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🔔 Get free alertsChange or Cancel Your Driving Test: 2026 Rules, Notice and Refunds
Need to change your driving test date, time or centre? Follow the steps below to open your booking and confirm a new appointment. The 2026 change limits, notice periods and refund rules are explained afterwards.
How to change your driving test date or time
Already have a test booked? The official online service is open from 6am to 11:40pm.
Get your booking details ready
You need your UK driving licence number and either your driving test reference or theory test pass certificate number.
Open your appointment on GOV.UK
Go to Change your driving test appointment, select “Start now” and enter your details.
Choose a suitable date and time
Check the appointments offered. Before confirming, review the centre, date, time and any payment due. Check your booking’s notice deadline if you want to change without paying again.
Confirm and check the updated booking
Complete the confirmation, then check your driving test appointment details. Make sure the new date, time and centre are shown before arranging your lessons or travel.
Official source: GOV.UK change-driving-test guidance. Check the booking service for the appointments and charges available to you.
How to change your driving test centre
Open the same booking and check which centres the official service offers. For car tests, the 3-nearest-centres restriction applies; the service determines your available moves.
Use our test centre directory to compare locations, pass rates and waiting times, then review and confirm your chosen centre in the booking service. Changing the centre and date together counts as one change.
If you cannot change your booking
- Missing a reference number?
- Check your booking confirmation. If you need your theory test pass number, use the official theory test pass number service.
- No suitable appointment?
- Compare driving test availability by centre and read when new appointments and cancellations appear. The booking service shows the dates you can actually choose.
- Error 15, a page that will not load, or “search limit reached”?
- Stop repeated attempts and follow DVSA’s help for booking-service access problems. It explains the waiting period, browser checks and official support options.
Used both changes? Read the change limits and notice and refund rules before cancelling or paying for a new booking.
The 2026 rule changes at a glance
10 daysfull working days’ notice for a refund
2changes allowed per car test
3nearest centres you can move to
Only youcan book, change or cancel your test
These rules only apply to car driving tests. They were introduced in stages in 2026:
| Rule | Old rule | New rule | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of changes allowed | Up to 6 changes | Only 2 changes | 31 March 2026 |
| Who can book your test | You or your driving instructor | Only you | 12 May 2026 |
| Who can manage your test | You or your driving instructor | Only you | 12 May 2026 |
| Using unofficial services to search the booking service for tests | Allowed | Not allowed | 12 May 2026 |
| Where you can move your test | Any test centre | Only to the 3 nearest test centres | 9 June 2026 |
Source: GOV.UK — Changes to driving test booking rules in 2026 (DVSA). The page also explains the consequences of breaking the booking terms: DVSA can suspend your online access to book and manage your test, or cancel your booking.
How many times can you change your driving test?
You can change a car driving test 2 times. Only these count as a change: changing the date or time, changing the test centre, or swapping your appointment with another learner who already has a test booked. Doing more than one of these at the same time still counts as one change — for example, moving from Northampton on 4 June to Kettering on 12 May is one change.
Updating your contact details, adding or removing your instructor’s reference number, and changes DVSA makes to your test (for example because of bad weather) do not count, and if DVSA changes your test you are reset to 2 available changes. After you have used your changes you must cancel and book a new test; you get a full refund if you cancel at least 10 full working days before the test date.
Where can you move your test? The 3 nearest centres
Since 9 June 2026 a booked car test can only be moved to one of the 3 nearest test centres, or back to your original centre. That makes the centre you first book at important: book where you actually intend to test. Every centre page on this site lists its 3 nearest centres with their pass rates and waits — start from the full list of test centres, or find your best centre by postcode.
How much notice do you need to cancel or change, and when do you get a refund?
For a car driving test you get an automatic refund if you cancel with 10 full working days’ notice (3 full working days for other types of test). Monday to Saturday count as working days; Sundays and public holidays do not. You also need to give that notice to change your test for free, otherwise you will have to pay for a new test. The date you must cancel by is in your booking confirmation email and in the booking service.
Cancelling at short notice: you can apply for a refund if you had to cancel because of something unavoidable, such as a school exam or an illness or injury. Even if you cannot get a refund you can cancel right up to the time your test starts, which can help other learners whose examiners are no longer available.
Sources: GOV.UK — Cancel your driving test · GOV.UK — Change your driving test appointment.
What happens if DVSA cancels your driving test?
Bad weather: tests are not carried out in dangerous conditions such as icy roads, flooding, thick fog or high winds. Call your test centre on the day if you are unsure — the number is in your booking confirmation email. If your test cannot go ahead DVSA automatically books the next available date and sends you the details within 3 working days (it can take up to 7 days in a long period of bad weather). You can change the date if it does not suit you. You cannot claim out-of-pocket expenses for a weather cancellation.
Other reasons: sometimes DVSA has to cancel for other reasons, for example if the examiner is unwell. You will be sent a new date, which you can change, and you can apply for a refund of out-of-pocket expenses if DVSA cancels at short notice.
Problems with you or your car: if your test cannot be completed because you feel unwell, or your car breaks down or does not meet the rules, you have to book another test and pay again.
Source: GOV.UK — Driving test: cars.
Looking for an earlier test?
New appointments are released at 6am every Monday, 24 weeks ahead. Earlier ones appear whenever another learner changes or cancels, at any time. Read how driving test cancellations work, check availability by centre or see the latest released slots.
Changing or cancelling your driving test — FAQ
How much notice do I need to change or cancel my driving test?
For a car driving test you need to give 10 full working days’ notice to get an automatic refund or to change your test for free. Monday to Saturday count as working days; Sundays and public holidays do not. The date you need to cancel by is in your booking confirmation email and in the DVSA booking service.
How many times can I change my driving test?
You can change a car driving test 2 times. Changing the date or time, changing the test centre, or swapping with another learner each count as a change, but doing several of these at once (for example the date and the centre together) counts as one change. If you need more, you have to cancel and book a new test.
What does not count as a change?
Updating your address or contact details, adding or removing your driving instructor’s reference number, and any change DVSA itself has to make to your test (for example because of bad weather) do not count towards your limit. If DVSA changes your test you are reset to having 2 changes available again.
Can my driving instructor change or cancel my test for me?
No. Since 12 May 2026 only you can book, change, swap or cancel your own driving test, and you have to confirm that you are the learner taking the test.
Can I still get a refund if I cancel at short notice?
You can apply for a refund if you had to cancel at short notice because of something unavoidable, such as a school exam or an injury. Even if you cannot get a refund, you can cancel up to the time your test starts, which can help other learners whose examiners are no longer available.
Where can I move my test to?
Since 9 June 2026 you can only move a booked car test to one of the 3 nearest test centres to where it is booked, or back to your original centre. Open your centre page on this site to see its 3 nearest centres.
What happens if DVSA cancels my driving test because of bad weather?
Driving tests are not carried out in dangerous weather such as icy roads, flooding, thick fog or high winds. If your test cannot go ahead DVSA will automatically book the next available date and send you the details within 3 working days (up to 7 days in a long period of bad weather). You can change the date if it is not suitable, but you cannot claim out-of-pocket expenses for a weather cancellation.
What if my test is cancelled for another reason, like the examiner being unwell?
You will be sent a new date, which you can change if it is not suitable, and you can apply for a refund of out-of-pocket expenses if DVSA cancels at short notice.
What if I cannot finish my test because I feel unwell or my car breaks down?
If your test cannot be completed because of a problem with you (for example you feel unwell while taking it) or your car (for example it breaks down or does not meet the rules), you have to book another test and pay again.
Where do I change or cancel my test?
On the official DVSA service on GOV.UK, which is available from 6am to 11:40pm. You will need your UK driving licence number and your driving test reference number (or your theory test pass certificate number) to cancel.
Data updated: 24 Oct 2026 · Rules summarised from GOV.UK guidance (DVSA); this site is not DVSA and the official pages above are the authority. Check them for the latest wording. About our data →
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