Car Rental for Practical Exam

I have what appears to be a very narrow question, here are the important points:

- Obtained Tier 2 Visa
- Understand I have 1 year from that point to obtain a UK drivers license
- I have applied for a license (and received) the 'provisional' license
- took part 1 (theory exam) and passed, and now have two years to take the practical exam

I will be returning home for a weekend in the near future. Want to rent a car, most car companies want you to provide a license from the country which i reside in (which I have (although 'provisional' is tagged on the front' and/or a passport from that country (I only have my BRP.. no ILR or passport yet obviously). If/when I rent in the UK i do so using my US license (which I understand to be valid for the remainder of the year). Obviously after that point I'll do so through my UK license.

However, i've had a colleague in a similar 'in-between' situation get turned away at the counter and had to basically create a new rental right then (at great cost) as the car agency would not recognized his license (he simply just hadn't gotten his final license in the mail before needing to take a work trip).

Are there any ways to explain this sort of license 'purgatory' to a rental agency or make sure its booked properly?

If you only hold a 'provisional' UK license, it is effectively a 'learners' license and not a full license so no, a hire car company won't accept this for the purposes of hiring a vehicle.

Thanks for the response. So I'm basically in a situation where I cant rent a car in the USA because I've yet to complete the steps for a UK license? That just seems odd given I use my USA license here and if pulled over would be accepted as a drivers license (at least as I understand per the DLVA/gov.uk). And my UK learners permit has a drivers license number/code, isnt this what the company wants in the end?

Trying to work through the process as quickly as I can and once we knew we would be here for over a year immediately began the license procedure.... signed up for my practical but earliest appointment near me is weeks/months away (looking for options/to change) but I cant imagine i'm the first person to ever be in this situation.....

Thanks for any suggestions!!

Many vehicle hire companies require the driver to have held a full driving licence for a minimum of 3 years.

lol! thats even worse news! How does anyone rent a car in their home country then??!?!

I'm really not trying to be difficult just trying to understand how one rents a car in their home country if they are in the process of obtaining (or have obtained) a UK license? Is this simply a US thing? I cannot be the first person who has moved to the UK, used the year (or amount of time) to get a license and within that time returned home and needed to rent a car. Or even more hilarious, within 3 years... surely there is a process!

xcrogers wrote:lol! thats even worse news! How does anyone rent a car in their home country then??!?!

I'm really not trying to be difficult just trying to understand how one rents a car in their home country if they are in the process of obtaining (or have obtained) a UK license? Is this simply a US thing? I cannot be the first person who has moved to the UK, used the year (or amount of time) to get a license and within that time returned home and needed to rent a car. Or even more hilarious, within 3 years... surely there is a process!

I moved out of UK and have no UK address anymore. I moved to another EU state it's not quite the same but I did have problems since my UK licence is 'tied' to my old address in UK and ran into difficulties because the address on it I no longer reside at nor do I reside in the UK.

So I had to exchange it for an Irish one, with my Irish address on it despite the law saying I don't have to exchange it.

So I think it's the tie to an address that's the issue, if you are resident in another country.

Question to those (perhaps from the USA) who have taken/passed the practical driving exam here in the UK. As your US license is valid for 1 year from arrival/visa start in the UK (and can be used to rent cars through AVIS/Hertz/whatever) can one rent a car through one of those companies with the valid US license for a practical exam in the UK (where you also happen to hold a provisional license)?

Seems like odd/loophole type question, and I don't want to just get turned away at the test center but I thought I'd ask if people have done this.

Yes, I understand the advantage of using an instructors car and the taking lessons through them as driving in the UK is not driving like driving in the USA.

Thank you

If I've understood your question correctly, you are only able to take a practical driving test in the UK with a UK issued provisional license.

Correct, I have a UK issued provisional license and have passed the theory exam (next step practical exam). I am ALSO currently still within the one year window of my UK visa being issued and (as per my understanding from government information) I can and have been, using my USA license to rent cars for holiday travel around the UK.

Could I rent a car with my valid USA license for my UK practical exam?

Not unless the hire car has dual controls. See below

Hire cars
You can take your test in a hire car if it’s fitted with dual controls and meets all the other rules.
https://www.gov.uk/driving-test/using-your-own-car

Thanks, saw this note but was thinking (ok, hoping) that it was written for the more common young/provisional driver that would (or could only) be 'hiring' his instructors car. Not the driving for 20+ years and can otherwise legally rent a car in the UK driver who also happens to be taking the test.

Plenty of dual pedal options out there, just far more costly so figured I'd ask before committing to that.

Thanks again!

xcrogers wrote:Thanks, saw this note but was thinking (ok, hoping) that it was written for the more common young/provisional driver that would (or could only) be 'hiring' his instructors car. Not the driving for 20+ years and can otherwise legally rent a car in the UK driver who also happens to be taking the test.

Plenty of dual pedal options out there, just far more costly so figured I'd ask before committing to that.

Thanks again!

For the purpose of a driving test, a driving instructor's vehicle isn't considered to be a 'hire car'. I believe you will also find that in the UK at least, the rental of dual control vehicles are for driving instructor use only.

I was good until your last response which confused me a bit (but its been a long day....)

Whats the point of noting you can you can show up to a driving test in a 'hired' car (but it must have dual pedals) if the only people who can rent that type of car is an instructor? Per your comment an instructors car doesn't count as a 'hired' car, what is it then?

I'd imagine people take the test all the time with their parents/family cars (without dual pedals) whats the difference between that and a 'typical' rental car from Avis/Hertz?

I'd think the main qualification is insurance, that the driver needs to have proper cover to drive the car. When using a parents car its assumed that the learner is covered under the parents insurance. They put the 'L' plates on, have the secondary interior mirror and they're good to go to take the test.

Whats the difference between that, and me renting the car as a USA driver? I have proper insurance for my journey through the rental company to drive the car, and could put the same magnetic 'L' plate and temporary interior mirror on for the car for the 40 minutes of the test.

If something were to happen while driving I'd produce my USA license, insurance provided for the rental the same as if i was I was on my weekend holiday rental or during a test.

The reason for all this is that its £40 to rent a 'typical' car (including insurance) for a day and £160 for a 3 hour rental of a dual controlled car (2 hour lesson and then they let you use the car for the exam). Its wildly cheaper and FAR easier logistically.

I'm not trying to obstinate, just trying to fully understand. I do appreciate the information you've provided.

I would imagine (though I don't know) that in the eyes of the law as soon as u put the L plates on and are being 'tested' then you are driving on your UK provision licence and therefore not insured.

I may be being presumptuous but driving in the UK is harder than in US, and yes I've done both.

I believe that Wanderer is on the right lines regarding the L plates.

Also, my understanding is that rental companies will only provide dual control cars for driving instructors, for example when their vehicles are temporarily out of service, enabling them to continue with their business. As professional drivers they are considered low risk.

Hiring a dual control vehicle would also enable the instructor to accompany their learner driver to the test centre where they could then drive the vehicle accompanied by the examiner.

I posed the following question to the DSA:

I'm a recent immigrant to the UK from the USA. I understand my US license is valid for one year from my date of entry/Visa start in the UK. I currently use my US license to book rental cars through AVIS, Hertz, etc etc for holiday travel within that year 'grace period' which provides me with roadworthy and properly inspected/licensed cars and insurance. I have a provisional UK license and have passed the UK theory test. Can I use a car rented with my valid USA license for my UK practical exam?

This was their response:

You can present a hire vehicle for your practical driving test. You must ensure that you supply a vehicle which meets the minimum requirements, which you can find here.

(here links to this: https://www.gov.uk/driving-test/using-your-own-car)

Called the rental agency and they didn't have experience with this situation (i cant believe I'm the first guy to ever call and ask about this). They noted that basically the trigger is the UK residency, which requires a UK license, but also acknowledged that I'm renting a car under a USA license within an acceptable grace period of time from arrival in country. End result, they said, (really) just don't tell anyone at the rental desk your a resident (this is a major rental company).

So theoretically I could book the test, rent the car (buy a £3 L plate and second interior mirror) and be on my way to the test. If the tester questions the insurance, which based off of colleagues experience they don't seem to check, I could produce the insurance through the rental. If they aren't satisfied the test is over and drive home (as a USA driver within my one year). If they don't check... I'll have either passed or failed but would have successfully used a rental car.

My reasoning for wanting to do this is that, all exams are week days.. and during working hours. Taking 5 plus hours off (commute to testing site, 2 hour lesson, 1 hour test, commute back to office) is brutally long. Also, the lesson + use of the instructor car is around £175 +/-. I could rent a car, take a morning (8 am) exam and be done before works for less than £40 with the rental and miss far less work.

All a theory....