Inportant Information

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Applying for a second trainee licence

Hopefully, if you have managed yourself well and received good training from the beginning, there shouldn’t be a need for a second licence unless you really have experienced unforeseen problems/misfortune for most of your trainee licence.

Applying for a second licence is possible if the PDI has experienced any of the following:

  • Illness or is injured for several months.
  • Family member illness, death or bereavement which has been ongoing.
  • They have evidence to show they have experienced a lack of pupils. If the PDI has taken many learners for tests, their statistics will go against their appeal.
  • Any substantial evidence that can prove to the DVSA the PDI hasn’t been able to utilise their training licence.

Must dos

  • The PDI must apply for a second licence while their current licence is still valid.
  • It is recommended to send off the application at least 10 working days before the current licence expires.
  • The PDI must complete another ADI 3L form with the manager’s signature section filled in and payment section completed. A small covering letter should also be attached – see the example.
  • If the PDI is sending off the application by post, they must do it by recorded delivery (keeping proof) in case the DVSA lose the documents – which has happened in the past.

If they apply for a second licence after their initial licence has expired, there is no way of obtaining a second licence, regardless of the circumstances.

What happens after the application is sent off?

The DVSA will usually respond within 2 weeks with a standard rejection letter, asking for further evidence if the PDI would like to appeal the decision. It will also explain the continuation rights, Section 129 (6) of the Road Traffic Act 1988. This basically means the PDI is allowed to continue teaching for reward until a final decision has been made by the registrar on the appeal.

If the PDI fails to submit an appeal within 14 days of the initial rejection letter, their PDI licence will be invalid.

General process to appeal for a second trainee licence

  1. Apply for a second trainee licence within 10 days of the current licence expiring, by email or by post. Attach a basic covering letter with the ADI 3L form.
  2. Wait for the DVSA to respond.
  3. Receive a generic DVSA rejection letter after approximately 14 days.
  4. The PDI will have 14 days to respond.
  5. Send an appeal letter back to the DVSA with any supporting evidence.
  6. It may take between 6 to 8 weeks for the DVSA to respond, sometimes it may be sooner.
  7. While waiting for the response, the PDI can continue teaching, despite the trainee licence having expired.
  8. The PDI receives a second licence OR receives a rejection letter from the registrar stating the reasons for the rejection.
  9. If rejected, the PDI has 14 days to appeal again. This time to the First Tier Transport Tribunal DVSA.
  10. Assuming the PDI appeals within 14 days, they can continue to teach until an independent tribunal and a final verdict is reached at the tribunal. The PDI will need to fill in a form or letter explaining why they think the registrar’s decision is wrong and why it should be overturned, attaching supporting evidence.
  11. Usually, a tribunal will be in several months’ time, in which time, the PDI has passed their part 3 test.
  12. The PDI can cancel the tribunal if they pass the part 3 test or they decide the no longer want to attend or take the appeal further.
  13. The PDI can take a representative with them on the day with any supporting evidence to present to the judge.

There is no charge to the PDI when going to a tribunal if they started the initial application for a second trainee licence within the DVSA time frames.