Full licence, tax, insurance & NCT
Licences, permits & the law · Lesson 1.3
A full licence is only half the story. A car also needs tax, insurance and — once it is older — an NCT. Get any of these wrong and you are breaking the law every time you drive.
The day you pass your test and start driving on your own: applying for the full licence, taxing and insuring a car, and keeping the NCT up to date.
- Get your full licence after passing the test
- Know what a novice driver and N-plates mean
- Name the five things every car needs to be legal
- Tell when a car needs an NCT
- Understand why untaxed or uninsured driving is serious
Passing the driving test earns you a Certificate of Competency. You must then apply for and receive the full licence before you may drive alone without L-plates or a supervising driver.
- 1Pass the driving test
You are issued a certificate of competency.
- 2Apply at the NDLS
Bring the certificate, your learner permit, ID/PPSN and fee; a photo is taken.
- 3Get your full licence
For the category you tested in — valid 10 years for cars.
A full licence is not quite the finish line. For your first two years you are a novice driver.
First-time full licence holders are novice drivers for 2 years.
You must show N-plates on any car you drive during those 2 years.
Car and motorcycle licences last 10 years before renewal.
A novice cannot be the accompanying driver for someone on a learner permit.
Before you take any car on the road, five things must be in order. Miss one and you may be driving illegally.
Tax and insurance are the two you can never skip — both must be current, and both discs go on the windscreen.
Every vehicle must be taxed before it is taken on the road.
You must be insured to drive in a public place — it is a serious offence not to be.
Both discs must be shown on the windscreen; missing one is an offence.
Report penalty points or changes in your medical fitness before you drive.
The NCT requirement starts as the car gets older, but roadworthiness applies from day one.
A new car is exempt until it reaches its fourth year.
Valid NCT certificate and disc needed — every 2 years from 4 to 10, then yearly.
Quick check before we wrap up.
Quick check
Your car is 6 years old. On top of licence, tax and insurance, what does it need to be legal on the road?
Before every drive, five checks: licence, tax, insurance, NCT (if due), and roadworthiness. An NCT is not a warranty or a substitute for regular servicing.
Novice is not learner. A novice (first 2 years) drives alone with N-plates. A learner needs L-plates and a qualified accompanying driver — and a novice cannot be that driver.
Driving uninsured is a serious offence, never a minor slip. In the exam, 'no insurance' is always the wrong choice.
You just passed your test and borrow a friend's car. It is taxed and NCT'd — but is the insurance yours? The car being insured for someone else does not cover you; you must be insured to drive it.
Renew early: you can apply to renew your licence up to 3 months before it expires, and never let tax, insurance or the NCT lapse.
Assuming a car being insured means you are covered — you must be insured to drive it. Forgetting the NCT once a car turns 4. Mixing up a novice (N-plates, drives alone) with a learner (L-plates, needs an accompanying driver). Letting tax, insurance or the NCT lapse.
- Pass the driving test, then apply at the NDLS for your full licence (valid 10 years for cars).
- First-time full licence holders are novice drivers for 2 years and must display N-plates.
- To be legal you need licence, tax, insurance, a valid NCT when due, and a roadworthy car at all times.
- Driving untaxed or uninsured is a serious offence; your insurance must cover you for that vehicle.
- Cars over 4 years need an NCT: every 2 years to age 10, then yearly.
Lesson completed
You now know:
- Pass the driving test, then apply at the NDLS for your full licence (valid 10 years for cars)
- First-time full licence holders are novice drivers for 2 years and must display N-plates
- To be legal you need licence, tax, insurance, a valid NCT when due, and a roadworthy car at all times
- Driving untaxed or uninsured is a serious offence; your insurance must cover you for that vehicle
Content checks and sources
Official Rules of the Road references: Rules of the Road — Section 2, Rules of the Road — Section 4
A verification date is not available for this lesson.
We review content when official guidance changes and investigate learner reports. Theory Academy is an independent study aid, not the RSA.