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Northern Ireland Driving Licence

  • 15-06-2011 9:18am
    #1
    bigneacy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,222 ✭✭✭


    Hi there,

    This has probably been asked before, but I searched and I can't find any solid info.

    This isn't for me, its for a family member.

    He's an Irish citizen, he done his theory test about 5 or 6 years ago and started to learn how to drive. Did his test and failed, gave up and didn't try again. He works and lives in the south on the border, but he has an address that he can use in Belfast. He has a National Insurance Number for the UK, which he used in a Job a few years ago, at which time he also had a Northern Bank account, which he no longer uses.

    He says now he wants to start fresh and get his licence up north. He can do his lessons and all up there, so thats fine.

    How would he go about this, and what would be the obstacles in his way?


Comments

  • #2
    Gophur
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,921 ✭✭✭Gophur


    bigneacy wrote: »
    ......... He works and lives in the south on the border,.........

    That determines which licence he should try to get.

    One can only assume he's trying to get an out-of-state licence for dubious purposes.


  • #3
    TestTransmission
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,106 ✭✭✭✭TestTransmission


    bigneacy wrote: »

    He wants to start fresh and get his licence up north. He can do his lessons and all up there, so thats fine.

    How would he go about this, and what would be the obstacles in his way?

    Why not just start afresh down here?


  • #4
    bigneacy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,222 ✭✭✭bigneacy


    Gophur wrote: »
    One can only assume he's trying to get an out-of-state licence for dubious purposes.

    Well one is wrong. He is the least dubious character out there, actually.
    TestTransmission wrote: »
    Why not just start afresh down here?

    His licence is lost and has long expired, and with all the hoops new drivers have to jump through now, it has put him off doing his test here. I can understand where he's coming from, i'm wondering tho, is it just as much hassle up the north?


  • #5
    Guy:Incognito
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 38,247 ✭✭✭✭Guy:Incognito


    bigneacy wrote: »
    We


    His licence is lost and has long expired, and with all the hoops new drivers have to jump through now, it has put him off doing his test here. I can understand where he's coming from, i'm wondering tho, is it just as much hassle up the north?

    "hoops" like learning to drive and knowing the rules of the road?


    Anyway, dont the UK have similar systems, along with having to have R plates up and whatnot?


  • #6
    TestTransmission
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,106 ✭✭✭✭TestTransmission


    Would he be allowed to drive in the Republic on a provisional UK licence?


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  • #7
    Gophur
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,921 ✭✭✭Gophur


    bigneacy wrote: »
    Well one is wrong. He is the least dubious character out there, actually.



    His licence is lost and has long expired, and with all the hoops new drivers have to jump through now, it has put him off doing his test here. I can understand where he's coming from, i'm wondering tho, is it just as much hassle up the north?

    He's not entitled to an N.Ireland licence, and to apply for one using a false address (he's not resident there) is asking for trouble.


    The ROI system will educate him, and having already failed a test, it's in his, and our (those who will have to share the road with him) interests he is instructed and tested properly.


  • #8
    si_guru
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,347 ✭✭✭si_guru


    TestTransmission wrote: »
    Would he be allowed to drive in the Republic on a provisional UK licence?

    No.


  • #9
    Del2005
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,101 ✭✭✭✭Del2005


    Guy:Incognito wrote: »
    "hoops" like learning to drive and knowing the rules of the road?

    +1
    Anyway, dont the UK have similar systems, along with having to have R plates up and whatnot?

    Only in NI, which leads to the question is an R licence even legal in the South? And if it is who wants to be driving at 70km/h for a year?
    in Northern Ireland, once you have passed your driving test, you must display 'R' plates at the front and back of the vehicle for one year. You must not exceed the speed of 45 mph.


  • #10
    Our man in Havana
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,473 ✭✭✭✭Our man in Havana


    which leads to the question is an R licence even legal in the South?
    No such animal. It is a full licence just it is restricted for 1 year. You don't apply for a new licence after the year is up, it just becomes unrestricted.

    It is perfectly valid in the south and the UK without restriction as a full licence.


  • #11
    Marcusm
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,628 ✭✭✭✭Marcusm


    You can't drive outside the UK on a UK provisional licence although I suspect that rule is broken regularly.

    However, any licence obtained in this manner would be obtained unlawfully and by deception. As he does not have a UK passport, he will need to provide his Irish passport to obtain the licence. This will presumably not have been issued in the UK. I think you have to provide your NINO as part of their joined up government approach, A list of addresses for the previous three years must be provided. There is a declaration on the form that the applicant has been resident in the UK for the preceding 6 months. This must then be repeated when the test is sat.

    I think that it is an offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988 in the UK to drive while holding a licence obtained subsequent to a false declaration. This may in turn invalidate the licence such that the person is not permitted to drive in Ireland.

    Fundamentally this is a bad idea.


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  • #12
    Our man in Havana
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,473 ✭✭✭✭Our man in Havana


    These things in my experience are never checked. There are loads of people that have shed loads of penalty points down south that went north to get new licences so they could avoid any ban down south. Nothing has been down about it by the northern authorities.


  • #13
    slimjimmc
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,786 ✭✭✭slimjimmc


    Marcusm wrote: »
    You can't drive outside the UK on a UK provisional licence although I suspect that rule is broken regularly.

    However, any licence obtained in this manner would be obtained unlawfully and by deception. As he does not have a UK passport, he will need to provide his Irish passport to obtain the licence. This will presumably not have been issued in the UK. I think you have to provide your NINO as part of their joined up government approach, A list of addresses for the previous three years must be provided. There is a declaration on the form that the applicant has been resident in the UK for the preceding 6 months. This must then be repeated when the test is sat.

    I think that it is an offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988 in the UK to drive while holding a licence obtained subsequent to a false declaration. This may in turn invalidate the licence such that the person is not permitted to drive in Ireland.
    I agree with everything except the passport. You don't need a passport to get a driving licence so whether he has an Irish passport, UK passport, both or none is irrelevant.
    Marcusm wrote: »
    Fundamentally this is a bad idea.
    +100


  • #14
    Richard
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,439 ✭✭✭Richard


    I remember seeing a news report once about Germans coming over to the UK to sit a driving test as the German one was too hard. This was apparently completely legit, due to EU rules.

    Not sure what driving license they had, though.


  • #15
    Our man in Havana
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,473 ✭✭✭✭Our man in Havana


    They would get a UK licence which they exchanged for a German one.


  • #16
    mfceiling
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,902 ✭✭✭✭mfceiling


    Our man in Havana wrote: »
    These things in my experience are never checked. There are loads of people that have shed loads of penalty points down south that went north to get new licences so they could avoid any ban down south. Nothing has been down about it by the northern authorities.


    And vice-versa unfortunately


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