Taking the Driving Test in Your Own Car - What to Check

Tina Playle - 2018-06-29

When it comes to the driving test, you want to make sure you feel as comfortable and stress-free as possible. For some learners, that means they take their driving test in their own car.

It’s most likely that it’s the car they’ve been doing hours of private practice in and ultimately feel the most confident driving. If you are thinking this may be a better option for you, then the first thing you need to figure out is if your car is suitable for the driving test.

Insurance for taking the driving test in your own car

At InsureLearnerDriver, if you want to take your driving test in a borrowed car, you can pick from policies which range from 1 day to 140 days. If you own the car yourself, you can purchase a policy from a minimum of 28 days up to 140 days or even an annual policy. Click here to get a quick quote Bare in mind that if you purchase a policy that has a duration of below 7 days, you won’t be able to drive that vehicle home from the driving test in the result of a pass.

With our 7+ day policies, you will be insured to drive home after passing. You can also get some extra practice in prior to your driving test.

Taking your driving test in your own car – the vehicle specifications

Before deciding to take your driving test in your own car, you must make sure your vehicle meets the government standards. If you don’t check this, you might be turned away on the day of your test!

Your car must:

  • be taxed
  • be insured for a driving test (check with your insurance company)
  • be roadworthy and have a current MOT (if it’s over 3 years old)
  • have no warning lights showing, such as the airbag warning light
  • have no tyre damage and the legal tread depth on each tyre - you can’t have a space-saver spare tyre fitted
  • be smoke-free - this means you can’t smoke in it just before or during the test
  • be able to reach at least 62mph and have a mph speedometer
  • have 4 wheels and a maximum authorised mass (MAM) of no more than 3,500 kg

The car must have:

  • an extra interior rear-view mirror for the examiner
  • L-plates(‘L’ or ‘D’ plates in Wales) on the front and rear
  • a passenger seatbelt for the examiner and a proper passenger head restraint (not a slip-on type)

For the full list of rules for taking your driving test in your own, please visit the official government website here.


If taking your driving test in your own car is something you want to do, be sure to get insured beforehand! Click here to get a quote for learner driver insurance For more tips on staying safe on the roads, or for regular driving test tips, follow us on social media: InsureLearnerDriver Facebook | InsureLearnerDriver Twitter | InsureLearnerDriver Instagram