Minimum Age Requirements

There are minimum age requirements put in place by the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) which must be met by anyone wishing to learn to drive. These age requirements are in place for driving a motorcycle, car or other vehicle and driving outside of these age requirements is a criminal offence.

Motorcycles and Mopeds

You can drive a moped with an engine size of no more than 50cc at age sixteen but this can only be done once you have acquired your provisional driving licence and have also undertaken a CBT course. CBT - Compulsory Basic Training - is designed to familiarise you with the rules of the road for motorcycles and mopeds and must be completed before you can legally ride a moped.

For motorcycles the age limit rises to seventeen and again the same rules apply - you must complete CBT (Compulsory Basic Training) and be in possession of your provisional driver's licence.

For some motorcycles and those with sidecars the age limit is twenty-one and you must have taken and passed the test for larger motorcycles as laid down in the Direct Access Scheme.

Cars

In order to drive a car you must be no younger than seventeen. You can apply for your provisional drivers licence on or shortly before your seventeenth birthday. If you receive your provisional licence before your seventeenth birthday you will still not be eligible by law to begin driving until after the date of that birthday.

It is important to note that you can apply for your driver's licence at the age of sixteen if you are in receipt of DLA (Disability Living Allowance) which carries with it the ability to claim for aid with mobility. In this circumstance you may qualify for help in purchasing a motor vehicle through the government's Mobility scheme and if so a driving licence can be applied for earlier if there are sufficient grounds for the aid of a motor vehicle to achieve mobility. This is more than likely if the person receiving DLA (Disability Living Allowance) is physical impaired and cannot rely on public transport in the same way an able bodied individual would.

Four Wheeled Light Vehicles

Such vehicles as Quad Bikes would fall under this title and a person may apply for a provisional licence to ride such a machine when they reach the age of seventeen. These vehicles are most likely to be found on farm land but it is important to remember that although most farm land is private property a licence still must be obtained in accordance with the DVLA's (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) rules on road vehicles.

Whichever vehicle you are interested in driving it is important to adhere to the laws and rules laid down by the DSA (Driving Standards Agency) and the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency). Failure to adhere to these rules may result in a criminal prosecution and the revocation of a driving licence as well as a potential driving ban which in turn can have implications on such things as the cost of insurance premiums and even employment status.

If you are in any doubt as to the legal age limits set for driving any vehicle then you should contact the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) or visit their website at www.dvla.gov.uk for more information.