The "driving licence" gave its holder 'freedom of the road' with a maximum 20 mph (32 km/h) speed limit. The minimum qualifying age was set at 17. Every car owner had to register their vehicle with their local government authority and be able to prove registration of their vehicle on request.
Mandatory licensing for drivers in the United Kingdom came into force on 1 January 1904 after the Motor Car Act 1903 received royal assent. Up until the start of the 20th century, European authorities issued similar permits to drive motor vehicles ad hoc, if at all. Karl Benz, inventor of the modern car, received a written " Genehmigung" (permit) from the Grand Ducal authorities to operate his car on public roads in 1888 after residents complained about the noise and smell of his Motorwagen. The world's first permit to drive a motor vehicle, issued to Karl Benz upon his request
The Australian and New Zealand English equivalent is " driver licence". Most American jurisdictions issue a permit with " driver license" printed on it but some use "driver's license", which is conversational American English.Ĭanadian English uses both " driver's licence" as well as " driver licence" ( Atlantic Canada). In this article's country specific sections, the local spelling variant is used. In most international agreements the wording " driving permit" is used, for instance in the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. Such licenses are often plastic and the size of a credit card. A Polish driving permit in the format of the standardized European driving licence styleĪ driver's license is a legal authorization, or the official document confirming such an authorization, for a specific individual to operate one or more types of motorized vehicles-such as motorcycles, cars, trucks, or buses-on a public road.