private practice
Practising With Family or Friends: The Rules and Best Tips
Who can supervise you, what insurance you need and how to make private practice actually help your lessons.
By Driving FirstPublished 26 October 2026Reviewed 26 October 2026
Extra practice between lessons can help you build confidence and experience, but there are legal requirements you and your supervisor must meet.
Who can supervise you?
According to GOV.UK, your supervising driver must:
- be at least 21 years old
- be qualified to drive that type of car (for example, a manual licence to supervise in a manual car)
- have held a full licence for at least 3 years
They cannot charge you for the practice unless they are an approved driving instructor.
The car and insurance
- You must be insured to drive the car as a learner. Separate learner-driver policies are available.
- The car must be roadworthy, taxed and have a current MOT if required.
- L plates (or D plates in Wales) must be displayed on the front and back.
Make it count
- Practise what you've been taught. Ask your instructor what to work on, and stick to roads you're ready for.
- Agree on methods. Techniques may have changed since your supervisor learned. Share what your instructor teaches.
- Keep calm. Plan short routes and avoid peak traffic at first.
- Report back. Tell your instructor what went well and what didn't, so lessons can target it.
Remember the car won't have dual controls, so take things gradually. Combining practice with structured lessons often helps learners reach test standard sooner.