Booking rules
How to change your driving test date
Changing a driving test is free and takes a few minutes on GOV.UK. The rules around it are stricter than most people expect, though, and the DVSA tightened them to squeeze out bots and test-slot resellers. Get them wrong and you lose your £62 fee or your right to change at all.
Facts checked against GOV.UK and DVSA sources on 8 September 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page.
The rules at a glance
| Rule | Car tests | Other tests (bike, lorry, bus) |
|---|---|---|
| Changes allowed | 2 | 6 |
| Notice to keep your fee | 10 full working days | 3 full working days |
| Latest you can change | Up to the time the test starts | |
| Cost to change | Free, within your change limit | |
A “full working day” means a complete day, and the day you make the change does not count. Monday to Saturday are working days; Sundays and public holidays are not. So a test on Friday the 20th needs the change made by the Wednesday of the week before, at the latest, to stay safe.
Step by step
- Go to the change your driving test date service on GOV.UK.
- Sign in with your UK driving licence number and either your test booking reference or your theory test pass certificate number.
- Pick what you want to change: an earlier date, a later date, or a different test centre.
- Choose from the available slots and confirm. You get an email with the new booking reference. Nothing to pay.
Spend your 2 changes carefully. If you are hunting cancellations, a swap to a date only slightly better costs you half your allowance. Decide the date range you would genuinely accept before you start looking, and only swap for a slot inside it.
Why the rules got stricter
The notice period for car tests jumped from 3 working days to 10 on 8 April 2025, one of the measures in the DVSA’s 7-point plan to cut waiting times. Around 60,000 test appointments were missed in 2024, the equivalent of 45 examiners’ work for a year, and short notice cancellations were feeding the reseller bots that block-booked slots to sell on at a markup. Car tests also carry a tighter change allowance (2, against the 6 other categories still have) for the same reason. How the legitimate checker services operate inside these rules is covered in how cancellation checkers work.
If you have used both changes
Your remaining options are to sit the test you have, or cancel and rebook. Cancelling with 10 or more full working days’ notice refunds your fee, and you then book fresh with a new set of changes. Cancel later than that and the fee is gone unless you qualify for one of the DVSA’s short-notice exceptions, which we list in cancelling your test and getting a refund.
Common questions
How many times can I change my driving test date?
Car driving tests can be changed 2 times. All other test types (motorcycle, lorry, bus) can be changed 6 times. Once you hit the limit you have to cancel and book again from scratch.
How much notice do I need to change my driving test?
For a car test, 10 full working days to avoid losing your fee. For other test types it is 3 full working days. Monday to Saturday count as working days; Sundays and public holidays do not.
Can I change my driving test centre as well as the date?
Yes. The same GOV.UK change service lets you move to a different test centre, and the same notice rules and change limits apply. Doing both at once counts as a single change, so it is worth deciding on the centre before you confirm.
Is it free to change my driving test?
Yes, changing the date or centre through GOV.UK costs nothing, provided you are inside your change limit. Your original fee carries over to the new appointment.