Guidance

DVSA practical test business service: user agreement (from 6 January 2025)

Updated 18 December 2024

This user agreement explains the terms and conditions for using the service to book and manage driving and riding tests for your pupils. This will be referred to as ‘the service’ from now on.

By accessing or using the service, you agree to follow these terms and conditions. You must not access the service if you do not agree with any part of these terms and conditions.

Who we are

The service is managed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). DVSA is an executive agency of the Department for Transport and will be referred to as ‘we’ from now on.

Who is allowed to use the service

We restrict who can access this service to authorised users. To apply to become an authorised user, you must be one of the following:

• an approved driving instructor (ADI)
• a motorcycle approved training body (ATB)
• a vocational driving instructor (someone who trains lorry, bus or coach drivers)
• a business that provides learner driver services and employs ADIs to provide driving tuition

You are not eligible if you have a trainee driving instructor licence. Instead, you need to ask your training establishment to set up a user account for you in their business account.

We reserve the right to refuse an account.

If we have issued you with a personal reference number (PRN), you must register this in your account to be able to use this service.

You are not allowed to use the PRN of an instructor or trainer who is not associated with your business. 

If you stop being an instructor or trainer providing driving tuition

You are not allowed to access the service when you stop being an instructor or trainer providing driving tuition.

What the service is for

This service allows authorised users to book and manage driving tests and motorcycle tests on behalf of their pupils.

If you are an authorised user, you can use the service to:

• book driving and motorcycle tests on behalf of your pupils
• change, swap or cancel driving tests on behalf of your pupils
• manage your availability for car driving tests
• manage the details of your business

You will need to accept further agreements to be able to:

• book motorcycle, lorry and bus tests without giving your pupil’s details at the time of booking (known as ‘trainer booking’)
• confirm the details of your pupils taking motorcycle, lorry and bus tests at least one clear working day before the test
• book motorcycle manoeuvring areas for training

Paying for tests

Driving test costs are set out in law. We reserve the right to change these costs without prior notice.

You can pay for tests booked through this service using:

• debit and credit cards
• a pre-funded account

Refunds if you need to change or cancel a test

If your pupils no longer need tests you have booked, you can use the service to cancel the booking.

You must give at least 3 clear working days’ notice to get a full refund. Monday to Saturday count as working days, but Sundays and public holidays do not.

If you cancel your booking with less than 3 full working days’ notice of the test date, you will lose the test fee.    

What you must do

You must access the service through the GOV.UK website.

By using the service to book a driving or motorcycle test, you confirm that you:

• still meet the definition of an authorised user
• are booking a driving or motorcycle test for use by your pupil
• have your pupil’s permission to book a driving or motorcycle test on their behalf
• have your pupil’s permission to use and process their personal data (including their name and driving licence number) to book a driving or motorcycle test on their behalf

You must send your pupils a link to our privacy notice, so that they know what we are doing with their data.

You must comply with UK data protection laws when handling the information of others.

If you charge administrative fees to book tests

You must make it clear to your pupils if you charge (or have plans to charge) any administrative fees in addition to the usual driving test fee when you book their tests.

If you run a website that offers to book driving test appointments, you must clearly show any additional administrative fees you charge on the opening page of any transaction.

Check the service user guide for more information.

What you are not allowed to do

You agree to use the service only for lawful purposes. You must also use it in a way that does not infringe the rights of, or restrict or inhibit the use and enjoyment of, this service by anyone else.

Any misuse of the service, which includes but is not limited to the following list, may result in sanctions set out later in this agreement.

When using this service, you must not:

• book tests on behalf of learner drivers or riders who are not receiving driving tuition from you or your business
• use a learner driver or rider’s details to book or reserve tests without their permission
• use a learner driver or rider’s details to book or reserve tests that are not intended for use by that learner driver or rider
• have more than one account for your business
• allow anyone who is not employed by your business to access or use your account on your behalf
• use the details of an ADI who is not employed by your business
• use the details of an ADI without their permission
• use robotic applications, data mining, or similar data gathering and extraction tools to search for available tests slots

Viruses, hacking and other offences

You must not use the service in any way which breaches, or is likely to breach, any applicable local, national or international law or regulation. This includes using the service in any way that has unlawful or fraudulent purpose, intent or effect.

When using the service, you must not introduce viruses, trojans, worms, logic bombs or other material which is malicious or technologically harmful.

You must not try to gain unauthorised access to the service, the server on which it’s stored, or any server, computer or database connected to our service.

You must not attack the service in any way. This includes denial-of-service attacks.

We will report any attacks or attempts to gain unauthorised access to the service to the relevant law enforcement authorities and share information about you with them.

What we will do if you break the terms and conditions

We monitor how the service is used. If we find that you have broken these terms and conditions, we can, in our sole discretion and without prior notice, take some or all of the following actions:

• issue a warning notice
• suspend your account
• close your account

Any bookings you have made before your account is suspended or closed will be honoured.

If your account is suspended

You will not be able to use the service to book any further tests if your account is suspended.

You will still be able to use the service to swap or cancel tests while your account is suspended.

If your account is closed

If your account is closed, you will not be able to use the service to:

• book any tests
• change or swap any tests
• cancel any tests

 If you need to do any of these things, you will need to either:

• use the normal public services to book a driving test, change a driving test or cancel a driving test (if it was not a ‘trainer booking’)
• call DVSA to book or manage the test by phone

We reserve the right to decline a request to open or reinstate an account following sanctions.

We may allow future access to the service following the closure of an account at our discretion.

Information about you

We collect information about you in accordance with our privacy policy and our cookie policy (you need to be signed in to the service to see this). By using the service, you agree to us collecting this information and confirm that any data you provide is accurate.

Availability of the service

The service is available from 6am to 11:40pm each day. We will use reasonable endeavours to make sure there is no break in the continuity of service.

The service may be unavailable at other times where essential maintenance needs to be done.

Disclaimer

We reserve the right to withdraw this service at any point and without prior notice.

We cannot guarantee that the service will be fault-free. If a fault occurs, please tell us by emailing customerservices@dvsa.gov.uk. We will attempt to correct the fault as soon as we reasonably can.

Governing law

These terms and conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.

Any dispute you have which relates to these terms and conditions will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

General

We’re not liable if we fail to comply with these terms and conditions because of circumstances beyond our reasonable control.

We might decide not to exercise or enforce any right available to us under these terms and conditions. We can always decide to exercise or enforce that right at a later date.

Doing this once will not mean we automatically waive the right on any other occasion.

If any of these terms and conditions are held to be invalid, unenforceable or illegal for any reason, the remaining terms and conditions will still apply.

Changes to these terms and conditions

We may update these terms and conditions from time to time.

You will have to digitally sign to confirm you agree to follow any updated terms and conditions the next time you sign in. You will not be able to use the service if you do not agree. Your ongoing use of the service indicates your continuing agreement to be follow the terms and conditions.