Driving licenceWorldwide

An introduction to the traffic rules and road signs of Worldwide. Learn about driving, road safety and much more in our illustrated book, with answers to frequently asked questions.

For informational purposes only. Always follow official regulations. Some content and images were created with AI assistance.


69. Driving licence

A driving licence is an official document authorising a person to drive one or more specified categories of motor vehicle. It may contain conditions, restrictions, category codes and expiry dates that determine which vehicles the holder may drive.

Drivers must hold a licence that is valid for the vehicle category and jurisdiction concerned. A licence may be provisional, full, restricted, suspended or withdrawn, and additional qualifications may be required for professional driving.

International driving licence from the United States.
Wikimedia.org • Tony Webster • CC BY
What is a driving licence?

A driving licence is an official authorisation to drive specified categories of motor vehicle.

🔗 wetten.overheid.nl • Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, Article 41 and Annexes 6–7; international framework subject to national law

🔗 gov.uk • GOV.UK, upgrading an automatic car licence to a manual licence; GB example

Is a driving licence the same as a driving permit?

Not necessarily. A learner or instruction permit can authorise supervised practice rather than independent driving; California’s instruction permit is one example. An International Driving Permit is also a different document and accompanies the underlying licence. Check the document’s purpose and the rules of the issuing country.

🔗 dmv.ca.gov • California DMV, learner instruction permits

🔗 gov.uk • UK Government, International Driving Permits accompany a driving licence

Must the licence be valid for the vehicle being driven?

Yes. Holding a licence for one category does not normally authorise driving a vehicle belonging to another category.

🔗 wetten.overheid.nl • Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, Article 41 and Annexes 6–7; international framework subject to national law

🔗 gov.uk • GOV.UK, upgrading an automatic car licence to a manual licence; GB example

What is the difference between an automatic and manual licence?

Some countries restrict a licence obtained after an automatic-vehicle test to automatic vehicles. For example, Great Britain requires a manual-car driving test to upgrade an automatic-only car licence. Check the categories and restrictions on the actual licence.

🔗 wetten.overheid.nl • Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, Article 41 and Annexes 6–7; international framework subject to national law

🔗 gov.uk • GOV.UK, upgrading an automatic car licence to a manual licence; GB example

Is there a universal minimum driving age?

No. Minimum ages differ between countries and vehicle categories.

🔗 wetten.overheid.nl • Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, Article 41 and Annexes 6–7; international framework subject to national law

🔗 gov.uk • GOV.UK, upgrading an automatic car licence to a manual licence; GB example

1 Worldwide 2 Motorway 3 Expressway 4 Residential area 5 Built-up area 6 Zone 7 Speed limit 8 Minimum speed 9 Advisory speed 10 Footpath 11 Bike path 12 Shared-use path 13 Separated path 14 Pedestrian warning 15 Tunnel 16 Bridge 17 Cycling street 18 Pedestrian zone 19 Speed bump 20 Toll road 21 Customs 22 One-way traffic 23 Quay 24 Slope 25 Bus lane 26 Bus stop 27 Dead end 28 Stop sign 29 Give way 30 Roundabout 31 Priority road 32 Road narrowing 33 Priority over oncoming traffic 34 Give way to oncoming traffic 35 Pedestrian crossing 36 Railway crossing 37 Mandatory direction 38 Turn prohibition 39 School area 40 Overtaking 41 Crossing animals 42 Slippery road 43 Rockfall 44 Aircraft 45 Curve 46 Chevron 47 Wrong-way driving 48 Roadworks 49 Crosswind 50 Height limit 51 Width limit 52 Length limit 53 Weight limit 54 Radar speed sign 55 Selective barriers 56 Low-emission zone 57 Intersection direction sign 58 Priority at the next junction 59 Traffic lights 60 Traffic lights warning 61 Pedestrian lights 62 Road markings 63 All-way stop 64 Junction layout 65 Climbing lane 66 Bike box 67 Left-hand traffic 68 Speed feedback 69 Driving licence 70 Location marker 71 Road number 72 Countdown markers 73 Public toilet 74 Rest area 75 Traffic mirror 76 Emergency telephone 77 International border 78 Pedestrian underpass 79 Cycling route 80 End of restriction 81 Parking 82 No parking 83 No stopping 84 Parallel parking 85 Park and ride 86 Kiss and ride 87 Alternate-side parking 88 Parking meter 89 Parking disc 90 Disabled parking 91 Traffic management 92 Merging 93 Reversing 94 U-turn 95 Carpool 96 Traffic jam 97 Detour 98 Uncontrolled crossroad 99 Road surface 100 Advisory cycle lane ...