A driving licence in Singapore is required before a person is allowed to drive a motor vehicle of any description on a road in the country. An individual must possess a valid driving licence before being permitted to drive on the road, and driving licence holders are subject to all traffic rules. The minimum age to drive a motor vehicle and getting a Qualified Driving Licence (QDL) in Singapore is 18 years old. The driving licence is for the normal lifespan of a person, but continued eligibility to drive requires a medical clearance after reaching the age of 65.
Learners can engage in one of the three operational driving schools or private driving instructors to learn. In an effort to professionalise driver education, no new licences for private driving instructors have been issued since 1987. For those who accumulated 13 demerit points and above within the one-year probationary period, the licence will be revoked. Driving licences in Singapore are administered by the Traffic Police (TP) of the Singapore Police Force (SPF).
The classification of motor vehicles and eligibility of a driving licence in Singapore is as follows:
Driving tests were first introduced in Singapore in 1941, at 28 Maxwell Road, which was the first driving test centre in Singapore. Managed by the Traffic Police, the testing system was expanded after World War II to accommodate rising vehicle ownership through a decentralised network of regional facilities. In 1968, a second major centre opened at Queenstown, followed by a testing site at Pasir Panjang in the early 1970s. A third major regional centre was established in Jurong in May 1977, located near the Jurong Stadium. These early facilities were rudimentary, often consisting of small administrative offices where candidates met examiners before proceeding onto public roads for their practical tests.
The transition toward a school-based model began in 1985 with the opening of the Singapore Safety Driving Centre (SSDC) in Ang Mo Kio, which was the first to feature a dedicated off-road circuit. To standardise training, the government stopped issuing new licences to private driving instructors in 1987. During this period, another regional centre operated at Toa Payoh, which had opened in 1978. In 1990, the Bukit Batok Driving Centre (BBDC) was commissioned to serve the western region, leading to the closure of the Jurong testing site. The consolidation of the industry was finalised in 1996 when the government-run Kampong Ubi Driving Test Centre, which had served the north-east and eastern region since the 1980s, was privatised to become the ComfortDelGro Driving Centre (CDC).
By the late 1990s, the regional centres at Maxwell Road, Queenstown and Toa Payoh had all ceased testing operations as the three-school model became the national standard. This shift allowed the Traffic Police to focus on examinations and enforcement while private schools managed instruction. Today, the system consists of the SSDC, the BBDC, and the CDC. While some private instructors from the pre-1987 pool continue to operate, they are in decreasing numbers and the majority of candidates now use the integrated school circuits. Further changes are expected by 2030, when BBDC is scheduled to relocate to a new site in Choa Chu Kang to accommodate the development of Tengah.
There are three main theory tests in Singapore. Theory tests are three choice multiple theory tests about different aspects of the road as well as the vehicle. Candidates must answer 45 questions correctly out of 50 (90%), and the questions are at random from a pool of hundreds on a selection of relevant topics based on the Basic & Final Driving and Riding Theory handbooks. Each theory test costs $6.50 to take, not including administrative fees set by each driving school. Practice sets for these tests are available on the police website.
Unless performing a foreign licence conversion, this test is required for all learners to obtain a QDL. Passing this test entitles the candidate to hold a full driving licence. The driving test consists of two parts, a circuit and on-road section. The circuit contains different courses aimed at assessing driver skills in areas like parking, low speed controls, tight turns and hill starts. The road sections of the test tests the ability on how candidates interact with other road users and comply with traffic rules.
In each driving school circuit, there are the following courses:
The on-road driving test is conducted on public roads around the driving schools, and learners will travel on routes that test their ability to interact with other road users, comply with traffic rules and perform road manoeuvres like U-Turns, right turns and left turns. In addition, should the examiner need to intervene for safety, this is constituted as a serious mistake and an 'immediate failure', and will constitute as a fail as described below.
Each test is conducted by an examiner appointed by the Traffic Police, who will record each candidates ability on both the circuit section and on-road section. Each mistake is marked and categorised into 'immediate failures' and 'demerit points', with more serious mistakes being the former. Should a candidate obtain one immediate failure or 20 demerit points, this will constitute as a failure on the test. Each test is recorded, and candidates may not enter the on-road section if they fail within the circuit. Candidates must produce their Provisional Driving License (PDL) prior to the test.
Foreigners holding foreign driving licence and intend to remain in Singapore for less than 12 months and not seeking residency are not required to convert their foreign driving licence to a Singaporean driving licence. They may drive in Singapore with a valid foreign driving licence. However, if the licence is not in English, they are required to have an International Driving Permit (IDP) even if the visit fulfils the above conditions.
Foreigners from all Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states need to possess a valid driving licence but do not require an IDP to drive in Singapore under the ASEAN Agreement on the Recognition of Domestic Driving Licenses.
To convert to a Singaporean driving licence, the foreigner is required to pass the BTT for familiarisation of traffic rules and Singapore's Highway Code pertaining to traffic related issues specific to Singapore. A Singaporean Permanent Resident (PR) who wishes to drive in Singapore is required to convert their foreign driving licence to a Singaporean one after becoming a PR or they will not be considered licensed to drive.
The Singaporean driving license is valid without the need of an International Driving Permit (IDP) in All ASEAN member states, Australia, Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Macau, New Zealand, Qatar, Russia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.
In Singapore, it is not unusual to end up cumulatively paying about S$3,000 to S$4,000 towards a Class 3 or 3A driving license, owing to the vast number of courses, tests and simulations required. Such costs may end up being much higher if the practical driving test was not passed on the first try, as the test itself ranges about SGD$320 to SGD$550 or if additional lessons are required to reach driving competency. As of 2024, the first timer passing rate for Class 3 and 3A averages around 37% and 46% respectively. Due to a lack of competition between the three driving schools and instructors, prices has gradually risen annually.