Provisional Driving license invalidates international driving license

[couchsurfer]

Hi,

My wife was stopped by the police after being reported by the DVLA for driving without proper insurance/license after her driving test.

She has an international driving licence which we checked when she arrived allows her to drive for 1 year after arrival into country (the incident happened before the year was up). During this 1 year period she applied for a provisional license so we could get organised to book her test and do a theory and have another form of ID. The driving test instructor who reported her said that doing this invalidates her international driving licence rights?

Is this true as I am getting mixed messages and when we spoke with the police they checked and said it was fine but recently got an email from our insurance that she has been taken off because of what happened.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

[des8]

Doing an internet search does throw up conflicting answers.
One that might be worth following up with DVLA licensing agency: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/reque...e_and_internat

[HandyAndy]

Far more important than the licence issue is that of insurance. What do you mean by "driving without proper insurance." She either had insurance as required by the Road Traffic Act (for Third Party risks) or she did not. What makes you say that she was driving without "proper" insurance?

[couchsurfer]

Doing an internet search does throw up conflicting answers.
One that might be worth following up with DVLA licensing agency: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/reque...e_and_internat

Yeah I have found this link too, thanks. I have tried calling the DVLA but can't get through. It does seem confusing about whether a Provisional invalidates a international license or not, and if so I don't really understand and why it is not made clear when you apply for a provisional.

[couchsurfer]

Far more important than the licence issue is that of insurance. What do you mean by "driving without proper insurance." She either had insurance as required by the Road Traffic Act (for Third Party risks) or she did not. What makes you say that she was driving without "proper" insurance?

Sorry maybe I wasn't clear, I think what I mean was that the insurance company who I rang (I recently received an email from them saying she has 'not driven in accordance with her license') and the instructor said having a provisional invalidates the international license allowance and therefore the insurance. We did have full insurance in which she was a named driver, for that 1st year of driving with her international license details and then once that was up I changed it to her provisional license details and we have since then been adhering to the rules of a provisional license holder.

We were stopped as the driving test instructor reported her to the police as in his mind she was breaking the law driving home without following the rules for a provisional license holder even though we were within that 1 year allowance. We explained this to the police who checked at the time (made a phone call) and said it was fine so a bit confused.

[des8]

Interesting discussion, but luckily hasn't caused any real problems.

I just don't understand why the possession of a British provisional licence should invalidate an International driving Permit, and can't find anything in the regulations which says it does.

Having written the above see page 8 "other countries" of this pamphlet: https://www.licencebureau.co.uk/wp-c...r-resident.pdf

Especially where it states "If you get a provisional licence during this period [of international permit validity] you will not have to display “L” plates, be supervised by a qualified driver, and you will not be stopped from driving on motorways."
That suggests the permit remains valid.

[HandyAndy]

Yes the above is correct. Basically, your overseas driving licence allows you to drive as a qualified driver for 12 months. In order to take a test during this period you must apply for a provisional UK licence but, even though you are then a (UK) provisional licence holder the entitlement to drive as a qualified driver does not end until 12 months after your arrival. If you have not passed a test by this time your entitlement to drive as a qualified driver ends and you must comply with the conditions of your provisional licence.

As far as insurance goes, there are very few grounds on which an insurer can repudiate Third Party liabilities. Even if your wife was driving otherwise than in accordance with her licence (which she was not based on the facts you provided) that does not entitle the insurer to refuse cover.

Which country issued your wife's licence? There is a list of a small number of countries from which a licence can be simply exchanged without having to pass a test.