The Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) ( ga, An Ghníomhaireacht Tiománaithe agus Feithiclí) is a government agency of the
Department for Infrastructure in
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
. The agency is responsible for conducting vehicle testing, driver testing and the issuance of driving licences.
It was created in early 2007 through the merger of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Northern Ireland (DVLNI) and the Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency (DVTA).
Driver and Vehicle Testing
In Northern Ireland, the DVA is responsible for carrying out the practical
driving test
A driving test (also known as a driving exam, driver's test, or road test) is a procedure designed to test a person's ability to drive a motor vehicle. It exists in various forms worldwide, and is often a requirement to obtain a driver's lic ...
, and theory test to allow residents to obtain their full licence. The theory test is the same as the rest of the UK, and is set by the
DVSA. Practical driving tests follow a similar format to the rest of the UK, however, some aspects of the test are different and the DVA can change it at any time.
The DVA also carry out vehicle MOT testing, unlike in Great Britain, vehicles requiring MOT/PSV testing must attend a DVA MOT centre. The DVA currently operate 15 centre's across Northern Ireland
Driver and Vehicle Licensing
The DVA is responsible for driver licensing in Northern Ireland, as this is a
devolved
Devolution is the statutory delegation of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to govern at a subnational level, such as a regional or local level. It is a form of administrative decentralization. Devolved territories h ...
matter, and issues both provisional and full driving licences.
Any licence issued by the DVA is a
UK driving licence
In the United Kingdom, a Driver's license, driving licence is the official document which authorises its holder to operate motor vehicles on highways and other public roads. It is administered in England, Scotland and Wales by the Driver and Veh ...
, and is treated exactly the same as a GB licence.
Unlike the DVLA, the DVA still issues paper counterparts with all versions of the NI driving licence.
Previous Responsibilities
Prior to 2014, the DVA was also responsible for vehicle registration and
vehicle tax.
Vehicle tax and registration
nidirect. Retrieved 25 October 2015. This responsibility was transferred to the DVLA
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA; cy, Asiantaeth Trwyddedu Gyrwyr a Cherbydau) is the organisation of the UK government responsible for maintaining a database of drivers in Great Britain and a database of vehicles for the entire ...
. Personalised (private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
) registrations must now be purchased through the DVLA directly, and customers are recommended to tax their vehicles online.
Customers can still tax their vehicles in person at a Post Office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...
branch in Northern Ireland.
See also
*United Kingdom driving test
The United Kingdom driving test is a test of competence that UK residents take in order to obtain a full Great Britain or Northern Ireland (car) driving licence or to add additional full entitlements to an existing one. Tests vary depending on t ...
*Driving licence in the United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, a driving licence is the official document which authorises its holder to operate motor vehicles on highways and other public roads. It is administered in England, Scotland and Wales by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Age ...
*Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA; cy, Asiantaeth Trwyddedu Gyrwyr a Cherbydau) is the organisation of the UK government responsible for maintaining a database of drivers in Great Britain and a database of vehicles for the entire ...
*Department for Infrastructure (Northern Ireland)
The Department for Infrastructure (DfI, ga, An Roinn Bonneagair; Ulster-Scots: ''Depairment fur Infrastructure'') is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive.
Up until May 2016, the department was ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Driver and Vehicle Agency
Road transport in the United Kingdom
Northern Ireland Executive
Motor vehicle registration agencies
Driving in the United Kingdom