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Highway Code

Highway Code, Annex 3. Motor vehicle documentation and learner driver requirements (part 1)

Annex 3. Motor vehicle documentation and learner driver requirements. A legal requirement (MUST / MUST NOT).

  • Annex 3. Motor vehicle documentation and learner driver requirements
  • Legal requirement
  • OGL v3.0

What the rule says

Law · MUST

Driving licence. You MUST have a valid driving licence for the category of motor vehicle you are driving. You MUST inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) if you change your name and/or address. Law RTA 1988 sects 87 & 99(4) Holders of non-European Community licences who are now resident in the UK may only drive on that licence for a maximum of 12 months from the date they become resident in this country. To ensure continuous driving entitlement

  • a British provisional licence should be obtained and a driving test(s) passed before the 12-month period elapses, or
  • in the case of a driver who holds a licence from a country which has been designated in law for licence exchange purposes, the driver should exchange the licence for a British one. MOT. Cars and motorcycles MUST normally pass an MOT test three years from the date of the first registration and every year after that. You MUST NOT drive a motor vehicle without an MOT certificate when it should have one. Exceptionally, you may drive to a pre-arranged test appointment or to a garage for repairs required for the test. Driving an unroadworthy motor vehicle may invalidate your insurance. From 20 May 2018, cars, vans, motorcycles and other light passenger vehicles manufactured or first registered over 40 years ago, will be exempt from the MOT test, unless the vehicle has been substantially changed within the previous 30 years. Guidance on what counts as a substantial change can be found at www.gov.uk/historic-vehicles. If a vehicle that’s currently exempt from the MOT test is substantially changed, the vehicle keeper cannot continue to claim an exemption from the MOT test. Law RTA 1988 sects 45, 47, 49 & 53 Insurance. To use a motor vehicle on the road, you MUST have a valid insurance policy. This MUST at least cover you for injury or damage to a third party while using that motor vehicle. Before driving any motor vehicle, make sure that it has this cover for your use or that your own insurance provides adequate cover. You MUST NOT drive a motor vehicle without insurance. Also, be aware that even if a road traffic incident is not your fault, you may still be held liable by insurance companies. Law RTA 1988 sect 143 Uninsured drivers can now be automatically detected by roadside cameras. Further to the penalties for uninsured driving (see ‘Penalty table’), an offender’s vehicle can now be seized by the Police, taken away and crushed. Law RTA 1988 sects 165a & 165b The types of cover available are indicated below: Third-Party insurance - this is often the cheapest form of insurance, and is…

Rule text reproduced verbatim from the official Highway Code (Crown copyright) under the Open Government Licence v3.0, see the attribution at the foot of this page.

In plain English

Stripped of the formal wording, this guidance comes down to one idea: driving licence. Because it is written with “MUST” or “MUST NOT”, it carries the force of law, ignore it and you are committing an offence, not simply driving badly.

It belongs to the annex 3. motor vehicle documentation and learner driver requirements part of the Code, the habits a confident, considerate driver builds until they are automatic. The aim is not to memorise the sentence word for word, but to understand the hazard it protects you from, so you apply it without having to think when it counts.

If you are learning, treat this rule as one piece of a connected set rather than an isolated fact. The related rules below sit in the same section and reinforce each other, reading them together is how the annex 3. motor vehicle documentation and learner driver requirements part of the Code starts to feel like common sense rather than a list to revise.

Because this is a legal rule, the consequences of ignoring it reach beyond the test: a “MUST” or “MUST NOT” breach can mean a fixed penalty, points on your licence, or in serious cases prosecution. Either way, the safe move is to build the habit early, while a driving instructor can correct it, rather than relearning it under test pressure. That is exactly what the practice routes and coaching in the DriveRoutes app are designed to help with, turning the rules below into the way you naturally drive.

Why this rule matters on the road

Following this rule keeps your driving predictable and safe, which is what every other road user is relying on. It is one small part of the habit-set that, taken together, prevents the everyday mistakes that cause collisions.

Common faults examiners record

In the annex 3. motor vehicle documentation and learner driver requirements part of the Code, the faults most often written on the marking sheet tend to be the same handful. Knowing them in advance is the quickest way to drive them out of your own habits:

  • Acting too late because the situation was read close rather than early.
  • Incomplete observation before committing to a manoeuvre.
  • An unsuitable speed for the road, the traffic or the conditions.

On the day

On the day, applying Highway Code, Annex 3. Motor vehicle documentation and learner driver requirements (part 1) is about doing the safe, deliberate thing slightly earlier than feels necessary: read the situation in good time, observe fully, and act smoothly. The examiner is looking for planned driving, not perfection, and good habits formed in lessons carry you through.

Quick checklist

  • Read the situation early and plan your response.
  • Observe fully before you commit to anything.
  • Keep your speed suitable for the road and conditions.

More from Annex 3. Motor vehicle documentation and learner driver requirements

Related Highway Code rules

Highway Code, Annex 3. Motor vehicle documentation and learner driver requirements (part 1), your questions

Driving licence. It is a legal requirement, it uses “MUST” or “MUST NOT”, so breaking it is a criminal offence that can mean a fine, penalty points, or disqualification.

DriveRoutes is an independent study aid and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).