License after passing test

tigerbalm

All,

I am new to boards.ie and this is my first post

I recently passed my driving test and have applied to my local authority for a Full Driving License. They took away my current provisional license and my certificate of competency and say that with current backlog it will be at least 15 working days before a full license will be posted out to me.

Does this mean I can't drive for the next 10 days ? Can I drive without L-plates up, or carry a passenger ?

BTW, I was on my first provisional.

I asked at the counter when applying for a license and the girl there didn't seem to have a clue. If I was stopped by a Garda would I be fecked if I couldn't produce a license? I know sometimes they give you 10 days but the law states that you have to have a license with you when you drive.

The trouble was that I drove to the motor tax office and was so unsure about the situation that I left the car overnight in a multistory car park. Am I over thinking this ?

-- tiger balm

leeroybrown

They should have furnished you with a receipt when you submitted your license application. Normally people just keep this as a vague form of proof that they are licensed. I don't know anyone who has been stopped while carrying one but I would assume that in the unlikely event that you are asked for yours that this will be sufficient to avoid a fine.

murphaph

tigerbalm wrote:

Am I over thinking this ?

Yes. Get your car and drive away. You're fully licenced, you've submitted the certiicate of competency and applied for a full licence. You can drive as if you had it in your hand. Just keep the receipt on you.

tigerbalm

Ah! I had taken the yellow receipt but didn't take much notice of it. I shall drive with it between my teeth between now and my license arriving.

Thanks folks!

tigerbalm

BTW, I think the reason I was so paranoid is that I had my provisional license for only about 7 months and in that time I was stopped at garda checkpoints 5 times and had to produce my license on two occasions.

All the times were at static checkpoints (i.e., I was never waived down) and each time I had a licensed driver in the car with me. They seem to be everywhere at night (the only time I really had time to learn to drive) around the area where I live.

Stephen

The gardai are very reasonable about this, if you are stopped just tell them that it is in the post, show them the receipt if you have it. They might ask you to show it in the local garda station when it arrives.