Graduated Driver Licensing For New Drivers To Begin In Northern Ireland From October

Northern Ireland will become the first part of the UK to introduce a graduated driver licensing system for new drivers and motorcyclists, with new rules taking effect from October 1, 2026. The measures are designed to reduce the number of serious and fatal road collisions involving young people and have been described by ministers as the most significant reform to driver licensing in almost 70 years.

Under the new system, learner drivers will not be allowed to take their practical driving test until at least six months after receiving their provisional licence. During that time, they must complete 14 structured training modules, which must be signed off on either by an approved driving instructor or a supervising driver, such as a parent or guardian.

Newly qualified drivers aged 24 and under will also face additional restrictions during their first six months after passing, and will only be allowed to carry one passenger aged between 14 and 20 between 11pm and 6am. Exemptions apply to immediate family members and to a front-seat passenger aged 21 or over who has held a full licence for at least 3 years.

The rules also confirm that learner drivers may drive on motorways when accompanied by an approved instructor, and that once they have passed their test, they can use motorways at the posted speed limits.

Post-test identification rules are also being extended, with the requirement to display R plates after passing increasing from 12 months to 24 months. A different coloured R plate will be used to identify drivers who are still within their initial six-month restricted period.

Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins said the reforms are targeted at younger drivers, who are statistically the most at risk on the roads. In 2024, there were 164 people killed or seriously injured in Northern Ireland in collisions where a car driver aged between 17 and 23 was responsible. Although this group holds only around eight per cent of licences, it accounts for nearly a quarter of fatal or serious crashes. She said the goal of the new system is to ensure drivers are safe, not just technically competent, before driving unsupervised.

Elsewhere in the UK, graduated driver licensing is not currently planned. The UK Government’s latest road safety strategy instead proposes consulting on a minimum three or six-month learning period to give learners more experience in conditions such as night driving, poor weather and heavy traffic. Road safety charity Brake welcomed the idea of a minimum learning period but expressed concern that stronger measures on young driver risk were not confirmed, noting that nearly 5,000 people across the UK are killed or seriously injured each year in crashes involving young drivers.

New drivers across the UK remain subject to the existing New Drivers Act, which places them on a two-year probation period after passing. Reaching six penalty points within that time leads to licence revocation and a requirement to retake both theory and practical tests.