NDLS Portlaoise

NDLS Portlaoise is one of the 34 National Driver Licence Service centres in Ireland. You go there to apply for a learner permit, renew or replace a driving licence, or exchange a foreign licence. Visits are by appointment only.

Address and map

NDLS Portlaoise
Unit 29A
Laois Shopping Centre
Portlaoise, Co. Laois

Opening hours

These are the hours the NDLS publishes for this centre. Centres are closed on bank holidays. Every visit needs an appointment, so the hours only matter for choosing a slot: you cannot walk in during opening hours.

What you can do at NDLS Portlaoise

• First learner permit or learner permit renewal
• Driving licence renewal (including 70+, free)
• Replacement of a lost, stolen or damaged licence or permit
• Change of address, name or medical details
• Exchange of an EU/EEA, UK or recognised-state licence
• International Driving Permit (booked by phone only)

The centre takes your photo and signature on the spot, so you do not need passport photos or a paper application form. Two exceptions: an application in Irish needs the Irish-language form, and the International Driving Permit needs one passport-sized photo and its own printed form. Your new card arrives by post, not at the counter.

Do you need to go in person at all?

Probably not. If you have a Public Services Card and a verified MyGovID, you can do almost everything online at ndls.ie: renewals, first learner permits, replacements, address changes and most exchanges. Online takes 10–15 minutes and there is no queue for appointments.

You need an appointment at Portlaoise if you have no Public Services Card, your PSC photo is more than 10 years old, you need an International Driving Permit, or you are exchanging a Moldovan licence (in-person only).

What to bring to your appointment

• Photo ID: Irish licence or permit, Public Services Card, or a passport
• Proof of your PPSN, such as a Revenue letter or payslip
• Proof of address dated in the last six months, if your address has changed
• Proof of normal residence, if your place of birth and nationality are outside the EU/EEA, UK and Switzerland
• Eyesight or medical report dated within one month, only if your application needs one

The address on your proof of address must match your application exactly. The full list, including documents the NDLS refuses, is in our NDLS documents guide.

Other NDLS centres near Portlaoise

You can book at any centre in the country. If Portlaoise has no slots for weeks, one of these may be quicker. Distances are straight-line, so allow more by road.

See all centres on the NDLS centres map.

Driving test centres in County Laois

The RSA runs 1 driving test centre in County Laois: Portlaoise. Those are separate buildings with their own addresses. NDLS Portlaoise only handles permits and licences.

Do not mix the two up on the day. Your driving test in Portlaoise takes place at the Portlaoise test centre, not at this NDLS office.

Frequently asked questions