Road Safety Authority Ireland Reviews 102

The only issue I had was that their online/ email communication is quite poor. Four emails never got answered and 65€ for a licence exchange is to expensive.

very poor customer service regarding reissuing a lost license, arrogant and don't want to help at all.
a very public sector attitude.

Giving one star as it won’t let me give zero.

Replaced UK license with Irish one. Unknown to me the harp watermark was missing. Went to Cork to do my CPC exam, spent over €100 only to be told my license is damaged and I couldn’t do the exam and had to forfeit the €72 fee.

Walked the length of Cork to get a form signed by a gard saying my license was damaged. Submitted to NDLS online and rebooked CPC and paid another €72.

Next day got an email saying as there was one line missing from the address on the form (a line which is optional for my address) they could not accept the form and I had to get another. Went to the Garda station, got another form, sent it in and had no update for 4 days.

Phoned NDLS, explained the urgency and the agent said the photo file was too big and to send a PDF and call back. Did that. Called back and spoke to an agent who was completely clueless. Took all my details several times, didn’t understand my query and kept asking for my application reference. When she finally got into my case she was reading the update from a week ago. Beyond useless.

Now I am waiting to go to an appointment in person later today , but given my exam is Wednesday and there will be no post on Tuesday as it’s Paddy’s day, I have next to no hope of getting the license on time. So that’s another €72 wasted and my employment that depends on the license will likely be lost as well.

Nothing changes in this country.

Update 12/3. I booked an appointment at the local NDLS centre, the person there was very nice and helpful but couldn’t do anything as my online application was still pending. So now I am stuck , at the mercy of a place which hasn’t looked at my application in a week, and although I have managed to change my CPC exam to a later date again, over 3 hours drive from my house, I have zero confidence that I will have my license in time.

It is beyond belief that you can’t effectively escalate or complain - they are basically checking their own homework and you get nowhere. Some lazy work-shy agent looked at my application a week ago, decided the photo file was too large (even though it was the same as the previous one they WERE able to open), closed the ticket and didn’t have the decency to advise me by email. It’s cost me hundreds of euro and a lot of stress.

Update 2 - 12/3.
Having phoned again and reiterated the urgency and frustration I was advised by an agent that age would flag my ticket as urgent. All they needed to do was inspect the Lost Damaged License form and approve it.

I gave just received an email confirming it has been approved.

Google says using a MyGov ID online the the fastest way to apply, but the person in the local NDLS centre said it’s quicker in person as they can immediately verify your documents.

I feel sorry for the staff who do their best and no doubt get awful verbal abuse due to the inefficiency of the organisation as a whole. I still think it needs to be audited or even looked at by Primr Time Investigates. People’s livelihoods depend on getting their license on time and the delays cause mush stress and suffering.

Did the change of address on6th Dec 2025 - replacement got lost in the post - filled out the form to outline this and many many phone calls later still not got the new licence by mid Feb 2026.
Total joke of a system and no one has a clue what they are at when you ring.
How can they justify such a rubbish system and service in this day and age .
Would give them zero star if I could.
NDLS should just hang their head in shame and whom ever is ment to be in charge so just except their P45 and leave the mess that is the NDLs.

5 star review for Bride in the monaghan NDLS office. So helpful and kind to my daughter. Thank you Bride!

The worst state body in the developed world

I've been trying to get a full car license for years. Multiple test cancellations, incompetent instructors, and technicalities designed to take your money, they don't care about what kind of service they provide.

Here's 2 examples of many I've experienced:

1. I tried to renew a learner license with my new home address. They didn't accept any of the official documents I have received here (including a public services card from the Irish government that arrived here). Instead of allowing me to change to my older address, they made me wait days for a cancellation, then reapply at the full price with an address I don't even reside at anymore.

2. For the driving test itself (after 3 cancellations in a row,, on the day with 0 explanation as to why) and an 8 month wait, I drove to a far away test centre to have my test non-conducted due to a tax disc which hadn't arrived yet. The car was taxed, but it didn't have a paper disc. Paper discs have been abolished as a legal requirement by the Irish government.

They claimed to have driving test wait times down to 10 weeks, but in reality they pushed retests to the back of the queue, and a freedom of information request recently exposed the RSA as liars.

The RSA are an embarrassment to the Irish government and for a country like Ireland, we deserve a lot better. I can't wait for the day the RSA get abolished.

Currently on hold with Adrian for the past 17 minutes, assuming he's hoping I just hang up. A simple request of an email confirming my driver's statement so that I can insure my vehicle before the 24 hour quote runs out is apparently too much of an ask. Abhorrent customer service.

Utterly incompetent organisation. I applied online for an exchange of an EU for an Irish licence and paid €65 fee. Next step was FOR THEM to send me a declaration form for completion and return along with my existing EU licence. I never received this form and carefully checked spam folder in case. I have not phoned their help desk three times with a very simple request to send me the form. For some inexplicable reason they cannot oblige. They advised me to send in my existing licence WITHOUT the declaration, ignoring the formal online instructions. I am not prepared to take the risk with this entirely informal advice.

Their online help desk is equally useless. The automated reply after several queries is “ I apologize for any confusion. As an AI assistant, I don't have access to specific application details or forms. For issues with your application or to request specific forms, please contact our customer service team directly at 0818 700 800 or +353 21 462 4810. They're available 9-5pm Mon-Fri and 9-1pm Sat (excluding public holidays) and can assist you with your application.”

I would be ashamed to work for such an incompetent organisation.

Fantastic service by the staff of NDLS. I could not fault them at all.

The NDLS are a shockly bad organisation that are unhelpful , lack the knowledge to process the application for an exchange licence correctly. Unware of the way the country exchanging the licence works and their favorite word is escalate but nobody actually does any escalating of the issue. Truly abysmal service
albeit a handsomely paid abysmal service

NDLS email support team takes such a hands-off approach to tickets customers escalate with them. I can tolerate the long delays in their replies as I understand they may be understaffed but the lack of real support in resolving issues is appalling. I’ve been stuck in a carousel of back-and-forth emails for over two months now trying to sort out my licence issue with no resolution in sight.

NDLS the worst institution I have ever seen!!!
I spent two months getting a Lerner permit and 1.5 months getting a full driving licence. Lying operators..... ...ck

Stella looked after my husband and myself a very pleasant experience she was most helpful and polite
it was seamless she explained everything in great detail

RSA is a joke. NDLS is a joke. Had both rude driving testers and rude customer service providers when contacted NDLS. No wonder they get such bad rep. It’s like going round in circles where new legislation means insurance need driver numbers for new learner drivers before insurance but NDLS employ rude people who couldn’t give a toss about helping retrieve driver numbers when physical license still hasn’t been received. Pity 0 star reviews don’t exist because they deserve nothing more.

Absolutely abysmal customer service. Made a mistake with my online application (ticked a box in error) and told I can't change it and cannot get a refund. 65 euro down the drain. Feels like they are trying to stop people from renewing.

Only care about MONEY not road safety. There should be signs stating the speed limit, not "go mall, SLOW" signs which you need a marketing company to push the meaning of this sign and the hidden limit behind it. I am a safe road user who follows the speed limit. But what you have done here is an awful change which quite honestly feels like a trap to get money out of people, which is incredibly disappointing!

Failed my 2nd test in Finglas test centre at 12:05 this morning got 3 grade 2 marks for observation turning right and left at a junction.
I asked the tester to explain it further he said you failed to stop at the junction.
I responded and said I didn't have to stop at those junctions as they were YIELD junctions no stop line,
I then said I am allowed to proceed without stopping on a yield providing the right and left is clear of traffic which it was.
So why is he marking me for that,
The response I got was "I'm Sorry",
Absolutely fabricated marks and the RSA should be ashamed,

My first test in the Charlestown test centre was fairly marked I was conscious of the mistakes I made which was effectively using gears and to confirm this the pre-tester before that, Told me the exact same thing meaning it was a fair assessment from both the Charlestown tester and the RSA approved instructor.

The Finglas tester couldn't even give me an honest answer almost if he was told to fail a clean test or was just having a bad day I don't know.
I have never pulled out of a junction that was a yield in front of traffic and If I did I would expect a grade 3 and instant fail as that is very dangerous.

Honestly I know there is people out there that would blindly turn out of a junction without looking but not me.

I won't move out of a junction without confirming the traffic is clear from both sides and clear of cyclists and pedestrians.

TBH I don't believe I will do a 3rd test I was blatantly robbed this test of a near perfect drive.

Fabricated marks and when questioned on it the response is "I'm sorry" that is unacceptable how about explaining what I done wrong.

Tester anyways was shaking handing me my results which is further giving me assumption it was falsified.

The rule as I know it is: If approaching a T-Junction that has a yield sign you must yield to traffic from the left and right but in my case zero traffic when I move out of junctions so it's safe to move out slowly if there is no opposing traffic on either side, Because I am not going to put myself in a situation where I am cutting someone off on a junction.

I don't want another pity test date for the complaint I put in on this tester I am not doing another test till we get a new governing body, Because these testers taking you for planks and expect you to roll over and act like you don't know what a YIELD is.

My preparation for this test was perfect I watched all of the routes, I used my MSM Mirror, Signal, Move,
I used the Gosho Gear,Observe,Signal,Handbrake, Observe everytime it's only a 40 minute test.
The way I see it was the drive was that clean the tester couldn't really find anything to fail me on and made up some fabricated marks saying I should stop at the T-junction that has a Yield sign with no traffic.

I was optimistic after the first test but this second test was actual criminal very unfair, Didn't get any grade 3's because it was a clean drive If I well and truly didn't stop at a junction which was a yield and decided to turn in front of traffic on a YIELD I would expect a grade 3 mark for that but instead the traffic was clear I proceeded super slowly in 1st or 2nd depending on the junction as long as it was clear of traffic from both sides.

Meanwhile on IRISH roads available on you're local youtube channel you see full license drivers, Driving wrong way around the roundabout and stopping in the middle of a cross junction which is deadly because you missed the lights and staying there the Clancy amendment is the dumbest law to keep genuine people from getting a license it's a gatekeeping law because of one road users actions but then we have full license drivers that no amendments are being made for being absolutely deadly on the roads so unsafe the system is backwards I call the old full licenses before the Clancy amendment lucky bag licenses.
Today's day and age you will drive a great safe drive and get manifested marks out of nowhere I am actually screwed lost my job as a mechanic, I can't go back as I have no full license why because owl timmy here wants to make up stuff like Apparently now A yield sign at a T-Junction means stop even if there is no traffic. Unacceptable

Hi there.

I sent in a Complaint about a RSA Approved driving instructor.

RSA approved driving instructor gave False misleading advertising

Approved RSA Driving instructor started driving around with a Limerick flag over his shoulder on his motorbike on my IBT training day.

One would think the RSA would look in to that.

I have Car licence, Ridget lorry licence, Artic lorry licence, getting bus license. I never see a RSA approved driving instructor do that before.

The Complaint was put in August 2024 and still no reply what so ever.

RSA is utter garbage. Unbelievable waiting list times, appalling website. My 15 year old cousin can make a better website this garbage. A lot of examiners are just very condescending too. I cannot believe this company is allowed to exist in the state it's in.

5 star rating for the service I got NDLS office in Wicklow town today. The woman was efficient, informative, friendly and professional. She is an example of what excellent customer service should be.
Johanna