Rules for New Drivers in Nottingham: Your First Two Years

Once you pass your test in Great Britain, the main extra rule for new drivers is the six-point limit: collect six or more penalty points within two years of passing and your licence is revoked.

There are no legal passenger limits, curfews or compulsory P plates, although proposals in the government’s 2026 Road Safety Strategy could change how future learners qualify.

What Is the Six-Point Rule for New Drivers?

The six-point rule means your licence is cancelled if you reach six penalty points within two years of passing your first practical test. It comes from the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995 and is half the 12-point limit experienced drivers work to.

Any unexpired points from your provisional licence count towards the six. If your licence is revoked, you must apply for a new provisional licence and pass both the theory and practical tests again, according to GOV.UK’s new driver rules. Passing the retest does not wipe the points either; they stay on your licence until they expire.

Which Offences Could Cost You Your Licence?

One or two offences are enough to lose a new licence. These are the most common ways new drivers reach six points:

• Using a hand-held phone: 6 points and a £200 fine, which means instant revocation if you passed in the last two years (GOV.UK). That includes picking up your phone to change the sat nav while queuing at lights.
• Speeding: the minimum penalty is a £100 fine and 3 points, so two speeding tickets within two years will take your licence. Brush up with our guide to UK speed limits.
• Driving without insurance: 6 to 8 points in one go.
• Drink or drug driving: an automatic ban of at least 12 months, whatever your points total. The limit in England and Wales is currently 35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100ml of breath. Our tips for driving at Christmas cover staying safe through the party season.

Do New Drivers Have to Display P Plates?

No. Green P plates are optional in England, Scotland and Wales, and there is no penalty for leaving them off. They simply tell other road users you have recently passed, which some new drivers find reassuring on busy routes like the ring road. Northern Ireland is different: new drivers there must display R plates by law.

Are There Passenger or Night-Time Restrictions?

Not in England, Scotland or Wales. A new driver here can carry as many passengers as the car has seat belts and can drive at any time of day. Northern Ireland now has night-time passenger limits for young drivers, covered below. Your insurer may set its own conditions, though. Some telematics or “black box” policies monitor late-night driving, so read your policy wording before offering friends a lift home from town at 2 am.

Can You Supervise a Learner After Passing?

Not straight away. To supervise a learner you must be at least 21, be qualified to drive that type of car and have held a full licence for three years. A friend who passed last summer can’t sit in with your younger brother or sister, however confident they are.

What Catches New Drivers Out in Nottingham?

Nottingham has a few local traps that won’t always cost you points but can still cost you money:

• Bus lanes and bus gates: Nottingham City Council enforces them by camera. A bus lane penalty is £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days (Nottingham City Council). The Canal Street bus lane has caught thousands of drivers since it opened.
• Tram lines: NET trams run through the city centre and out to Beeston, Clifton and Hucknall. Never stop on the tracks, and watch for tram-only signs at junctions.
• 20mph streets: many residential roads across the city are 20mph, and it’s easy to creep over the limit without an instructor beside you.
• The M1: if you haven’t driven on a motorway during lessons, read our first-time motorway driving tips before your first solo trip.

What Is Northern Ireland’s Graduated Driver Licensing Scheme?

Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) is a phased licensing system that Northern Ireland introduces on 1 October 2026. It gives new drivers extra restrictions and structured training while they build experience, and it is aimed particularly at 17 to 23-year-olds, who are over-represented in fatal collisions there (nidirect).

What Changes for Learners in Northern Ireland?

GDL applies to anyone whose first provisional car entitlement starts on or after 1 October 2026 (nidirect). Before taking a practical test, they must:

• Learn for at least six months: someone with a first provisional entitlement of 1 October 2026 cannot test before 1 April 2027. Learners who can prove they are entitled to Carer’s Allowance are exempt from the waiting period, but not the training.
• Complete a Programme of Training: every module must be recorded in a logbook and signed off by an approved instructor or supervising driver.
• Pass the theory test as they do now.

The old 45mph limit for learners and new drivers is also removed. Anyone who got their provisional licence before 1 October 2026 has until 31 March 2027 to pass under the old system. From 1 April 2027, the Northern Ireland test gains around 20 minutes of independent driving, sat nav use and “show me, tell me” questions asked on the move, bringing it closer to the test we already take in Nottingham.

What Changes After Passing in Northern Ireland?

Newly qualified drivers in Northern Ireland face a two-year restricted period, up from 12 months (nidirect):

• First six months: an R plate with a blue R on a white background. Drivers under 24 can carry no more than one passenger aged 14 to 20 between 11pm and 6am.
• Remaining 18 months: an R plate with a white R on a blue background, with no passenger limit.
• Exemptions: the passenger limit does not apply to immediate family, or when someone aged 21 or over who has held a full licence for three years sits in the front passenger seat.

The two-year R plate period matches Northern Ireland’s own six-point rule for new drivers, which works the same way as ours.

Does GDL Apply to Drivers in Nottingham?

No. GDL covers provisional licences issued in Northern Ireland. If you learn and pass in Nottingham, none of these restrictions apply to your licence.

Are the Rules for New Drivers Changing in England?

Possibly, but nothing has changed yet. The Road Safety Strategy published in January 2026 proposed a minimum learning period of three or six months before learners can take their practical test. It also committed to consult on a lower drink-drive limit in England and Wales, with an even lower limit for novice drivers. The minimum learning period consultation closed on 11 May 2026 and the outcome has not yet been published. The Department for Transport has said it is not introducing blanket post-test restrictions like Northern Ireland’s, so for now the rules above still apply (North Wales Live).

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Points From My Provisional Licence Count?

Yes. Any points still valid on your provisional licence carry over when you pass and count towards the six-point limit.

Will England Introduce Graduated Driver Licensing?

Not at the moment. The Department for Transport has said it is not planning blanket restrictions on new drivers, although a minimum learning period for learners is still being considered.

Does a Bus Lane Fine Put Points on My Licence?

No. A council bus lane penalty is a civil charge, not an endorsement, so it doesn’t count towards the six points. Ignore it, though, and the amount goes up.

Build Good Habits Before You Pass

The drivers who stay within the rules are the ones who learned them properly in the first place. Our local driving instructors in Nottingham teach on the same bus lanes, tram crossings and 20mph streets you will drive alone once you pass. If your test is coming up, our expert tips to pass your driving test in Nottingham are a good next read.

Call 0800 038 5928 or contact our team to book your lessons.