How to Get a Driving Licence in Ireland: Step-by-Step Guide

To get a full driving licence in Ireland, you pass the Driver Theory Test, apply to the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) for a learner permit, complete 12 Essential Driver Training (EDT) lessons with an RSA Approved Driving Instructor (ADI), hold your first permit for at least six months, and pass the Road Safety Authority (RSA) driving test. You then apply for your full licence and display N-plates for two years as a novice driver. The minimum age for a car learner permit is 17.

This guide covers the Republic of Ireland as of 2026. Northern Ireland is part of the UK and has a separate system.

The steps at a glance

Step 1: Pass the Driver Theory Test

The car theory test (category BW) has 40 multiple-choice questions in 45 minutes, and you need 35 correct to pass. It costs €45 and is taken on computer at a Prometric test centre. Your pass certificate is valid for two years: if you don't apply for a learner permit within that time, you must resit.

From 1 November 2026, the minimum age to sit the theory test is 15. Because a car permit needs you to be 17 and the certificate lasts two years, sitting it very early can mean resitting it later.

See our Irish Driver Theory Test guide for the format and how to prepare.

Step 2: Apply for your learner permit

Apply to the NDLS online (with a verified MyGovID and Public Services Card) or in person. A first learner permit costs €45 (free if you're 70 or older). You must normally be resident in Ireland.

Learner permit rules include:

• Always accompanied by an ADI or by someone who has held a full licence in the same category for at least two years.
• L-plates front and rear at all times.
• No motorway driving.
• No towing a trailer and no carrying passengers for reward.
• Carry your permit whenever you drive.

First and second permits are normally valid for two years. Our learner permit and N-plate rules guide explains the conditions and the penalties for driving unaccompanied.

Step 3: Complete Essential Driver Training (EDT)

EDT is mandatory if your first car learner permit was issued on or after 4 April 2011. It's 12 one-hour sessions with an RSA Approved Driving Instructor; only ADIs can give paid lessons to learners. The RSA recommends leaving about two weeks between sessions, spreading the course over about six months.

The 12 sessions cover:

1. Car controls and safety checks
2. Correct positioning 1
3. Changing direction 1
4. Progression management
5. Correct positioning 2
6. Anticipation and reaction
7. Sharing the road
8. Driving safely through traffic
9. Changing direction 2
10. Speed management
11. Driving calmly
12. Night driving

Your instructor stamps your logbook after each session and records it online. Between lessons, a qualified accompanying driver (your "sponsor") supervises your practice. ADIs set their own prices, so there's no fixed EDT fee.

Step 4: The six-month rule

To sit the driving test, you need:

• a valid learner permit for the category;
• your first learner permit held for at least six months;
• all 12 EDT sessions showing on your record.

You can apply for a test earlier, but you only join the queue for test invitations once both conditions are met.

Step 5: Pass the driving test

The car test costs €85. It starts with questions on the Rules of the Road, road signs and hand signals, followed by technical checks and an on-road drive with manoeuvres such as reversing around a corner, a turnabout and a hill start. Our Irish driving test guide explains how faults are graded and what leads to a fail.

Book the test only through the RSA's MyRoadSafety service. The RSA says third-party slot notification and booking apps aren't authorised.

Step 6: Get your full licence and display N-plates

After passing, you receive a Certificate of Competency. Apply to the NDLS for your full licence: a first-time licence costs €65 (NDLS fees as of 2026). For two years after your first licence, you're a novice driver: you must display N-plates, you can't accompany a learner driver, and you're disqualified at 7 penalty points rather than 12.

Watch out: the 1 November 2026 permit rules

From 1 November 2026, the RSA says:

• to get a third or fourth learner permit, you must have taken a driving test in the previous two years;
• the fourth permit lasts only one year;
• there is no fifth permit: you start again with the theory test, a new first permit, all 12 EDT lessons and the six-month wait.

Book your test as soon as you're eligible rather than renewing your permit repeatedly.

Summary

In Ireland, the path to a full licence is theory test, learner permit, 12 EDT lessons, six months on your first permit, the RSA driving test, then two years on N-plates. As of 2026 the official fees are €45 for the theory test, €45 for the learner permit, €85 for the driving test and €65 for your first full licence, plus EDT lessons priced by your instructor. New permit rules from 1 November 2026 make it important to take your test early.

About Co-Drive

Co-Drive is an iOS app for learner and new drivers. Its driving technique lessons and defensive driving habits apply on any road; it does not yet include Ireland-specific content, it isn't a substitute for EDT, and it isn't affiliated with the RSA, NDLS or Prometric. Find out more.