Unaccompanied learner drivers

Yes. It is against the law for you to drive unaccompanied on a learner permit. Under the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) system in Ireland, a learner permit holder must be accompanied at all times by someone who has held a full, valid driving licence in the same category for a minimum of two years.

If you are convicted of driving unaccompanied or you allow your vehicle to be driven by an unaccompanied learner driver, the following penalties apply:

• If you are an unaccompanied learner driver and the vehicle owner, you are liable to have your vehicle impounded.
• If you are an unaccompanied learner driver but not the vehicle owner, the owner faces their vehicle being impounded and being fined up to €1,000.

This is in addition to the penalty points and fines which can be applied to unaccompanied learner drivers:

• up to four penalty points
• a fine up to €160.

The laws were strengthened to act as a deterrent to learner drivers who are thinking about driving unaccompanied or anyone considering lending their vehicle to an unaccompanied learner driver


According to our statistics, 74% of fatal crashes involving learner drivers in a four-year period involved unaccompanied learner drivers.


If you are a learner permit holder driving unaccompanied, you are among the most vulnerable road users. This is because of your inexperience and your tendency take risks on the road. The most effective way for you to practice safe driving is with the guidance and support of an accompanying driver.

The unaccompanied driver law applies to all drivers with a learner permit for the category of vehicle they are driving.


It does not apply if you are:

• a motorcycle learner driver who holds an IBT certificate of satisfactory completion
• a tractor learner driver. unless there is a passenger seat in the tractor being driven. (If your vehicle has been designed to carry a passenger, the passenger must have held a full driving licence in the same category for at least two years.)

The legislation only applies if you are the holder of an Irish learner permit. Non-Irish learner permit or provisional licence holders are not authorised to drive in Ireland. You must have a valid full driving licence when driving in Ireland as a visitor or a resident. Otherwise, you are committing an offence of driving without a licence which is punishable by law

No, this legislation applies to all learner permit holders who must be accompanied. This applies to you regardless of the number of learner permits you have held.

 

What happens if I am stopped by gardaí while driving unaccompanied on a learner permit: 

You will receive two points and fixed charge of €160 applies when driving unaccompanied.  This increases to four points if convicted in court, and a fine applies as determined by the courts.  The owner may face a fine of up to €1,000 and have their vehicle impounded for allowing you to drive the vehicle unaccompanied.

If you drive unaccompanied, even with vehicle owner’s permission, you are breaking the law and face prosecution.

Contact your local garda station as this is a matter for the gardaí. The legislation allows you to make a defence in court that your vehicle was taken by an unaccompanied learner driver without your consent. It may be open to gardaí to charge the unaccompanied driver with offences relating to taking the vehicle without consent.


There is a fee of €125 to release the vehicle for the first day and €35 for a whole or part of each subsequent day.

The law states that while you are driving on a learner permit you must be accompanied at all times by a fully licensed driver, regardless of the circumstances. This also applies when you are travelling to and from your driving test, even if you have passed.

The only exceptions are if you are:

• a motorcycle learner driver who holds an IBT certificate of satisfactory completion
• a tractor learner driver unless there is a passenger seat in the tractor being driven. (If your vehicle has been designed to carry a passenger, the passenger must have held a full driving licence in the same category for at least two years.)

No, the law states that while you are driving on a learner permit you must be accompanied at all times by a fully licensed driver.

No, you must have passed your driving test and be in possession of your full driving licence to drive unaccompanied.

For all information on penalty points please see Full list of offences incurring penalty points and fixed charge notices.

No. If you are a learner driver you need to be accompanied by a fully licensed driver regardless of your age.

Yes. When you take out a learner permit in this country for the purpose of learning to drive and take Essential Driver Training (EDT), you must adhere to all conditions of holding a learner permit. This includes being accompanied by a fully licensed driver at all times.

Yes. The law applies to everyone driving on a learner permit regardless of how much you use your vehicle or the distance you drive.

The measures are known as the Clancy Amendment to recognise the contribution of Mr. Noel Clancy in his efforts to bring about this change to the law.

Mr. Clancy lost his wife and daughter in a crash involving an unaccompanied learner driver. Geraldine Clancy (58) and Louise Clancy (22) were killed in the collision on 22 December 2015.