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How to get a driving licence in Latvia

Getting a car licence from scratch, country by country.

Car licence, category B

Getting your licence in Latvia

Theory questions30
Pass mark (90%)27 correct
Time for the theory exam30 min
Theory exam fee€11.40
Driving exam fee~€50
Driving exam length (in traffic)25+ min

About 1 in 3 pass the state driving exam on the first try.

Before you start driving

2
Learner driver's permitRequired before you start learning, if you don't already hold a licence. Get it at a customer service centre of the road traffic authority. For category B you can apply from age 16. You need an ID document, a Latvian personal identity number and a valid medical certificate.
Medical certificateYes. A driver's health check from your GP (ģimenes ārsts) or a medical commission. Its validity is checked before the learner permit is issued.

Required lessons

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Driving lessonsAt least 20 lessons for category B. Each lesson is 45 minutes, with no more than 2 hours of driving per day.
Theory11 modules of 5 lessons of 45 minutes: 55 lessons in total. At most 5 lessons a day and 3 training days a week, and the course must be finished within a year.
First aidA first aid course is part of the training, unless you already hold a valid first aid certificate.

Good to know

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Minimum age18 for a full category B licence. You can get a learner driver's permit from 16.
Licence validityUp to 10 years for category B, then you renew it.
Exam languagesLatvian citizens take the exams in Latvian. With a residence permit, you can take the theory exam in another language, such as English. The driving exam can also be in English, but only a few examiners speak it, so slots are limited.
If you failYou can't take the same exam twice in one day. The earliest retake is the next working day.
Automatic or manualPassing in an automatic limits your licence to automatic cars.
Already have a licence from abroad?EU, EEA, Swiss and UK licences stay valid. Other licences can be used for up to 1 year after arriving. To keep driving after that, you exchange it by passing the category B driving test. Licences from South Korea, Moldova and Ukraine are exchanged without tests, under bilateral agreements. See the Abroad tab.

Step by step

  1. Medical certificate and learner permitGet a driver's medical certificate from your GP or a medical commission, then a learner driver's permit (from 16).
  2. Driving schoolTheory modules, at least 20 driving lessons of 45 minutes, and a first aid course if you don't already have a valid certificate.
  3. School's own examsPass the driving school's theory check, and its driving test if the school sets one.
  4. State theory exam30 questions in 30 minutes, with at least 27 correct. Book it online.
  5. State driving examA vehicle check (a technical question), manoeuvres, and at least 25 minutes in traffic, including about 5 minutes following a navigation app. Pass it within 1 year of the theory exam, and all state exams within 3 years of joining the school.

Tips From driving schools and examiners

  • Giving way is the most common reason people fail the state driving exam, ahead of missing traffic lights and signs. Practise junctions until checking who has priority is automatic.
  • Look far ahead. Examiners fail many candidates for spotting hazards too late, such as a car stopped with its hazard lights on.
  • Reverse parking between cars fails more people than any other manoeuvre. Practise it until you can do it calmly.
  • Make sure you've done an emergency stop for real, not only talked it through in a lesson.
  • The 20 required driving lessons are a minimum. Driving schools say many learners need more, and extra practice helps with nerves on the day.

Based on: LSM: Why 2 out of 3 fail the state driving exam (official data, 2025, Latvian) ↗

Official links

Road Traffic Safety Directorate (official) ↗Ceļu satiksmes likums (Road Traffic Law) ↗Ceļu satiksmes noteikumi (Road Traffic Regulations) ↗Last checked 20 Oct 2026
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