In the interest of fairness, we will be prioritising customers in the following order:

1. Priority customers whose request as a Critical Frontline Worker has been accepted.
2. Customers who have failed their test and have since reapplied. There's a minimum 6-week gap between failing your test and being invited for a retest.
3. After that, we will be issuing invitations based on eligibility, followed by application date. This means, the earlier you applied, the sooner you will get an appointment, provided you were eligible to sit your test at the time you applied. If you were not eligible to sit the test when you applied, then your position in the waiting list queue is determined by the date you finish your driver training.

Driving test scheduling principles

How we determine your place in the queue

The invitation date is the date you can expect to receive an invitation from us to book your driving test appointment. The test date is the date of your actual driving test appointment.

Please note that the invitation date is only an estimate, and we cannot offer any guarantees due to factors outside our control, e.g., weather conditions or if a tester suddenly becomes unavailable.

Yes. Once you receive your invitation from us, you will have 10 days to select an appointment. To do this you will first need to register or log onto our customer portal MyRoadSafety.ie. The video below will show you how.

If it’s a case you don’t book an appointment within the 10-day window, don’t worry, you won’t lose your fee and you will be kept on our waiting list for a driving test. Once you’re ready and eligible to sit the test, please complete this form and we’ll place you back on the invitation queue. You will be emailed another invite when appointment slots become available.

Yes. Covid-19 has caused a large backlog of customers waiting for a driving test and unfortunately this means that it may be some time before we can offer you an appointment.

Your position in the queue is determined by your eligibility, followed by your application date. Therefore, the earlier you applied the sooner you will get a test, provided you were eligible to sit your test at the time.

How do I know if I’m eligible to sit my driving test?

No. We operate a fair and transparent appointment scheduling process and it's only fair that those who are eligible and have been waiting the longest would be offered a test first.

If you are employed by the HSE, a private hospital or the emergency services and need to drive as part of your job (not including commuting to your place of work) then we may prioritise your application. Know more >

Yes. You can compare your estimated waiting times at various test centres by selecting 'What are the waiting times for invitations by test centres' on the second screen of the estimator tool and changing your centre of choice. This may show an earlier or later estimated date, depending on the demand for tests at that centre, and its capacity.

The invitation estimator tool is for cars only because there is a huge demand for driving tests in this vehicle category. The demand for driving tests in other vehicle categories, such as motorbikes, buses, or trucks, is only 8 to 10 weeks on average, nationally. We will email you an invitation to book your motorbike, truck, or bus test when we reach you application in the queue.

To be eligible to sit a driving test you must have held your first learner permit for at least 6 months and have completed all of your Essential Driver Training (cars) or Initial Basic Training (motorbikes).

You can check the validity of your learner permit in your MyRoadSafety account under the learner permit step in 'My Goals'. To see the status of your driver training please log in to MyEDT.

More detailed information is available on our Driving test eligibility webpage.

This can happen for various reasons. Factors outside our control such as extreme weather or if a tester becomes suddenly unavailable can lead to cancellations. This affects the overall number of tests conducted at a particular centre.

Yes, it's possible. The waiting times provided by the estimator tool are not final and subject to change based on a number of factors. For example, if a higher number of appointments become available in a test centre, or increased driver tester availability. Therefore, you could receive an invitation to book a test earlier than previously advised, or equally, later.

Your driver number can be found opposite 4(d) on your learner permit.

If you have not yet applied for a test, please first sign up or log into our customer portal MyRoadSafety.ie. You can register on our portal using your verified MyGovID or authenticate your details with the RSA. The video below will show you how. If you have any difficulties registering, please see our MyRoadSafety FAQs

Once you have logged in successfully, you can then set a driving goal under 'My Goals' and proceed to the 'Driving Test' step. Here you can apply for a test and, if there is no availability at your chosen test centre, add yourself to the waiting list.

The estimator is updated every 2 to 3 weeks. The date of the most recent update is available on the estimator tool below 'Your personal estimator waiting time'.

In the meantime, you can get a general idea of waiting times at your preferred test centre by selecting ‘What are the waiting times for invitations by test centres' on the second screen of the estimator tool. Please note that this date is based on someone applying for their test today.

This depends on the capacity of the test centre and the number of people waiting for a test. Some centres are larger and therefore have a higher throughput which may shorten your waiting time but equally, it could be longer if there is greater demand for tests at this centre.

You can compare estimated waiting times by selecting 'What are the waiting times for invitations by test centres' on the second screen of the estimator tool and change your centre of choice. This may show an earlier or later estimated date.

No, but your place in the queue will depend on where your application sits relevant to all others waiting at that centre.

Once you have reapplied, you won't have to go to the back of the queue and will automatically receive a new booking invitation 6 to 8 weeks after your failed test.

If you failed a test prior to 1 December 2020 and have since reapplied, we will invite you to book another test as soon as we reach you in the queue i.e. the 6 to 8 week timeline doesn’t apply in this case. If you haven’t yet re-applied, you will need to sign up or log into our customer portal MyRoadSafety.ie, and add yourself to the waiting list if no suitable slots are available.

If 6 to 8 weeks isn’t enough time for you to prepare for your re-test, you can hold off booking another appointment until later. When you’re ready, just complete this form and we’ll send you another invitation.

Yes, of course, but you will need to fill in this online form first. Once completed, this adds you back on to the invitation list and you will be placed in the queue at the point when your last invitation expired.