Beginner Driver: License, Tips, Traffic Violations

Obtaining a driver's license may seem like the finish line for many, but in reality, it is just the beginning of a new stage. The first year behind the wheel is often full of challenges – making independent decisions in traffic, facing unexpected situations, and gradually building self-confidence.

This is why additional requirements and certain restrictions are applied to novice drivers. They are not meant to complicate driving but to help gain experience more safely and reduce the likelihood of costly mistakes on the road.

In this article, you will learn how long a novice driver's license is valid, how to exchange it, what speed limits must be observed, the consequences of traffic rule violations, and practical tips to help you become a confident driver faster.

How long is a novice driver's license valid?

A license issued to novice drivers is valid for 3 years, which they have the right to exchange for a 10-year valid driver's license after 2 years from the date of issuance, according to the procedure established by the Minister of the Interior or an authorized institution.

How to exchange a novice driver's license?

You can order a new driver's license only after the 2-year validity period has expired. An additional third year is provided for the convenience of drivers to order a new document.

You can order a driver's license in two ways:

1. Online. When ordering online, you can choose the following production times and prices for a new driver's license:

• 10 working days (14.19 EUR);

• 3 working days (22.88 EUR);

• 1 working day (37.36 EUR).

2. At a "Regitra" branch. When ordering at a "Regitra" branch, you can choose the following production times and prices for a new driver's license:

• 10 working days (14.19 EUR);

• 3 working days (22.88 EUR);

• 1 working day (37.36 EUR).

Register in advance for a visit to the branch, and you will be served at a convenient time for you.

At the branch, have with you:

• your identity card or passport;

• driver's medical certificate (obtained automatically);

• driver's license.

Your declared place of residence will be checked automatically. 

What documents must be carried while driving and presented to a checking officer?

If you are driving a vehicle registered in Lithuania and you are its owner, you must present to the checking officer:

• an identity document. A driver's license must be presented only if it was issued outside Lithuania.
  

If you are driving a vehicle registered in Lithuania but you are not its owner, you must present to the checking police officer:

• an identity document. A driver's license must be presented only if it was issued outside Lithuania;

• the vehicle's registration certificate (original document). 

In both cases, you are not required to present: 

• the registration certificate of a vehicle registered in Lithuania;

• the mandatory civil liability insurance certificate (when the vehicle is insured in Lithuania);

• mandatory technical inspection documents (when the technical inspection is performed in Lithuania).   

The officer will be able to verify this information in police information systems.

Tips for novice drivers

• Always check the position of the mirrors before starting to drive. If the car is yours, a quick glance at the mirrors is enough to ensure no one has folded them overnight. If you share the car or it is rented, check all three mirrors and adjust them so you can clearly see the traffic behind you.

• Regularly check the fluids in the car's engine compartment: engine oil level, coolant, brake, and power steering fluids. If the level is too low, refill.

• Use the pedals gently. Sudden improper acceleration and braking harm your fuel consumption and are dangerous driving habits. They make it difficult for drivers in front and behind you to predict your actions. Always brake gently before stopping, as well as when accelerating or maintaining speed on the road.

• Don't forget to use the parking brake. An unused parking brake will wear out faster.

• Park the car in different positions. Different situations in life force drivers to park in various ways, so when starting to drive, it's useful to park the car in different ways: front, back, side, and diagonal. This will constantly improve your parking skills.

• Before driving, make sure your car's low beams are on. The likelihood of accidents increases by 32% when driving with the lights off.

• After driving through a large puddle, press the brakes harder a few times to remove water from them.

• Observe even the traffic happening nearby. This will help avoid potential accidents.

• If a tire bursts during the trip, do not press the brake pedal hard. If a tire bursts, let the vehicle roll and brake gradually.

• Practice if you feel uncertain on the road. Participate in extreme driving courses, try out training tracks at labor market training centers, or register for slow slalom competitions. These are places where you can improve your skills and get advice from experts in the field. If you feel uncertain on the road even with a driver's license, you can take an additional driving instructor lesson at a chosen driving school.

If you smell an unusual odor while driving, stop and check where the smell is coming from. If you feel suspicious vibrations, stop and check if your car's wheels are tightened, and visually inspect the condition of the tires. Be aware of your surroundings, the car, and stay alert.

What speeds can novice drivers drive at?

Novice drivers and those learning to drive with a family member can drive at lower than usual speeds on different roads. Below are the allowed driving speeds for novice drivers ("leaf"):

• On highways – 100 km/h;

• On expressways – 90 km/h;

• On roads with asphalt or concrete surfaces – 80 km/h;

• On other roads – 70 km/h;

• In residential areas – 50 km/h;

• In parking lots – 20 km/h;

• In residential zones – 20 km/h.

What should a novice driver do if they lose their license due to a traffic rule violation?

Novice drivers who violate traffic rules and lose their driver's license must attend additional driver training to regain their rights. Read more about traffic fines in the article "Traffic Fines: For Speeding, Driving Without Technical Inspection, and More in 2025."

What is additional driver training?

Additional driver training is a course that drivers who have lost their right to drive due to traffic rule violations must complete. Novice drivers who have violated traffic rules are no exception.

Additional driver training is mandatory for novice drivers who have violated traffic rule requirements related to:

• failure to fulfill driver duties to pedestrians;

• violation of overtaking rules;

• failure to comply with the prohibition on drivers using mobile communication devices;

• non-compliance with traffic control signals;

• failure to use warning signals as required;

• non-compliance with the rules for crossing intersections;

• violations of the use of seat belts and motorcycle helmets by drivers;

• exceeding the set driving speed;

• driving vehicles while intoxicated (more than 0 but not more than 0.4 per mille);

• also – causing a traffic accident that resulted in injury to a participant(s).

When is additional driver training mandatory?

Additional training must be completed within one year from the date of the decision (court judgment) recognizing you as having committed a violation, or from the date of execution of an administrative order issued for committing an administrative offense.

In cases where arrest or a fixed-term imprisonment is imposed by court judgment or criminal order and the execution of the sentence is not postponed, additional driver training must be completed within one year from the completion of the imposed sentence.

If additional driver training is not completed within a year, you lose the right to drive, and the license is not exchanged for a valid 10-year one. In such a case, the right to drive can only be regained by retaking the driving exams (theory and practice), after which a new 3-year valid driver's license will be issued.

Where can additional driver training be attended?

Additional training can be attended at any driving school that organizes such courses.

How is additional driver training conducted?

The additional driver training course consists of:

• A theory course lasting no less than 45 minutes;

• A psychology course lasting no less than 90 minutes;

• Conducting a practical safe, economical, and ecological driving training lasting no less than 45 minutes with a Category B vehicle (not mandatory for novice drivers for whom additional driver training is mandatory for traffic rule violations committed with A1, A2, A and B1 category vehicles and drivers who have lost the right to drive and want to regain the right to drive AM, A1, A2, A, and B1 category vehicles), aimed at emphasizing that this driving method is the safest and environmentally friendly;

• Analyzing the committed traffic rule violation(s) with a school psychologist for no less than 45 minutes, for which administrative liability was applied. The purpose of this analysis is to understand the causes, circumstances, and possible consequences of unsafe driving and to understand how to avoid them;

• Knowledge test.

The duration of the training is determined individually by each driving school. Usually, the training lasts 1–2 days.

What documents are required during additional training?

During the additional driver training courses, you must have:

• an identity document;

• an administrative court decision or police order based on which the right to drive was revoked;

• a driver's license, if it is not revoked;

• when attending the training courses, the driver must have a completed description of the violation(s). If you do not have it, it will be provided at the driving school.