Scotland Driving Rules Study Guide 2026

The theory test in Scotland

Learner drivers in Scotland take the same DVSA car theory test as the rest of Great Britain. It has 50 multiple-choice questions in 57 minutes (pass mark 43) and a separate hazard perception part of 14 video clips (pass mark 44 out of 75). You must pass both parts at the same sitting.

• Book on GOV.UK. You need a provisional driving licence, and a car theory test costs £23.
• You can take the test from your 17th birthday, or from 16 if you get, or have applied for, the higher rate of the mobility part of Personal Independence Payment.
• Your pass lasts 2 years. Pass your practical test in that time or take the theory test again.

The test follows the Highway Code, which applies across Great Britain but points out where Scottish law is different. This guide covers those differences, which you need to know to drive safely and legally in Scotland.

A lower drink-drive limit

Scotland has a lower drink-drive limit than England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Even one drink can affect your driving, and the Highway Code says the best solution is not to drink at all if you plan to drive.

The limit depends on where you are driving, not where you live or where your journey started. If you drive from England into Scotland, the lower Scottish limit applies as soon as you are on a Scottish road. A drink-driving ban from a UK court stops you driving anywhere in the UK.

Pavement parking, double parking and dropped kerbs

The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 banned three kinds of parking across Scotland. Councils have been able to enforce the ban since 11 December 2023.

• Pavement parking: you must not park partly or wholly on the pavement.
• Double parking: you must not double park, which means parking away from the kerb, out in the road.
• Dropped kerbs: you must not park where the kerb has been lowered to help pedestrians, wheelchair users or cyclists cross.

The penalty charge is £100, reduced to £50 if you pay within 14 days. The ban is enforced by local authorities, which can set some exemptions, for example to keep safe access for emergency vehicles. Scotland was the first of the UK's four nations to make pavement parking illegal across the whole nation; in England the ban only covers London.

Pavement parking forces people with wheelchairs, pushchairs and walking aids into the road, and makes it harder for blind and partially sighted people to get around. If there is nowhere legal to park, drive on and find somewhere else.

Low Emission Zones

There are four Low Emission Zones (LEZs) in Scotland, in the city centres of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow. They operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including public holidays such as Christmas Day. Cameras check the vehicles that drive in.

You cannot pay a daily fee to enter. If your vehicle does not meet the standard and is not exempt, you get a penalty charge. The first is £60, reduced to £30 if you pay within 14 days. The charge doubles each time you drive the same vehicle in the same LEZ within 90 days, up to £480 for cars. Blue Badge holders can register for an exemption.

Other things to know

Most rules are the same as in England. The speed limit in built-up areas is 30 mph unless signs show otherwise, and national limits for cars are the same: 60 mph on single carriageways and 70 mph on dual carriageways and motorways.

One speed limit is different: goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes are limited to 40 mph on single carriageways and 50 mph on dual carriageways in Scotland, compared with 50 and 60 mph in England and Wales. Expect lorries to travel more slowly on these roads, and be patient.

On single-track roads, which you may meet in rural areas, pull into a passing place on your left, or wait opposite one on your right, to let oncoming traffic pass. Give way to traffic coming uphill when you can.