Publication of ‘DfI Driver, Vehicle, Operator, and Enforcement Statistics 2025/26 Quarter Three
Date published:
The ‘DfI Driver, Vehicle, Operator, and Enforcement Statistics 2025/26 Quarter Three’ report, detailing statistics for October to December 2025 is now available.
The report is produced and published by NISRA Statisticians working in the DVA. The report contains summary statistical, performance, and trend information relating to the main business functions of the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA), and other licensing activity.
The publication is available on the DfI website at:
Key Points:
In the third quarter of 2025/26 the DVA delivered 290,865 vehicle tests, 246,023 (84.6%) full tests and 44,842 (14.4%) retests, which is 3.7% (11,042) lower than the same quarter in 2024/25 (301,907).
A total of 10,589 vehicles failed to attend a booked vehicle test this quarter, 22.4% (3,063) less than the same quarter the previous year (13,652).
There were 297,278 vehicle test applications this quarter, an increase of 11.2% (30,025) compared to the same period in 2024/25 (267,253).
For all vehicle test applications made this quarter, 96.8% were booked using the DVA online booking system, relative to 96% and 95.4% for the same quarter the previous two years respectively.
The DVA conducted 17,399 driving tests, which is 3.6% (597) more than for the equivalent quarter in 2024/25 with 84.3% (14,668) of these being for private cars.
There were 18,358 applications for a driving test this quarter, relative to 16,579 for the same quarter last year, an increase of 10.7% (1,779).
This quarter 537 candidates failed to attend a booked driving test, 46 less than the 583 who failed to attend for the same period in 2024/25.
The DVA delivered 23,273 theory tests this quarter, a rise of 3.9% (863) relative to the 22,410 tests conducted in the same quarter of 2024/25.
There were 3,386 customers that failed to attend a booked theory test this quarter, which represents approximately one in seven of all theory tests conducted during this period.
Online driver licensing application performance at 99.7% for the quarter was well above the 95% target level for online applications.
Paper driver licensing applications performance at 99.6% was almost 10 percentage points above the 90% target level.
In the third quarter of this financial year, 74.9% of all driver licensing transactions were carried out using the DVA online applications facility.
At the end of December 2025, there were 1,200,772 full and eligible licence holders with private car/light vans entitlement.
During the third quarter of 2025/26, DVA compliance and roadside enforcement teams remained active across the full range of enforcement activities, having checked 360 vehicles at the roadside, issued 178 fixed penalty notices amounting to £23,750, carried out 29 joint operations with the PSNI, 1 cross border operation with An Garda Síochána, and undertaken 24 spot checks on school buses.
Notes to editors:
- This is the forty-fifth edition of the quarterly report ‘DfI Driver, Vehicle, Operator, and Enforcement Statistics’, relating to October to December 2025.
- The release covers the main DVA business areas: vehicle testing, theory testing, driver testing, driver licensing, road transport and taxi licensing, enforcement, goods operator licensing and advanced driving and motorcycle instructors.
- The most recent vehicle licensing statistics covered in the report are for July to September 2025. Vehicle licensing data for the full 2024/25 financial year is published in this report.
- We derive the majority of statistics from administrative data sources held within the DVA, the DfI’s Transport Regulation Unit, and the Department for Transport.
- The report is written and issued by NISRA statisticians posted to the DVA.
- ‘DfI Driver, Vehicle, Operator and Enforcement Statistics’ is published every quarter at pre-announced release dates, which are available from the GOV.UK website at: Research and statistics - GOV.UK
- Electronic copies of the ‘DfI Driver, Vehicle, Operator, and Enforcement Statistics 2025-26 Quarter Three’ can be downloaded from our website at: DfI Driver, Vehicle, Operator, and Enforcement Statistics - 2025-26 - Quarter Three
- A detailed User Guidance document is also available on our website at: https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2025-09/dfi-driver-vehicle-operator-and-enforcement-statistics-user-guidance.pdf
- This is an Official Statistics report and therefore follows the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. You can find further information about the Code on the Statistics Authority’s website at: https://code.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/
- For further information, please contact: DVA Statistics, Driver and Vehicle Agency, Hydebank House, 4a Hospital Road, Ballydollaghan, Belfast, BT8 8JL
Tel (public enquiries): 02890 547911 (Text relay prefix 18001)
E-mail: dva.statistics@nisra.gov.uk
Website: https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/articles/driver-vehicle-agency-activity-statistics - The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service for media enquiries only between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.
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