Road Traffic Act 1961 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 2 · Licensing of Drivers and Riders
36. Prescribed test of competence to drive for grant of driving licence
Feedback & supportLast amended by an amending law of 2017. 2 amendments in all.
A driving licence must not be granted to any applicant unless he or she passes the prescribed test of competence to drive.
driving licence
“driving licence” means a licence to drive a motor vehicle granted under the provisions of Part 2;
Despite subsection (1), the Deputy Commissioner of Police may grant a driving licence to an applicant who satisfies the Deputy Commissioner of Police that —
Deputy Commissioner of Police
“Deputy Commissioner of Police”, in relation to any provision of this Act or rules or any other subsidiary legislation made under this Act, means the Deputy Commissioner of Police designated by the Commissioner of Police for the purposes of that provision, and includes any police officer who —(a)is not below the rank of sergeant; and(b)is authorised under the hand of the Deputy Commissioner of Police for the purposes of that provision, to exercise the powers of that Deputy Commissioner of Police;
at any time within 3 years before the date that the applicant makes the application, the applicant —
has held a driving licence which has ceased to be in force under section 35(10A); or
has held a driver’s certificate or licence granted by the competent authority in any country other than Singapore authorising the applicant to drive a motor vehicle of the class or description which the applicant would be authorised to drive by the licence applied for; and
the applicant passes the whole or such part of the test of competence to drive mentioned in subsection (1) or such other prescribed test of competence to drive, as the Deputy Commissioner of Police may require.
For the purpose of enabling the applicant for a driving licence to learn to drive a motor vehicle with a view to passing a test under this section, the Deputy Commissioner of Police may, if so requested by the applicant and on payment of the prescribed fee, grant to the applicant a provisional licence to be in force for a period prescribed.
licence
“licence” means a vehicle licence issued under the provisions of this Part.
A provisional licence must be in the prescribed form and is granted subject to the prescribed conditions.
If any person to whom a provisional licence is granted fails to comply with any of the conditions subject to which it is granted, he or she shall be guilty of an offence.
Different validity periods for provisional licences may be prescribed under section 48 for different types of provisional licences.
The court before which a person is convicted of an offence under section 64, 65 or 65A may, whether the person has previously passed the prescribed test of competence to drive or not and whether or not the court makes an order under section 42 disqualifying the person from holding or obtaining a licence to drive a motor vehicle, order the person to be disqualified from holding or obtaining a licence to drive a motor vehicle until the person has since the date of the order passed the test.
prescribed test of competence
“prescribed test of competence”, in relation to riding a test‑needed‑to‑ride‑on‑road vehicle on a road, means —(a)for any road‑only PAB — a test of subject matter prescribed by rules made under section 48 to test an individual’s knowledge of safe driving or riding practices and law on public paths and roads; or(b)for any other test‑needed-to‑ride‑on‑road vehicle — a test of subject matter prescribed by regulations made under the Active Mobility Act 2017 to test, for the purposes of Division 2A of Part 3 of that Act, an individual’s knowledge of safe driving or riding practices and law on public paths and roads;
The provisions of this Act which have effect where an order disqualifying a person from holding or obtaining a driving licence is made have effect in relation to a disqualification by virtue of an order under this section subject to the following modifications:
despite section 35(17) or 43(3), the person disqualified is (unless the person is disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence otherwise than by virtue of an order under this section) entitled to obtain and to hold a provisional driving licence to be granted under subsection (3) and to drive a motor vehicle in accordance with the conditions subject to which the provisional driving licence is granted;
the disqualification is deemed to have expired on production to the Deputy Commissioner of Police of evidence that the person has since the order was made passed the prescribed test;
on the return to the person disqualified of any driving licence held by the person or on the issue to the person of such a licence there must be added to the endorsed particulars of the disqualification a statement that the person disqualified has since the order was made passed the prescribed test.