when did it become necessary to have a driver's license
Driver's license Mandatory licensing for drivers came into force on 1 January 1904[2] after the Motor Car Act 1903 received royal assent in the United Kingdom. Every car owner had to register their vehicle with their local government authority and be able to prove registration of their vehicle on request. The minimum qualifying age was set at 17. The licence gave its holder 'freedom of the road' with a maximum 20 mph (32 km/h) speed limit.[3] Compulsory testing was introduced in 1934, with the passing of the Road Traffic Act.[4]
United Kingdom driving test Legislation for compulsory testing was introduced for all new drivers with the Road Traffic Act 1934. The test was initially voluntary to avoid a rush of candidates until 1 June 1935 when all people who had started to drive on or after 1 April 1934 needed to have passed the test.[9]