Change or cancel your driving test or theory test

The rules side by side

Working days are Monday to Saturday. Sundays and public holidays don’t count. Your last date to change or cancel for free is in your booking confirmation email, or you can sign in to see it. The driving test service is open from 6am to 11:40pm. All of this is as of October 2026.

Only want to check your date, time or test centre? GOV.UK’s Check your driving test appointment service shows them, using the same licence number and reference.

How many times can you change your driving test?

You can move it earlier or later, or to another centre. A change of date, time or centre, or swapping with another learner, counts as one change, even if you change several things at once. Updating your phone number or email doesn’t count, and if DVSA moves your test, for bad weather say, you get your 2 changes back.

After 2 changes you have to cancel and book again. Moving to a dearer slot, like a Saturday, means paying the difference, and moving to a weekday gets you the difference back.

Since 12 May 2026 only you can book, change or cancel your car test. Your instructor can’t, and it’s an offence for anyone else to do it. Someone you know can still help, as long as they’re with you and you do as much as you can yourself.

Cancelling

Cancel at least 10 full working days before a car driving test, or 3 before a theory test, and you get the fee back. You can still cancel later than that without a refund, right up to the start time. It frees the slot for someone else.

If you just need a different date, changing is usually better than cancelling, as long as you have changes left.

Missed the deadline for a good reason?

You can ask for a refund if you had to change or cancel at short notice because of:

• An illness or injury
• A bereavement
• An exam at school or college at the same time
• Your driving licence being stolen

How to claim a short-notice refund

Email DVSA with the subject “Unavoidable short notice cancellation”: customerservices@dvsa.gov.uk for a driving test, or theorycustomerservices@dvsa.gov.uk for a theory test. Attach proof, such as a fit note from your GP, a letter from your school or college, or a police crime number. If you were ill for 7 days or less, you may have to pay for a private medical certificate. Include your full name as it is on your licence, your address, postcode and date of birth, plus your licence number or booking reference. DVSA tells you when the refund is paid.

Want an earlier date?

Moving your test earlier uses one of your 2 changes, and from 9 June 2026 you can only move to one of the 3 centres nearest to where it’s booked. Earlier slots turn up when other learners change or cancel, and you have to look for them yourself.