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If you need to change your driving test appointment in England, Scotland, or Wales, you do it online through the official DVSA service at driverpracticaltest.dvsa.gov.uk. The service runs
If you need to change your driving test appointment in England, Scotland, or Wales, you do it online through the official DVSA service at driverpracticaltest.dvsa.gov.uk. The service runs from 6am to 11:40pm and you can move your test, find an earlier date, or change the test centre you’re booked at.
The rules changed significantly in 2026. Since 31 March 2026, you can only change a car driving test twice per booking. You also need to give at least 10 full working days’ notice to avoid losing your £62 fee. If you’ve already used your two changes and need to move the test again, you’ll have to cancel and rebook from scratch.
This guide covers exactly how to change your practical and theory test, what the 2026 rules mean in practice, what counts as a change, the notice requirements, and how to get a refund if you need one urgently.
The change driving test service is at driverpracticaltest.dvsa.gov.uk. You cannot ask your driving instructor to do this for you. Since 12 May 2026, only the person whose name is on the driving licence can legally book, change, or cancel a car driving test.
To use the service you need two things:
If you’ve lost your theory test pass letter, you can find your certificate number using the GOV.UK service at gov.uk/find-lost-theory-test-pass-certificate-number.
Once you’re logged in, you can:
If you want to do more than one of these at the same time (for example, moving to an earlier date at a different centre), that still counts as a single change, not two.
The DVSA overhauled the car driving test booking system in 2026 following a public consultation that received over 102,000 responses. The changes were introduced in three phases and affect how many times you can change your test, who can manage the booking, and which centres you can move to.
From 31 March 2026, car driving test bookings can only be changed twice. Before this date, the limit was six changes. Non-car tests (such as motorcycle, LGV, and PCV tests) retain a limit of six changes.
The limit applies per booking. If you cancel your test and rebook, the counter resets to two changes on the new booking.
If the DVSA itself changes or cancels your appointment (for example, due to examiner illness, bad weather, or test centre closure), that does not count towards your two-change limit. The DVSA confirmed this explicitly in its May 2026 webinar Q&A.
From 12 May 2026, only the person whose name is on the driving licence can legally book, change, cancel, or swap a car driving test. Before this date, driving instructors could manage bookings on behalf of their pupils. That is now prohibited for car tests.
Instructors can still provide their ADI reference number so the system links the booking to them, but the pupil must make all the changes themselves.
From 9 June 2026, when you change your test centre, you can only move to one of three options:
The old tactic of booking a slot at a quieter rural centre to secure a date quickly, then switching to a busier city centre later, no longer works for car tests. You’re geographically restricted to your local area.
[Table: Key 2026 driving test booking changes by phase and date]
| Change | Date effective | Applies to |
| Change limit reduced from 6 to 2 | 31 March 2026 | Car driving tests only |
| Instructors cannot manage bookings | 12 May 2026 | Car driving tests only |
| Test centre moves restricted to nearest 3 | 9 June 2026 | Car driving tests only |
| 10 working days notice required to change | 8 April 2025 | Car driving tests only |
Non-car tests retain 6 changes and a 3 working days notice requirement.
One of the most misunderstood parts of the new rules is exactly what uses up one of your two changes. The DVSA defines it clearly.
What counts as a change:
Doing multiple things at once still counts as one change. If you move the date, change the time, and switch to a different test centre all in the same session, that’s one change, not three.
What does not count as a change:
The notice requirement is the single most financially important rule. Getting it wrong costs you the full test fee.
For car driving tests: you must give at least 10 full working days’ notice before the test date. This rule came into force on 8 April 2025. Before that, only 3 working days were needed.
For all other driving tests (motorcycle, LGV, PCV, etc.): the notice requirement remains 3 full working days.
Monday to Saturday count as working days. Sundays and public holidays do not.
That last point catches people out. If your test is on a Wednesday and you want to change it without losing your fee, count back 10 full working days excluding the test day, any Sundays, and any bank holidays to find your deadline.
If you give less than 10 full working days’ notice on a car test, you lose your £62 (or £75) fee. There is no partial refund. You’ll have to pay again when you rebook.
There are four situations where the DVSA will consider a refund even if you changed your test inside the 10-working-day window:
To apply for a refund, email the DVSA at customerservices@dvsa.gov.uk with the subject line: “Unavoidable short notice cancellation”. You must attach documentary proof. Accepted forms include:
If you were ill for 7 days or fewer, you may need to pay for a private medical certificate rather than use a self-certification.
You must also include at least two of the following in your email:
The DVSA will confirm when you’ve been refunded and can help you find a new appointment.
You can change more than one element in a single session, and it only uses one of your two allowed changes. This is worth knowing because it saves you spending changes inefficiently.
For example: moving your test from Oxford on 4 June to Cambridge on 12 May is one change, even though both the date and the centre have moved. You can review and adjust multiple things before you confirm, so take your time to check the options before submitting.
You can change your driving test up to the moment your test starts, but any change that falls inside the 10-working-day window will cost you the fee unless you have an exceptional reason.
The process for changing a theory test is separate from the practical test. You change it through a different DVSA system at book-theory-test.service.gov.uk/change, and the rules differ in a few important ways.
You can change your theory test to:
The change theory test rules are as follows:
To change your theory test by phone or email, you need to give your full name (as it appears on your licence), date of birth, address, driving licence number, and booking reference.
The DVSA theory test contact details are:
Northern Ireland has a separate booking and change system operated by the DVA (Driver and Vehicle Agency), not DVSA. If you’re in Northern Ireland, you change your practical test at nidirect.gov.uk/services/change-your-practical-driving-test-appointment-online and your theory test at nidirect.gov.uk/services/book-change-or-cancel-your-theory-test. The rules may differ from those in England, Scotland, and Wales.
Once you’ve used both of your allowed changes for a car driving test, you cannot change the booking further. At that point you have one option: cancel the test and rebook from scratch.
To cancel the test:
When you rebook, your change limit resets to two changes on the new booking. The GOV.UK change driving test service is also available between 6am and 11:40pm if you need to cancel and rebook on the same day.
If you need help and can’t use the online service, contact DVSA:
If you’re moving your test because you want an earlier date, the availability picture varies significantly by location and time of year. As of May 2026, DVSA data showed an average availability measure of around 21.8 weeks across England, Scotland, and Wales, though the actual median wait for tests taken was significantly lower at around 9.7 weeks.
When you log in to change your test, the system shows available slots up to 24 weeks ahead. Within the restricted geography introduced in June 2026, you’ll see slots at your current centre and the three nearest alternatives.
There are legal ways to look for earlier slots. Third-party apps and alert services monitor the official DVSA booking system for cancellations and notify you when a slot opens up. The key question to ask before signing up to any such service is whether it uses your own DVSA login credentials or stores them itself: services that log in on your behalf using your details carry a risk of account lockout if the DVSA detects unusual access patterns.
Q: How do I change my driving test appointment?
Go to driverpracticaltest.dvsa.gov.uk and log in with your UK driving licence number and your driving test reference number or theory test pass certificate number. You can move the date, change the time, switch to a different test centre, or find an earlier slot. Since 12 May 2026, only the person whose licence is being tested can make changes.
Q: How many times can I change my driving test?
For a car driving test, you can change it twice per booking from 31 March 2026. For motorcycle, LGV, PCV, and other non-car tests, you can change up to six times. If you’ve used both changes on a car test, you must cancel and rebook (the change limit resets when you rebook).
Q: How much notice do I need to change my driving test without losing the fee?
For a car driving test, you need at least 10 full working days’ notice (this changed from 3 days on 8 April 2025). For all other tests, you need at least 3 full working days. Monday to Saturday count as working days; Sundays and public holidays do not.
Q: What if I need to change my test at short notice?
You’ll lose the fee unless you have an exceptional reason: illness or injury, bereavement, a school or college exam clashing with your test, or a stolen driving licence. Email customerservices@dvsa.gov.uk with the subject line “Unavoidable short notice cancellation” and attach proof. Include at least two of: your licence number, theory test pass certificate number, or booking reference.
Q: Can my driving instructor change my driving test for me?
No. Since 12 May 2026, only the person whose name is on the driving licence can book, change, cancel, or swap a car driving test. Your instructor is not allowed to do this on your behalf.
Q: Does changing the test centre use one of my two changes?
Yes. Moving to a different test centre counts as one of your two allowed changes. From 9 June 2026, you can only move to the same centre, one of the three nearest centres to where your test is currently booked, or back to the centre where you first booked. Booking a distant centre to get an earlier slot and then switching to a local one no longer works.
Q: Does it count as a change if I update multiple things at once?
No. If you change the date, time, and test centre in the same session, that counts as a single change. You can adjust multiple things before confirming, so check all options before you submit.
Q: How do I change my theory test?
Go to book-theory-test.service.gov.uk/change and log in with your UK driving licence number. The theory test has different rules: you need 3 full working days’ notice (not 10), and there is no limit on how many times you can change it. The fee is £23; if you change inside 3 working days you lose it unless you have an exceptional reason.
