How long must the L (learner driver) plate be displayed?

How long must the L (learner driver) plate be displayed? This question is more important than it might seem, because although the mandatory period, as the driving schools and the Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT) report, is one year, it is worth knowing all the aspects surrounding the use of the well-known L plate for novice drivers.

Misusing it or displaying it for longer than established may lead to a penalty of up to 100 euros. This type of minor penalty can be received by drivers who use the same vehicle and who have held a driving licence for more than one year. Likewise, if the novice driver is about to get in the car and the L has fallen off, they may also be fined.

Although the Directorate-General for Traffic itself warns that all vehicles driven by people who have held their driving licence for less than one year must display the L at the rear of the vehicle, it is important to know that when a driver’s licence is withdrawn, upon obtaining it again they will have to display the plate, since the time without a licence does not count towards seniority.

This means that if a novice driver with 10 months of licence has it withdrawn, upon recovering it they will have to display the L for two more months to complete the first year.

What characteristics must the L have?

Although many driving schools include the novice driver sign in the price of the registration, some do not provide it. Another option is to have several vehicles at home, and to avoid moving it from one to another, buying an additional L.

A approved L must measure 19.5 cm high and 15 cm wide. The letter must measure 15 cm high, 10.5 cm wide and have a stroke of 3 cm. As for colour, both the green and the white must be level 2 reflective, and it may be printed on 1.4 mm aluminium or on a material with the same mechanical characteristics. In addition, the border must stand out from the rest of the sign.

How and where must the L be placed?

The novice driver identification must be placed on the rear left-hand side of the vehicle, specifically in a visible spot on the rear window.

Why is an L used and not another letter? The famous L has an internal designation, V-13, although everyone knows it as the L. It comes from the word “aprendiendo” (learning), which in English is written Learning. This happens in the same way as with the vertical sign on which one can read “Stop” instead of “pare”.

It is essential that drivers with less than one year of seniority on their driving licence display the plate, as it will help other drivers understand any possible error or be more patient in the event that the car stalls at a traffic light, roundabout or while performing any other manoeuvre.