Fees & refunds
How to Cancel Your Driving Test and Get a Refund
Cancel at gov.uk/cancel-driving-test using your driving licence number and booking reference. You get a full refund if you give at least 10 full working days' notice. Inside that window the fee is normally lost, unless you qualify for a short notice refund with evidence.
Reschedule or cancel? Decide this first
Cancelling ends the booking entirely: you leave the queue, and any future test means booking again from the back of it. If you still intend to take the test, rescheduling is almost always the better move — your fee carries over and you keep your place. Cancel when you genuinely do not need the test for the foreseeable future, or when you have used both changes and must rebook anyway.
Counting the 10 working days correctly
The deadline trips more people than any other rule, because of two details: working days include Saturdays, and exclude Sundays and public holidays; and the count is of full days before the test, not counting the test day itself.
| Test date | Last day to cancel with a refund | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 14 August | End of Saturday 1 August | Counting back Mon–Sat days from Thursday 13 August gives 10 full working days on 3 August; you must cancel before that run starts. |
| Monday 17 August | End of Tuesday 4 August | Sundays in between do not count, pushing the deadline earlier than a plain two weeks. |
Do not cut it fine. If the exact deadline matters to you, cancel a day or two early, or confirm the date by signing in — the service tells you whether a refund applies before you confirm.
How to cancel step by step
Sign in to the official cancellation service
Use gov.uk/cancel-driving-test with your driving licence number and booking reference. Since 12 May 2026 only you can cancel your own test.
Check the refund position shown
Before you confirm, the service states whether your cancellation qualifies for a refund. If it says no and you believe you have a qualifying reason, stop and read our short notice refund guide first.
Confirm and keep the email
The confirmation is your proof of when you cancelled — keep it until the refund arrives.
When the refund arrives
Refunds go back to the card that paid, normally within a couple of weeks. If nothing has arrived after that, check with your bank first (card refunds can lag), then contact DVSA with your cancellation email — details in our fees and contact guide.
Cancelling inside the 10 days
Inside the window the fee is normally lost whether you cancel or simply do not attend — but cancelling is still the right thing to do, since it releases the slot to another learner. If your reason is serious and documented (such as illness or bereavement), you may be able to recover the fee: see short notice cancellation refunds. If you did not manage to cancel at all, see missing your driving test.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a driving test refund take?
Refunds return to the paying card, typically within a couple of weeks. Chase DVSA with your cancellation confirmation if it takes longer.
Can someone else cancel my test for me?
No. Since 12 May 2026 only the learner can manage the booking, including cancelling it.
If I cancel, can I book again straight away?
Yes — there is no waiting period after a voluntary cancellation. A new booking starts with a fresh allowance of two changes. (After a failed test, the next test must be at least 10 working days later.)
Does cancelling my practical affect my theory certificate?
No, but the certificate keeps expiring: it lasts two years, and you must pass the practical within that window or sit theory again.
Official sources
Related guides
Short notice refunds
Recovering your fee inside the 10 day window with evidence.
Rebook a test
Booking again after cancelling or running out of changes.
Change your test online
The complete step-by-step walkthrough of the GOV.UK change service.