Stranraer driving test delays among the worst in the UK with 20-week wait
Dumfries fares better with just eight weeks wait time
Learner drivers in Stranraer face one of the longest waits for driving tests in the UK, with current statistics showing an average delay of 20 weeks from booking to taking the test.
This wait time is significantly higher compared to Dumfries, where learners wait just eight weeks, providing a stark contrast within Dumfries and Galloway.
Long Waiting Times Across Dumfries and Galloway
Other towns in the region, such as Castle Douglas and Newton Stewart, report waiting times of 18 and 16 weeks respectively.
National Perspective on Driving Test Delays
Across Britain, similar delays are being experienced, with Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and London among the locations where half of all learners are waiting more than four months for a driving test, according to a report by the Press Association, which analysed Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) figures.
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Forfar in Angus, Scotland, currently leads with the longest wait time, having a median average of 29.7 weeks, the report states.
The RAC Foundation highlighted these delays as “frustrating” for learner drivers, noting that in June, the median average wait was 17.3 weeks at 60 centres.
In comparison, prior to the coronavirus pandemic in February 2020, this figure was only 5.8 weeks.
Measures to Address the Backlog
Despite measures by DVSA to reduce the backlog, including recruitment of examiners and reforms to the booking process, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has stated these targets may not be met until autumn 2027.
Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “Greater transparency from the DVSA about the realities of getting a driving test booking at individual centres is to be welcomed.
“The picture that emerges shows where management attention is most keenly needed in order to get the waiting time back down.
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“A four-month wait between making the booking and taking the test is still way longer than the DVSA ultimately hopes to achieve.
“Frustrating as this is for learner drivers, the advice must be to make good use of the time to get in as much practice as possible to improve the chance of passing rather than having to trudge round to re-join the queue.”
A DVSA spokesperson said: “Our latest data shows the median waiting time for Great Britain was 10.7 weeks in June 2026.
“Test slot availability was at its highest point since November 2024 and the pass rate remains above 50%.
“But we recognise how frustrating it is for every learner who has to wait longer for their test date.
“That’s why we’re continuing to put more tests into the system, with almost 280,000 extra tests carried out since June 2025.”
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