Guidance

Book and manage your theory test: privacy notice (tests to 3 September 2021)

Updated 2 December 2024

This privacy notice applied to theory tests that took place up to and including 3 September 2021. There’s a different privacy notice for theory tests that take place from 4 September 2021.

1. About this service

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) provides the service to book and manage your driving test. DVSA is an executive agency of the Department for Transport (DfT).

We carry out theory tests in Great Britain. This service lets you choose the date, time and theory test centre you want to take your theory test at. It also lets you change your appointment or cancel it.

The data controller for DVSA is DfT - a data controller determines the reasons and how personal data is processed. For more information see the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Data Protection Public Register. DfT’s registration number is Z7122992.

CCTV cameras were installed at this time in theory test centres to prevent and detect crime, and for the safety of customers, visitors and staff. The theory test was run by an external company, called Pearson VUE, on behalf of DVSA.

The data controller for CCTV at theory test centres run by Pearson VUE was Pearson VUE. For more information see the Pearson VUE entry in the ICO Data Protection Public Register. Pearson VUE’s registration number is Z8676101.

We may use GOV.UK Notify to send you emails or text messages about your theory test. This is a service provided by the Government Digital Service, which is part of the Cabinet Office. We are the data controller for your data within that service. The Cabinet Office is the data processor.

2. What data we needed

The personal data we collected from you will have included:

• full name and title
• address, telephone number and email address
• date of birth
• gender
• disability, health conditions and learning difficulties, if you say you have any and need reasonable adjustments for your theory test
• driving licence number and entitlement details (provided by DVLA), disqualification dates (if you’ve been disqualified) and previous driving licence numbers (if you have any)
• type of test you’re taking - if you’re taking an instructor theory test, we will also collect your personal reference number
• the language you’ve asked to use when you take your test (English and Welsh)
• your Safe Road User Award (if you have one) unique learner reference number, pass date and date your record was last updated
• information about past health and safety incidents that stop you from booking online
• payment details - including card holder’s name, card holder’s billing address, card number (numbers are encrypted and access is restricted), dates the card is valid from and to, issue number and card type (for example, MasterCard)

The legal basis for processing this data was public task. Our statutory powers are:

• Road Traffic Act 1988 (as amended) specifically Part III and V (vocational licences), sections 125, 132, 159a and 162A
• The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1999 (SI 1999/2864) (as amended), specifically Part III
• The Motor Cars (Driving Instruction) Regulations 2005 (SI 2005/1902) (as amended), specifically part II and V
• The Vehicle Drivers (Certificates of Professional Competence) Regulations 2007 (as amended) (SI 2007/605) (made under powers in European Communities Act 1972, Part III of the Road Traffic Act 1988; and Finance Act 1973) specifically regulations 5 and 8.

3. Why we needed it

We needed the personal data we collected from you to:

• check you’re entitled to take a theory test
• book your theory test appointment
• take the payment for your theory test and give you a refund if you cancelled your test giving 3 clear working days’ notice (Sundays and public holidays do not count as working days)
• send you a confirmation of your appointment
• contact you if we needed to change your test appointment or let you know about disruption to our services
• contact you if the way the theory test works changed, and you needed the information to properly prepare for your test
• carry out your theory test - including making any reasonable adjustments for any disability, health condition or learning difficulty
• give you your test result
• record your test result so we knew if you were eligible to take your driving test
• produce anonymised statistics
• ask you to take part in research projects to help us understand how easy our services are to use and how we could improve road safety

4. What we do with it

We collect, use and store the data you gave us for the reasons set out in this policy.

We will not:

• sell or rent your data to third parties
• share your data with third parties for marketing purposes

We will share your data if we are required to do so by law - for example, by court order, or to prevent fraud or other crime.

5. How long we keep your data

We will only keep your personal data for as long as it is needed for the reasons set out in this policy or for as long as is required by law.

We will hold your personal data for:

• 30 months to administer your theory test booking, including checking you’re eligible to take the test
• 7 years for your payment details
• no longer than 7 years after the end of a fraud investigation or 7 years after the end of any court imposed sentence has expired in line with police investigation guidance
• 42 months for data about your Safe Road User Award, if you have one

We will hold personal data about you and your behaviour that’s a threat to our staff or other candidates for whichever of these is the shortest:

• until you’ve passed your theory test
• until you’ve failed your theory test, but didn’t display any further abusive behaviour
• 2 years since your last test, unless you’ve been charged with a criminal offence - in this case, your data is kept until you pass your theory test
• where a quarterly review shows the threat you pose has reduced

6. Where it might go

Our IT infrastructure and technology has been checked to make sure it is safe and secure.

All data is held in the UK.

7. Protecting your data and your rights

The DVSA personal information charter sets out what steps are taken to protect your data, and the rights you have over your data.

8. Automated decision making and profiling

Automated decision making was used to determine the outcome of theory tests. You have the right to request that a human reviews any automated decisions made about you where your personal data was used.

9. Changes to this notice

We may change this privacy notice at our discretion at any time.

When we change this notice, the date on the page will be updated. Any changes to this privacy notice will be applied to you and your data as of that revision date.

We encourage you to periodically review this privacy notice to be informed about your data is protected.

10. How to contact us

If you have any questions about anything in this document or if you consider that your personal data has been misused or mishandled you can contact the DVSA data protection manager.

DVSA data protection manager

Data Protection Manager
DVSA
1 Unity Square
Nottingham
NG2 1AY

Email information.handling@dvsa.gov.uk

You may also make a complaint to the Information Commissioner, who is an independent regulator.

Contact DVSA customer services if you have a query that is not about how your personal data is used.