Sammie Ellard-King
I’m Sammie, a money expert and business owner passionate about helping you take control of your wallet. My mission with Up the Gains is to create a safe space to help improve your finances, cut your costs and make you feel good while doing it.
The cost of learning to drive is continuing to rise, with the bill for learner drivers set to hit nearly £2,600 in 2026.
It means costs will have jumped 30% over the past five years, mainly due to the price of driving lessons that have gone up 37% since 2020.
At this rate, according to experts at National Scrap Car, the projected cost of learning to drive could hit almost £4,300 by 2035.
By 2045, it could top £7,500.
What's Driving the Cost Up?
Theory test and driving test prices have remained static since 2020, at £46 and £62 respectively.
But the price of 45 hours of driving lessons has gone up by nearly £500 in five years.
National Scrap Car says the hourly driving lesson rate was £28 in 2020, but has now risen to £39.
In the next five years, it’s set to increase again to £53 an hour. In the next 20 years, driving lessons could cost more than £137 an hour.
Learner driver insurance has become more expensive too, as has the price of fuel, all adding to the cost of learning to drive. Once you pass, the costs don’t stop there, so it pays to know the ways young drivers can cut their car insurance.
More news:
What Makes Up the £2,600 Total?
The £2,600 figure includes:
- 45 hours of driving lessons at £39/hour (£1,755)
- Theory test (£46)
- Practical test (£62)
- Provisional licence
- Learner driver insurance
- Fuel costs
The driving lessons alone now account for the bulk of the cost, having risen from around £1,260 in 2020 to £1,755 in 2026.
How Long Are People Waiting for Tests?
It’s not even as if learner drivers are being fast-tracked onto the road. The system is bottlenecked, with recent figures showing that learners are waiting an average of almost 22 weeks for their practical tests.
“Despite recent efforts from the government to address the test backlog, transport secretary Heidi Alexander has said that the target to get wait times down to seven weeks by summer 2026 won’t be met,” says National Scrap Car’s Dorry Potter.
... and the most expensive too. £35 - £40 per hour for driving lessons. More expensive if it manual and after very expensive insurance for new drivers. https://t.co/YsQFa35M96
— If¥™ (@nnekei) March 11, 2026
Is Learning to Drive Becoming Unaffordable?
“The reality is that learning to drive is becoming unaffordable to many budding drivers,” says Potter.
“While the cost of provisional licences and practical and theory tests has remained stagnant for years, the cost of learning to drive has nonetheless skyrocketed to over £570. That’s more than 30% in the last five years.”
With the cost of learning to drive forecast to keep on increasing, this will “undoubtedly create a significant barrier to opportunity for the next generation of drivers”.
I was curious so I went to look at how much driving lessons cost in my area and some of the prices are like £40 per hour how on earth are people learning to drive?
— PoliticsBabe🇵🇸 (@Bellhookschild) August 11, 2025
What Could the Future Look Like?
If current trends continue:
- 2026: £2,600 total cost, £39/hour lessons
- 2031: £53/hour lessons
- 2035: £4,300 total cost
- 2045: £7,500 total cost, £137/hour lessons
These projections assume lesson prices continue rising at the same rate they have over the past five years.
What Can Learner Drivers Do?
With costs rising and test waiting times at 22 weeks, here are some things to consider:
- Book your test early – Don’t wait until you’re ready, as you might be waiting months
- Shop around for instructors – Prices can vary significantly by area
- Consider intensive courses – Sometimes bundling lessons can be cheaper than paying hourly
- Practice with family – Once you’ve got the basics, supervised practice with a family member (with learner insurance) can reduce the number of paid lessons you need
- Pass first time – Every retest is another £62, plus more lessons while you wait
The reality is that learning to drive is becoming a significant financial commitment, especially for young people already dealing with rising costs of living.
At nearly £2,600 before you’ve even got your licence, plus the cost of buying and running a car afterwards, driving is increasingly out of reach for many budding drivers.
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Disclaimer: Content on this page is for informational purposes and does not constitute financial advice. Always do your own research before making a financially related decision.
