Your Provisional Licence

To obtain a provisional driving licence you must complete a Driving Licence Application Form. This is available from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Offices in Bulwer Avenue.

You must appear in person at the Bulwer Avenue Offices in order for your photograph to be taken for your new licence.

Once your application has been processed, it will be posted to you within approximately seven days. You are not legally allowed on the roads until you have received your licence.

Motorcyclists (licence categories P, A1 or A) must not ride on a public highway unless you have successfully completed a training course for motorcyclists approved by the Department (C.B.T) and have been issued with a certificate of completion.
If you wish to renew an existing provisional licence, you can do this one month before the licence expires.

However, if you hold a provisional driving licence for a motorcycle (categories P, A1, or A) or for categories F, G, B1 or L, then you must pass your driving test within two years and apply for a full licence; otherwise you will be required to wait a period of one year before your provisional licence can be renewed in the same category. 

Your First Full Licence

There is no charge for upgrading from a provisional to a full licence.  You will need to submit to the Bulwer Avenue offices:

• The completed application form
• Your provisional driving licence
• Your practical driving test certificate

Medicals

If you have answered 'YES' to any of the medical questions in section six of the application form for a driving licence or a provisional driving licence, you will have to obtain a report from your doctor stating that you are fit to hold that category of driving licence.  A form for this purpose is available from the Department.

If you are the holder of a licence in categories D1, D1E, D, C or CE and have reached the age of 45 years, a medical report will be requried to enable you to continue to hold these categories.

Exchanging a Foreign Licence

New Residents to the Island, who already have a driving licence issued in another jursidiction, will need to apply to exchange their foreign licence for a Guernsey licence within one year of arriving in the Island.

The Department is able to exchange full licences issued by many countries, including the United Kingdom and European Union members, for Guernsey licences (please see the 'Exchange a Licence' page under the 'Visitors and New Residents' section), provided that the application for exchange is received within the one year period from arrival in the Bailiwick.

If you do not exchange your licence within a year, or if we do not have a reciprocal exchange agreement with the country in which your licence was issued, then you will be required to take and pass a driving test (including the theory test) before you can be issued with a full Guernsey licence.  You cannot legally continue to drive on a foreign licence after the year period from arrival in the Bailiwick.

You must surrender any foreign licences upon application for a full Guernsey licence.  Foreign licences are sent back to the issuing authority for cancellation.

Renewing Your Licence

If you are renewing a full driving licence you may apply for it up to two months before it is due to expire.  If you wish to renew an existing provisional licence, you can do this one month before the licence expires. However, if you hold a provisional driving licence for a motorcycle (categories P, A1, or A) or for categories F, G, B1 or L, then your licence cannot be renewed in the same category until a year following its expiry (see section on Your Provisional Licence). 

If the photo you have on your licence is less than ten years old and acceptable to you, it is not necessary to call into the office, although you are welcome to do so.
Alternatively, you can post the completed application form together with your expiring licence to the Department. You must ensure that you enclose both your plastic card and your paper counter part, together with the appropriate fee.

Driving licences are issued to expire in the month preceding your next decade birthday, unless you have any medical conditions which affect your driving.

Duplicate Licences

If your licence is lost or stolen, you must complete the relevant application form and send in the fee for a duplicate to be issued.  Please note, if the missing licence subsequently comes into your possession, you must return it to the Department's Bulwer Avenue offices.

Changing Your Name and Address

Please complete the section for this purpose on the reverse of the paper counterpart of your driving licence and send this in, together with the plastic card part of your licence, to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Division at Bulwer Avenue.  Your amended licence will be posted to you within aproximately seven days, free of charge.

Further Assistance

Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any queries:

Driver and Vehicle Licensing
Environment Department
PO Box 145, Bulwer Avenue, St Sampson's, GY1 3HY

Tel: +44 (01481) 243400
Fax: +44 (01481) 241177