The question we hear most from learners choosing automatic lessons is not about the clutch. It is this: if I pass in an automatic, can I ever drive a manual? The short answer is no, not until you pass a second test. The good news is that the second test is simpler than the first. This guide explains what is printed on your licence, what it lets you drive, and exactly how to upgrade if you ever need to.
The direct answer
Passing in an automatic gives you a full car licence with code 78 next to category B. GOV.UK defines code 78 as "restricted to vehicles with automatic transmission". You cannot drive a manual car alone. To lift the restriction you pass a practical test in a manual car. No theory test, no new provisional licence.
Where code 78 appears on your licence
Turn your photocard over. The back lists each category you hold, and column 12 shows any restriction codes. An automatic pass shows 78 against category B. A manual pass shows nothing there, which is why a manual licence covers both kinds of car.
The restriction is about the gearbox, not the car's size or fuel. Anything without a clutch pedal you operate yourself counts as automatic. That includes every fully electric car and most hybrids, which is a big reason code 78 matters less than it did ten years ago.
What you can and cannot drive with code 78
✅ You can drive
- Any automatic petrol or diesel car
- Fully electric cars
- Hybrids with an automatic gearbox (nearly all of them)
- Automatic hire cars, work vans in category B, and car club cars, if the provider accepts your licence
❌ You cannot drive
- A manual car on your own, even to move it down the road
- A manual hire car abroad or in the UK
- A manual work van, unless you are learning with L plates and a qualified supervisor (see below)
Driving a manual car on an automatic-only licence counts as driving otherwise than in accordance with your licence, and it will usually void your insurance as well. It is not a technicality worth testing.
How to upgrade an automatic licence to manual
GOV.UK sets out the route on its upgrade an automatic licence page. In practice it looks like this:
- Learn in a manual car. You can start whenever you like. Your full licence already counts for learning, so you do not apply for a new provisional licence. You follow the normal learner rules in a manual car: L plates on, and a supervisor beside you if you are not with an instructor.
- Skip the theory test. You do not need to take it again. Your existing pass and full licence cover it.
- Book the test by phone. An upgrade test cannot be booked online. Call DVSA on 0300 200 1122, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, with a debit or credit card and your preferred test centre.
- Take the practical test in a manual car. It runs exactly like the automatic test: eyesight check, show me tell me questions, independent driving and one reversing exercise. The examiner is simply also watching your clutch control and gear changes.
- Pass, and code 78 comes off. If you do not pass, nothing is taken away. You keep driving automatics and can rebook.
Practising with family? Your supervisor in a manual car must meet the normal learner rules: at least 21, qualified to drive a manual car, and holding a full licence for at least 3 years. Someone who only holds an automatic licence cannot supervise you in a manual.
How many lessons does the upgrade take?
Far fewer than starting from scratch. You already know the roads, the test routes, observation, junctions and roundabouts. What is new is clutch control, the biting point, hill starts, moving off smoothly and choosing the right gear for the road. Most people who upgrade spend their lessons on exactly those skills, then a couple of full mock tests in the manual car before booking. Your instructor will tell you when you are ready after the first lesson or two.
So should you learn in an automatic in the first place?
For most learners in London, yes, and code 78 is rarely the deciding factor. Stop-start traffic is far less tiring without a clutch, new cars are increasingly automatic, and every electric car is. Most learners reach test standard in fewer hours in an automatic, and the upgrade route stays open if a job or a family car ever needs a manual licence.
The people who should think harder are those who expect to drive a particular manual car soon after passing: a parent's car, a work van, or a cheap first car that happens to be manual. If that is you, our manual vs automatic guide walks through the full comparison.
If you have decided automatic suits you, see how our automatic driving lessons work across East London, including prices and the test centres we prepare you for. Already passed in an automatic and ready to upgrade? Book manual lessons and tell us it is for an upgrade, so your instructor starts with the clutch, not the basics.
