Getting a UK drivers license...

You do NOT need to send in your passport in order to obtain your provisional license.  You just need to go to a post office that offers " passport plus" service (it's called something like that....there's a link somewhere on the DVLA site where you can look in your postcode for post offices offering the service).  For an extra £4, they'll check your passport there and certify that you are who you say you are. 

Thats what I thought too, but I was told not a US passport.

Rosie

Hi ... a few extras to my post earlier ....

Firstly, I think the DVLA does check up on people who countersign so there's an element of risk for both you and your pub friends if you get it countersigned saying that they have know you for two years when they haven't.

Second - this passport thing.   I think the Post Office is regarded as competent to check a UK passport by the DVLA, but not a USA one.  This is me reproting second / third hand, so I would be grateful if others could chime in and confirm or clarify.

Other thoughts.  You say "too far for bus".  Is there a train service?   Tends to be mile for mile quicker. How about a motor byke / Moped option? You can take just a basic competence course and short test and drive that unaccompanied and on "L" plates and it might be a quicker way to get on the road even though you still need a license.  (Ed, do you / would you want to motorbyke anyway??

i got my uk license 4 years ago, so things may have changed. i wasn't about to send in my US passport to the dvla as they had recently 'misplaced' a friend's for 4 months...... i was able to go to wimbledon (SW london) office and hand in the provisional license forms, show them my passport, pay a few extra pounds, and be on my way. it was a little hassle but i felt it was safer. the dvla.gov.uk website has lots of info.

I recently obtained my Provisional and the Post Office does NOT recognize a US Passport so I had to go to the local DVLA office and they did take my passport (which I didn't want to leave but had to) and they told me it would take about 15 days..I got my Provisional licence in on pkg and my passport in another on the same day and it was 10 days only.

I had the same experience--no US passport service at the post office, went to the DVLA office in Stanmore, had a long wait but they were very nice.  They took my passport but swore up and down that it would be returned no later than 3 weeks.  I brought a self-addressed Special Delivery envelope to expedite matters and for a little better security.  The licence arrived within a week, and the passport came back a few days later.  About 10 days from start to finish.

OK, so now I'm a bit confused. If I were to go to Wimbledon like ncny, would I definitely avoid the whole handing-over-the-passport bit? I need to apply for my provisional license, but I also need to apply for my FLR as soon as my wedding happens and since I'm also changing my name, I need that darn passport with me for about a million different ID reasons and I'd really rather not have to give it up for three weeks!

They have changed the requirements since ncny got her licence.  You will have to surrender your passport, whether you do the application by mail or you go to a DVLA office.  It sucks, but this is the only way to get a licence anymore.

They have changed the requirements since ncny got her licence.  You will have to surrender your passport, whether you do the application by mail or you go to a DVLA office.  It sucks, but this is the only way to get a licence anymore.

Blah. Thanks for the clarification, tholian.... I guess I'll just have to bite the bullet. I just may have to put it off for an extra month while I do all of my name changing. 

One hurdle jumped--passed the theory today.

Now to get moving with that practical test before my courtesy year runs out in 8 weeks! 

I will never procrastinate again...I will never procrastinate again...I will never procrastinate again....

One hurdle jumped--passed the theory today.

Great ... congratulations.   And good luck with the practical.  You know that very often it's the first step that's the hardest 

Congrats on passing the theory test!! In your opinion---how difficult was it?

Helena

Just to chime in on:

Theory test and difficulty level:
I found the test to be quite easy.  I used a CD-ROM test data base (Driving Test Success-Theory) which contains (according to them) the official DSA theory test question Bank.  I practiced on it until I was blue in the face and read the highway code a few times.  I didn't encounter one question I hadn't seen before, and completed the test in about 5 minutes...  Many questions are common sense (especially if you've been driving for many years) others you really need to know a specific figure (stopping distance, tire tread depth, distance to place a hazard triangle, etc.).  Study the highway code, take a bunch of practice tests and you should be fine.  The Hazard perception portion of the test is quite strange.  Not sure you can really practice for it, as it involves clicking when you see a "developing hazard" on your screen (its a series of 15 clips taken from the perspective of a driver whilst driving).  I passed it fine, but didn't get the 100% score I got on the multiple choice part... 


Regarding scheduling the practical:

As I commented previously, I scheduled my test end of July and was given a date in mid November.  However, I've been frequently calling the DSA appointment line to try to change the test (if someone cancels and they thus have an opening, they'll change your booking for free).  They have both a "live" and automatic service.  I manged to change my test to (gulp) next week (i.e, 2 months earlier)!  So my advice would be book ASAP and be on the line to try to change to an earlier date.  I don't think there is a difference between the automatic and the "live" service as far as availability of dates  (I got my next week booking via the automatic line).  However, with the automatic service you can only change to an earlier booking at the SAME centre whereas with a person you can ask about other centres.  From my experience, if you want to speak to a person, call before 09:00.

The multiple choice part is not difficult at all--common sense for the most part, but then again I've been driving here for over 2 years (thank you, renewable student-visa driving privileges).  I got 100% on that part.

The second part of the theory test is a hazard perception exam, which consists of 14 video clips.  You have to click the mouse every time you see a road hazard developing.  I got 53 points of a possible 75 on this part.  The passing mark is 44 points, so I passed with a good margin but I was nowhere near perfect.

Like Ginger, I bought some practice software for both the theory and hazard tests.  It is very useful, and also like Ginger, I did not see a question on the multiple-choice that I had not seen before in practice sessions.  I would NOT have passed my hazard test without the practice software.  I found the hazard test to be a bit biased against experienced drivers--the software package also warns about this--the "feel" of real driving actually works against you a little bit, and I found myself failing the practice sessions over and over until I stopped treating it as real driving and started treating it as a very expensive video game. 

I need a few lessons to get rid of my Americanisms (hand-over-hand turning; coasting to a stop; signaling first--to show intent to move--before checking mirrors, apparently that is a BIG no-no here).  I also need to practice reversing around a corner, a maneuver that I believe is illegal in New Jersey where I initially took my road test 22 years ago.

Since I have a bit of leisure time and some money to travel, I'm hoping to be able to go to Wales for the test, where wait times are far shorter than here in the London area, and do a 3 day intensive training just beforehand.  I need to try to set this all up today as I'm off to Berlin this evening (my sweetie is in another opera there).  But if that plan doesn't work out, I'll just book a test for 18 weeks hence and call them every farking morning until I get a decent date.  No way am I giving up driving just because of their bloody queues.

Tholian, I think you just answered a question that I've had kicking around in my head for a while now - my student visa runs out at the end of Oct. but I'm applying for a FLR (M) after my wedding at the end of September - does that mean that my driving privileges will renew for another year and I'll have a year from the date of my FLR visa to get my license? If so, YAY!!!