Wales Driving Rules Study Guide 2026

The theory test in Wales

Learner drivers in Wales 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.

You can take the theory test in Welsh. Tests in Welsh are available at every theory and practical test centre in Wales: ask for Welsh when you book. You can also listen to the test through headphones in Welsh or English, and if you ask for a Welsh practical test, DVSA provides a Welsh-speaking examiner.

The default 20 mph limit

Since September 2023, restricted roads in Wales have a default speed limit of 20 mph instead of 30 mph. Restricted roads are usually in residential and built-up areas, and normally have street lights placed no more than 200 yards apart.

• Because 20 mph is the default, there are no 20 mph repeater signs on these roads. Street lights are your clue.
• Some street-lit roads have kept a 30 mph limit. Speed limit signs show where a different limit starts.
• Since 2024, highway authorities have been looking at roads that could go back to 30 mph. Any change needs a traffic regulation order.
• National limits did not change: cars can still do up to 60 mph on single carriageways and 70 mph on dual carriageways and motorways, where signs allow.

Before the change, the limit was trialled in eight communities, and the Welsh Government found that speeds went down. Lower speeds give you more time to react and reduce harm. The Highway Code says a pedestrian hit at 20 mph has about a 1 in 20 chance of being killed, while one hit at 40 mph will probably be killed.

50 mph limits for cleaner air

On some trunk roads and motorways, the Welsh Government has lowered the limit to 50 mph to reduce nitrogen dioxide pollution. They are enforced by green average speed cameras, which show that speed is checked for air quality. The five sections are:

• A483 in Wrexham (junctions 5 to 6)
• A494 from the Wales–England border to St David's Interchange, Deeside
• A470 from Upper Boat to Pontypridd
• M4 at Port Talbot (junctions 41 to 42)
• M4 at Newport (junctions 25 to 26)

D plates and learners

In Wales, learner drivers can display red D plates, red L plates, or both. D stands for "dysgwr", the Welsh word for learner. The plates must be clearly visible from the front and back, and should be removed or covered when a qualified driver uses the car.

As in the rest of Great Britain, a learner can only drive on a motorway with an approved driving instructor in a car with dual controls showing L or D plates. Supervisors must be at least 21 and have held a full licence for that type of car for at least three years.

Bilingual road signs

Road signs in Wales are bilingual, in Welsh and English. Under the Welsh Language Standards, in force since 31 March 2016, new road signs show Welsh first. Where a message does not fit on one sign, a pair of signs is used, with Welsh on the first and English on the second.

Sign shapes and colours are the same as anywhere in Great Britain, so read the shape first: circles give orders, triangles warn and rectangles inform.

Rules that are the same as in England

• The drink-drive limit is the same as in England and Northern Ireland: 80 mg per 100 ml of blood or 35 microgrammes per 100 ml of breath. Scotland is lower.
• There is no national law against pavement parking in Wales. The Highway Code says do not park on the pavement unless signs permit it.
• Goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes are limited to 50 mph on single carriageways and 60 mph on dual carriageways, as in England.