Driving Licence and Learner Permit in Ireland: 2026 Rules and the 1 November Changes

Getting a full driving licence in Ireland follows a fixed sequence: pass the driver theory test, get a learner permit, complete compulsory lessons, wait at least six months, pass the driving test, then drive for two years as a novice with N-plates. Licences and permits are issued by the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS).

The rules for learner permits change on 1 November 2026, when the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025 (S.I. No. 527 of 2025) come into operation. This page sets out both the rules that apply before that date and the rules that apply from it.

Information last verified on 26 October 2026. This page is general legal information for the Republic of Ireland, not legal advice.

How do you get a driving licence in Ireland?

For a car (category B), the route is:

The steps are the same for motorcycles, with Initial Basic Training (IBT) taking the place of EDT. Trucks and buses have their own categories and age limits.

What age can you get a learner permit?

The minimum ages, as set out by Citizens Information and NDLS, are:

A person under 16 must not use any vehicle in a public place.

Applying for a learner permit

To apply you need to have passed the driver theory test for the category in the previous two years, and an eyesight report where one is required. The fee is €45, as at October 2026.

Since 19 May 2025, S.I. No. 193 of 2025 requires every licence and learner permit application to include evidence that the applicant has a legal right to reside in the State. A driving licence can also be revoked after the applicant's residence document expires, and a licence or permit can be revoked if documents used were invalid or false. This mainly affects people who are not Irish or EU citizens.

Rules for learner drivers

A learner permit allows you to drive on public roads for the purpose of learning to drive, with these conditions:

• Accompaniment: car, truck and bus learners must be accompanied at all times by an ADI or by someone who has held a full licence in the same category for two years. Learners in categories A1, A2, A, AM and W are not covered by this rule.
• L-plates: learners in categories such as B, C1, C, D1 and D must display L-plates at all times. NDLS says the L must be at least 15 cm high, red on a white background. Motorcycle and moped learners display the L on a yellow fluorescent tabard.
• No motorways: a learner permit does not allow driving on motorways.
• No paying passengers and, for car, truck and bus learners, no towing a trailer.
• Motorcycle learners may not carry a passenger.

Two of these rules, and the novice N-plate rule, are fixed charge offences under S.I. No. 227 of 2024:

The fixed charge notices page explains how the payment periods work, including the higher amount if you pay late.

Essential Driver Training (EDT)

Since 4 April 2011, NDLS says every new first-time car learner permit holder must complete Essential Driver Training with an ADI. The course is 12 one-hour lessons, each signed off in a logbook, and the logbook may have to be produced before the driving test.

Holders of a full car licence from a country that does not have a licence exchange agreement with Ireland complete a reduced programme of 6 EDT lessons, according to Citizens Information.

The six-month wait before the driving test

NDLS says that if you hold a first learner permit in category A, A2, A1, AM, B or W, you must have held it for six months before you can sit the driving test in that category. NDLS says the period runs from the date the category was added, and the rule does not apply to category BE. An exemption is possible for someone who has held a full foreign licence for more than six months.

From 1 November 2026, the new regulation 27A inserted by S.I. No. 527 of 2025 states the rule in law. A person granted a learner permit in category A, A1, AM, W or B who has not held a permit in that category in the previous two years cannot apply for a certificate of competency within six months of the permit coming into force.

How long does a learner permit last?

Before 1 November 2026

Under the rules that NDLS describes as at the date of verification:

An expired permit can currently be renewed for up to five years after it expires.

From 1 November 2026

S.I. No. 527 of 2025 limits renewals mainly for categories AM, A, A1, A2, B and W. Some changes also reach truck, bus and trailer categories, including the 4-year test requirement and the rule that an expired permit can be renewed only within 2 years. In summary, from 1 November 2026:

The RSA describes the effect in terms of numbered permits: a test within the previous two years to renew a third or fourth permit, a fourth permit valid for one year, and a restart of the learning-to-drive process after seven years or four permits. The regulation itself is framed by the length of time a permit has been held, and that wording is what applies.

The RSA describes this as restarting the learning-to-drive process. Its guidance on multiple learner permits says that if your second or later permit expires after 1 November 2026, you will have to sit a driving test before you can apply for a third or fourth permit.

If you already hold a learner permit

The new rules take effect on 1 November 2026, so they apply to applications made on or after that date, including renewals of permits already held. The regulation refers to the period for which a person has held a learner permit in the category, and does not say that time held before 1 November 2026 is left out.

The RSA's guidance confirms this: the new rules apply to you when your learner permit is expiring, so if your second or later permit expires after 1 November 2026, you must sit a driving test before you can get a third or fourth permit.

The full driving licence

Citizens Information says you can apply for a full licence once you have passed the driving test for that category in the last two years. If your Certificate of Competency is more than two years old, you will have to sit the test again.

A car licence is normally issued for up to 10 years if you are under 65. Citizens Information says drivers aged 65 to 71 get a licence to the eve of their 75th birthday, drivers aged 72 to 74 get a 3-year licence, and drivers aged 75 and over get a 3-year or 1-year licence on a doctor's certification.

Novice drivers and N-plates

Section 3(1) of the Road Traffic Act 2014 makes the holder of a first driving licence a novice driver for two years from the date of its issue. Any period of disqualification, or of not holding a licence, does not count towards the two years. Citizens Information notes that the novice period applies only once.

Under section 4, a novice driver must display an N-plate front and rear: the letter N at least 15 cm high, red on a white background. Novice motorcyclists wear a tabard instead. Failing to display N-plates carries a €120 fixed charge.

Penalty points and drink-driving for learners and novices

Two rules are stricter for learner and novice drivers:

• Seven points, not twelve. Under section 3(1) of the Road Traffic Act 2002, a driver is disqualified for six months when the points on their licence reach 12. For a person who is a learner driver or novice driver at the time the points are endorsed, the threshold is 7. This lower threshold has applied since 1 August 2014. The penalty points page explains how points are endorsed and how long they last.
• A lower alcohol limit. Learner permit holders and drivers in the first two years of their full licence have a limit of 20 mg per 100 ml of blood, 27 mg per 100 ml of urine and 9 mg per 100 ml of breath. See drink-driving limits for the standard limits and penalties.

Exchanging a foreign driving licence

You can exchange a full driving licence for an Irish one if it was issued by an EU or EEA member state (including Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland) or by a recognised state. Citizens Information lists the recognised states and territories as:

• Australia; Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario and Saskatchewan only); Georgia; Gibraltar; Guernsey; the Isle of Man; Japan; Jersey; Moldova; New Zealand; Northern Ireland; the Republic of Korea; South Africa; Switzerland; Taiwan; and the UK

Citizens Information says a person who lives in Ireland can no longer drive on a UK licence and must exchange it.

Moldova was added from 27 April 2026 by S.I. No. 172 of 2026, so older lists will not include it. Under that Order, an automatic-only Moldovan licence is exchanged for an automatic-only Irish licence. Not every category can be exchanged in every case.

Key points from Citizens Information:

• A licence from a recognised state must be exchanged within one year of its expiry date, and an EU or EEA licence within 10 years of its expiry date. The fee is €65.
• Only a full licence can be exchanged. A foreign learner permit cannot be used to drive in Ireland or be exchanged.
• If you live in Ireland you can no longer drive on a UK licence; you must exchange it. Ukrainian licences can no longer be exchanged.
• A licence from a recognised state can be used by a visitor for up to one year. An EU or EEA licence can be used while it is valid.
• If your licence is from a country Ireland does not have an exchange arrangement with, you go through the full Irish process, but with 6 EDT lessons instead of 12.

For the rest of Ireland's motoring rules, see the Irish driving laws section. Once you have a car of your own, the NCT page covers the roadworthiness test. The main Ireland laws page lists every topic.

This page is general information about driver licensing in the Republic of Ireland, not legal advice. For your own application, contact NDLS or the Road Safety Authority, and for a prosecution or disqualification speak to a solicitor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What age can you get a learner permit in Ireland?

You can get a car (category B) learner permit at 17. The minimum age is 16 for mopeds (AM), light motorcycles (A1) and work vehicles (W), and higher for larger motorcycles, trucks and buses. You must also have passed the driver theory test for that category within the previous two years.

What is changing for learner permits on 1 November 2026?

From 1 November 2026, S.I. No. 527 of 2025 limits renewals in categories AM, A, A1, A2, B and W. In summary, a learner who has held a permit for four years or more needs to have sat a driving test in the previous two years to apply again, some later permits last one year only, and after seven years an application is treated as a first learner permit. An expired permit can be renewed within two years instead of five.

Do the new rules affect a learner permit I already hold?

The changes apply from 1 November 2026, so they affect applications made from that date, including renewals. The regulation looks at the period for which a person has held a learner permit in the category. The RSA confirms that permits expiring after 1 November 2026 are renewed under the new rules, so check your expiry date and test history now.

How many driving lessons do you need in Ireland?

First-time car learner permit holders must complete 12 one-hour Essential Driver Training (EDT) lessons with an Approved Driving Instructor, recorded in a logbook. Holders of a full car licence from a country without a licence exchange agreement with Ireland do a shorter programme of 6 lessons.

Can a learner driver drive alone in Ireland?

No, for a car. A car learner must be accompanied at all times by an Approved Driving Instructor or by someone who has held a full licence in the same category for two years. Driving unaccompanied is a fixed charge offence with a €160 charge. Learners on motorcycles, mopeds and work vehicles are not covered by the accompaniment rule.

How long do you have to display N-plates?

For two years from the date your first full driving licence was issued, under section 3 of the Road Traffic Act 2014. Time spent disqualified or without a licence does not count towards the two years. The novice period applies only once.

Can I drive in Ireland on a foreign licence?

A valid EU or EEA licence can be used while it is valid. A licence from a recognised state, such as Australia, Canada (some provinces) or Japan, can be used by a visitor for up to one year and can be exchanged for an Irish licence. A visitor who lives in the UK can drive here on a UK licence. A person living in Ireland can no longer drive on a UK licence and must exchange it. Foreign learner permits cannot be used or exchanged.

How much does a driving licence cost in Ireland?

As at October 2026, NDLS charges €65 for a full licence (10 years for a car), €35 for a 3-year licence, to add or remove a category or for a replacement, €45 for a learner permit and €65 to exchange a foreign licence. First-time and renewal licences are free at 70 or over.