New regulations for learner permit renewal to take effect

Updated / Friday, 30 Oct 2026 14:41

New regulations surrounding the renewal of learner driver permits are to come into effect on 1 November.

Drivers looking to renew their learner permit for a third or fourth time must have taken a driving test in the previous two years.

The fourth permit will only be valid for one-year and there will no longer be a fifth learner permit renewal.

After seven years, drivers will have to begin the learning to drive process again.

Those holding a permit above the fourth renewal will still have the life of that permit in which to take a test.

The changes will affect learner drivers for cars, tractors, work vehicles, motorcycles and mopeds

According to the Road Safety Authority, out of 380,000 current learner permit holders, around 21% are on their third or more licence renewal.

About 38,000 of these have never previously taken a driving test.

Some 12,197 have owned 11 or more learner permits.

There will no longer be an exemption for medical reasons when renewing a learner permit.

Those who are without a permit for two years before applying again will be treated as a first-time applicant and must restart the learning to drive process.

The Department of Transport and RSA acknowledge that the new regulations will increase pressure on driving test centre times.

Only 14 test centres out of 57 were at or below the 10-week national average wait time goal in September.

They believe the new rules will have a positive impact for test centres by reducing the number of 'no show' driving tests from learner permit holders looking to renew.