Driving Test Touting Is a Criminal Offence: What Learners Need to Know in 2026
Paying someone to "find" you a test slot, or selling your test slot for cash, is a criminal offence in the UK. Here's what counts as touting, why it's illegal, and how to stay on the right side of the law.
What Is Driving Test Touting?
Touting involves buying or selling driving test appointment slots for profit. It includes:
- Paying a third party to secure a test slot on your behalf (usually via bots)
- Paying cash for someone else's test slot
- Instructors selling their credentials to bot operators for kickbacks
- Websites or individuals offering to "find" you a test slot for a fee
Why Is It Illegal?
Trading in driving test appointments contravenes the Road Traffic Act 1988. The DVSA has pursued criminal prosecutions against touting operations since 2024, with fines and in severe cases, custodial sentences.
Is a Peer-to-Peer Swap Legal?
Yes — as long as no money changes hands for the slot itself. Two learners agreeing to swap their own test dates (each calling DVSA themselves) is completely legal. The key distinction is: swapping dates for mutual benefit ✅ vs paying cash for a slot ❌.
Swappy charges a subscription for the platform access (matching service, 3-way calling, etc.) — not for the test slot itself. The test slot exchange is free and mutual between the two learners.
Swappy is legal. Swappy is a matching and coordination platform. No money changes hands between learners for test slots. All DVSA bookings are updated directly by each learner themselves.
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