


Mandatory licensing for drivers in the United Kingdom came into force on 1 January 1904 after the Motor Car Act 1903 received royal assent. Up until the start of the 20th century, European authorities issued similar permits to drive motor vehicles ad hoc, if at all. Karl Benz, inventor of the modern car, received a written " Genehmigung" (permit) from the Grand Ducal authorities to operate his car on public roads in 1888 after residents complained about the noise and smell of his Motorwagen. The world's first permit to drive a motor vehicle, issued to Karl Benz upon his request The difficulty of the driving test varies considerably between jurisdictions, as do factors such as age and the required level of competence and practice. Different categories of permit often exist for different types of motor vehicles, particularly large trucks and passenger vehicles. In some jurisdictions, a permit is issued after the recipient has passed a driving test, while in others, a person acquires their permit before beginning to drive. The laws relating to the licensing of drivers vary between jurisdictions. In British English and in many former British colonies it is " driving licence". The Australian and New Zealand English equivalent is " driver's licence" or " driver licence" depending on the state or territory of issue. Most American jurisdictions issue a permit with " driver license" printed on it but some use "driver's license", which is conversational American English.Ĭanadian English uses both " driver's licence" as well as " driver licence" ( Atlantic Canada). In this article's country specific sections, the local spelling variant is used. In most international agreements the wording " driving permit" is used, for instance in the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic.

Such licenses are often plastic and the size of a credit card. A Polish driving permit in the format of the standardized European driving licence styleĪ driver's license is a legal authorization, or the official document confirming such an authorization, for a specific individual to operate one or more types of motorized vehicles-such as motorcycles, cars, trucks, or buses-on a public road.
