The DVSA called on drivers to respond to a consultation on reforming the driving test booking system to tackle unfair practices that have left learners paying excessive fees for earlier test dates.
The agency announced on social media that it is "looking at ways to make the booking system fairer for everyone" and needs public input on proposed changes by Wednesday, July 23.
The consultation forms part of DVSA's seven-point plan to reduce driving test waiting times, specifically addressing action two of the plan to review and improve booking rules.
The aim of the measures is to make booking a driving test easier and fairer while preventing excessive charges for learner drivers, with the agency prepared to change the law if necessary to implement improvements.
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|The consultation on driving test changes will run until July 23
"We're looking at ways to make the booking system fairer for everyone - but we need your input," the DVSA stated on social media, asking whether they should "limit who can make bookings" and "restrict test centre changes".
The proposals form part of the agency's response to widespread concerns about test availability and unfair booking practices.
The consultation, which opened on May 28, asked the public to choose between three options for who can book driving tests.
These include allowing only learners to book and manage their own tests, permitting both learners and instructors to book but restricting instructors from making changes, or maintaining the current system.
PA | The changes aim to reduce the number of unfair test booking fees and the lack of slots
The agency is also consulting on whether to remove the ability to swap tests between learners entirely, limit swaps to two per booking, or keep the existing rules that allow up to six changes.
Under one proposal, learners would be restricted to changing test locations only within a certain geographical area, with suggested limits ranging from 10 to 40 miles from the original booking.
The DVSA's previous call for evidence, which ran from December 2024 to February 2025, revealed the scale of the problem after analysing nearly 27,000 responses.
Almost a third of learner drivers who responded said they had used unofficial booking services to secure earlier test dates, paying an average of £122, nearly double the standard test fee.
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Some learners reported paying even higher amounts, with evidence showing that test reselling has created a substantial secondary market where learners "often pay double the standard fee for earlier test dates".
The data also revealed that 327,377 driving tests were swapped in 2024, with over 29,000 tests being swapped 10 times or more, indicating systematic exploitation of the booking system's features.
The consultation outlined specific mechanisms to prevent test reselling, with the DVSA explaining that unofficial services typically book a test using a learner's provisional licence details before using the swap feature to transfer it to paying customers.
Some driving instructors were also found to be implicated, with 60 per cent of instructor respondents admitting they swap tests among their pupils, while around a third charge "administrative and/or resale fees" for bookings.
PA | The new DVSA reforms aim to reduce the backlog of driving tests The evidence revealed that some websites use "automated tools to constantly search for available test slots," putting additional pressure on the booking system.
Rather than making reselling illegal, the DVSA's approach focuses on removing the features that enable it, stating this would be "more immediately effective than enforcement after resales happen".
The consultation forms part of DVSA's seven-point plan to reduce driving test waiting times, with these proposals representing "action two" of the plan.
Following the consultation's closure, the DVSA will review feedback and introduce improved rules, "changing the law if necessary," though the agency has not specified an exact implementation timeline.