How to get a personal licence in Scotland

To get your personal licence you must be at least 18 years old and you will require an ‘accredited qualification’. The Scottish Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (SCPLH) is an example of an ‘accredited qualification’. There are several providers across Scotland offering the Course at regular intervals throughout the year.

We are also authorised to deliver a course offering both the SCPLH qualification alone, and the combined SCPLH qualification and Personal Licence application. If you have a group of people wanting to sit this course we can do so at a venue of your choice, please contact us to discuss the various options.

Considerations when getting your Personal Licence in Scotland

Once you have your qualification you can apply for your licence as long as you have not previously held a licence which was revoked in the past 5 years. Revocation can occur if you are found guilty of certain offences; you are required to notify the Board of these convictions who will then consider whether your licence should also be revoked as a result. Persons who have had their licences revoked as a result of failure to meet the refresher training requirements can reapply straight away following recent changes in the law.

As long as you meet these 3 criteria (age, qualification and non-revocation) you can apply for a personal licence regardless of what criminal convictions you may have.

When we submit your application the Board will send a copy to the Police and LSO. If you have any criminal convictions for certain relevant offences and which are unspent the Police might object to your application. Convictions can be considered to be ‘spent’ after a certain period of time, depending on the original sentence you received.

If you have convictions, or the police have passed other relevant information to the board then a hearing before the Board may be required to decide whether to grant or refuse your licence.

We can help you with preparing and submitting your application to the Board; all you have to do is get in touch by phone, email or contact form today.