# What to Bring to Your Driving Test — Documents and Car Checklist > Exactly what to take to a UK car practical test: licence rules, whether you need your theory certificate, and every rule your car must meet. Turn up short and you lose the fee. Source: https://ukdrivingtestcentres.co.uk/guides/what-to-bring-to-your-driving-test/ # What to bring to your driving test A short list, and an expensive one to get wrong — the wrong paperwork or the wrong car costs you the whole fee. By Yigit Yilmaz · Last updated 14 September 2026 DVSA's position is blunt: "Your test will be cancelled and you will not get your money back if you do not take the right things with you." That is £62 to £75 gone, plus the wait for another date. The list is short enough to check twice. ## The essentials - **Your UK driving licence.** The photocard. You must be recognisable from the photo. - **A car that meets the rules.** Usually your instructor's. If it is yours, work through the section below properly. That is the whole requirement. Everything else is optional, including your theory test pass certificate — the examiner verifies your theory pass before the test starts, so the paper is not needed. ### If you do not have a photocard Bring a valid passport alongside your paper licence. If you hold a Northern Ireland licence, bring both the photocard and the paper counterpart. No photocard and no passport means no test. ## What the car has to satisfy If you are using your instructor's car, this is their job and it will be fine. If you are taking your own, every item below is a reason DVSA can refuse to conduct the test — and refusing costs you the fee. ### Legal - Taxed - Insured **for a driving test** — check with your insurer, as ordinary learner cover is not always enough - A current MOT if the car is over three years old - Roadworthy ### Condition - No warning lights showing a safety issue - No tyre damage, and legal tread depth on every tyre - No space-saver spare tyre fitted - Able to reach at least 62mph - Four wheels, maximum mass no more than 3,500kg ### Fitted for the examiner - An extra interior rear-view mirror - A passenger seatbelt and a passenger head restraint — slip-on head restraints are not allowed - An officially fitted mph speedometer, not an add-on display or a phone app - L-plates front and rear (L or D plates in Wales) ### Inside - Tidy, with no unnecessary items in the car - Smoke-free - Any dashcam must face outside the car, must not film the inside, and must not record audio from inside the car ## Cars you cannot use Some models are barred outright, because the examiner cannot see enough from the passenger seat: - Panel vans of any kind - BMW 218 convertible - BMW Mini convertible - Ford KA convertible - Polestar 4 - Polestar 5 - Smart Fortwo (2-door) - Toyota iQ - VW Beetle convertible From DVSA's rules on [using your own car](https://www.gov.uk/driving-test/using-your-own-car) and [what to take](https://www.gov.uk/driving-test/what-to-take), published on GOV.UK. Check both before test day if you are supplying the car — the banned list has changed before. ## Worth taking, though not required - **Your booking reference**, in case anything needs looking up. - **Glasses or contact lenses** if you need them to read a number plate at 20 metres. The eyesight check is the first thing that happens, and failing it ends the test there. - **Your instructor**, if you want them in the car. They can sit in on the test and on the feedback, which is the most useful part. - **Water**. Nerves dry you out more than people expect. ## The night before 1. Put the licence somewhere you cannot leave without it. 2. Walk round the car: lights, tyres, screenwash, warning lights. 3. Check the fuel or charge. A test abandoned because the car ran out is not refundable. 4. Find the controls for the [show me, tell me questions](https://ukdrivingtestcentres.co.uk/guides/show-me-tell-me-questions/) in that specific car. 5. Confirm the test centre address and where you can actually park. Arriving late is treated as not arriving. If something has gone wrong and you need to move the test instead, you need 10 full working days' notice to avoid paying again — the details are in [driving test cancellations](https://ukdrivingtestcentres.co.uk/guides/driving-test-cancellations/). Otherwise, read [how to pass first time](https://ukdrivingtestcentres.co.uk/guides/how-to-pass-your-driving-test/) and get some sleep. ## Frequently asked ### What do I need to take to my driving test? Your UK driving licence and a car that meets DVSA’s rules. That is genuinely it. You do not need to bring your theory test pass certificate — the examiner checks your theory pass electronically before the test starts — though there is no harm in having the number with you. ### What happens if I forget my driving licence? Your test is cancelled and you lose the fee — £62 or £75. DVSA's wording is that your test will be cancelled and you will not get your money back if you do not take the right things with you. There is no discretion at the desk. ### Do I need to bring my theory test certificate to the practical? No. The examiner confirms you have passed the theory before the test begins, so the certificate itself is not required. If you have it, bring it — it costs nothing and settles any question instantly. ### Can I use my own car for the driving test? Yes, if it meets every one of DVSA’s rules — taxed, insured for a test, MOT’d if over three years old, no warning lights, legal tyres with no space-saver spare, L-plates front and back, and fitted with an extra interior mirror plus a passenger head restraint for the examiner. Most learners use the instructor’s car because it already complies. ### Can I have a dashcam running during my driving test? Only if it faces outside the car, does not film the inside, and does not record audio from inside the car. A camera pointing at the cabin or recording the examiner is not allowed.