Driving licence in the Republic of Ireland

Driving licence in the Republic of Ireland
Irish Driving Licence
Issued by	Ireland
Type of document	Driving licence
Purpose	Identification

In Ireland, the driving licence is the official document which authorises its holder to operate various types of motor vehicle on roads to which the public have access. Since 29 October 2013 they are issued by the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS). Based on the European driving licence standards, all the categories of licence available and the physical licence meet the 2006 EU standards.

From 19 January 2013 new licences issued are similar in size and shape to a credit-card as stipulated in Directive 2006/126/EEC. It features the driver's name and date of birth, their photo, signature and any restrictions or endorsements such as the need to wear glasses and any penalty points accrued. The older type licence is still valid but will be replaced by the new type upon licence renewal.

From January 2014 the NDLS started to issue an electronic driving licence contain all the information relating to the licence. This will provide additional security and protection against fraud. The microchip will enable the licence to be read by special card readers which will be managed by the Road Safety Authority and will be available to the [Gardai|Police]

The old licence was based on the old European format, defined in Directive 91/439/EEC, as was used in other countries in the past. It consisted of a pink tri-fold paper document, laminated on one side. It contained a photo of the driver, their personal details and home address, and a listing of categories of vehicle they are licensed for, with any restrictions printed using a code format. The unlaminated side consisted of a section for any written in endorsements as well as a page with the term 'Driving licence' or its equivalents in a large number of languages.

Obtaining a driving licence as of 2010 requires having held a learners permit for 6 months and completing a combined practical and theory driving test, which covers driving, road safety and a minor amount of mechanical knowledge of a car. Obtaining a learners permit to begin with requires passing a computerised theory test. Those on learner permits for most categories of licence must not drive unaccompanied. No learner permit holders are allowed to drive on motorways and all must display red L-plates at all times, either on their vehicle or on a tabard if a motorcyclist.

Both learner permits and the former provisional licences are identical in format to full licences, but green in colour. They do not carry the full translations list as they are not valid outside of the Republic of Ireland and are marked as such on the front. Once a driving test has been passed, all categories of driver with the exception of motorcycle drivers have no restrictions on road usage or vehicle type.