passed the test you're then treated for all legal purposes in the same way as a British learner.

Everything ksand said.

It's actually part of the driving school or driving instructor's service that you take the test in their car....it's not something they do out of "generosity"!  It's standard practice when you have taken lessons with a qualified instructor, unless for some reason you really want to use some other car.

You CAN take the test in a different car but unless you've been practicing/learning in a friend's or relative's, most everyone who takes lessons with an official instructor is also taken through test day by that same instructor and his/her car in which you've already been taking lessons and in fact getting used to how best to use that vehicle's little tricks to get through the manoevres. ("back door handle lined up with kerb for the turn" etc )

Actually, in the US, when I took my US lessons with a driving school there, the same thing happened -- that instructor accompanied me to the test center and it was in that same car that I took my US test. If that wasn't just a fluke then it seems to me that is the standard routine in either country, if you book a driving school. I think they ALL take you through your test in the same car unless for some reason you suddenly want to take it in one you provide yourself, but why would you? Use theirs, it's supposed to be part of the service.