The DVSA has introduced geographic locking for driving test swaps, preventing learners from rescheduling to distant centers. This aims to combat bot bookings and reduce the five-month waiting time, but industry experts remain doubtful.
New regulations aimed at reducing the massive backlog for driving test s in the UK have come into force today, June 9. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency ( DVSA ) has introduced a geographic locking system that prevents learners from swapping their driving test to a center far from their original booking.
Under the new rules, candidates can only reschedule their test to one of the three nearest test centers relative to the location where they originally booked. This measure targets the widespread issue of online bots bulk-booking tests and reselling them at inflated prices, as well as learners booking tests at distant centers and later swapping them to more convenient locations, which has exacerbated the backlog.
The DVSA reported that last year, 64,500 test bookings went unused as no one showed up. This wasted capacity is partly due to the practice of booking tests at remote centers with the intention of swapping them later. Driving instructor Aman Sanghera, who runs Clearview Driving in West London, explained the benefits of the new policy on TikTok.
She noted that previously, people would book at a random test center and then try to swap to a more popular one when a date became available, which allowed third parties to sell those slots back to desperate learners. This led to many candidates traveling hundreds of miles to take a test in an unfamiliar area, often resulting in failure due to lack of practice.
Sanghera believes the geographic lock will reduce failures, increase pass rates, and ultimately shorten waiting times. She added that examiners will no longer be wasted on no-shows, turning that 64,500 missed opportunities into slots for legitimate learners. DVSA Chief Executive Beverley Warmington stated that the location restrictions will help deter bookings at centers where learners do not intend to take their test, and the agency is determined to reduce waiting times further.
However, Carly Brookfield, chief executive of the Driving Instructors Association, expressed skepticism, saying the industry does not have much confidence that these measures will realistically fix the underlying problems with the booking system. According to DVSA data for April 2026 provided to the BBC, the average wait time for a driving test in England is 22.7 weeks, slightly higher in Scotland at 22.9 weeks, and lower in Wales at 17.3 weeks.
The new rule is part of a broader effort to address the backlog, which has seen some learners waiting five months for a test
Please follow us on Google to support us Driving Test DVSA Backlog Geographic Locking UK
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
New supermarket aisle rules now in force – what shoppers need to knowNew regulations require clearer unit pricing displays across a wider range of products to improve price transparency and comparison shopping for UK shoppers
Read more »
DVSA new road rule for thousands of motorists from tomorrowThe final stage of the new rules for booking and managing a driving test are introduced by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
Read more »
New DVSA rule change coming into force Tuesday with millions affectedThe Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is bringing in new driving test booking system restrictions from Tuesday
Read more »
DVSA changes from 'today' that millions need to knowThe Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has introduced new rules
Read more »