The mandatory period of time in which you must carry the novice driver signal L has a duration of 1 year. However, that is not the only thing to keep in mind about this signal, since its use can be complicated and its misuse can lead to an economic fine.
Another issue to consider when using this signal is that if it is carried for longer than it should, the driver may be penalized with a fine for minor infringement that can reach up to 100 euros. A situation in which it can fall with some ease when the same car is used by several people, among whom there is a new driver. The fine can come both for not carrying it when the latter drives, and for carrying it when driving a driver with more than 1 year of license.
Be careful because it can be more than 1 year
In principle, the L sign must only be displayed on vehicles driven by people who have a driving license that is less than one year old. Nevertheless, if your permit is withdrawn, the entire time you are without driving license will not count as seniority, so the time will be counted again when you retrieve the license. That is, if a novice driver's license is withdrawn for 2 years when he only had 11 months old, when he recovers it he will still have to carry the "L" for one more month.
What does the new driver's L signal have to be like?
As long as don't buy sign in suspicious store you won't have any problems with it. But, so that you don't get a pig in a poke in some "Everything for 1 euro", these are the characteristics that the signal L must have, because both its size, color and ability to reflect light are specified in a very detailed way in the ordinance in order to be approved.
Dimensions
Have to have a total size 19,5 cm high and 15 cm wide, which must contain a letter "L" with a height of 15 cm, a width of 10,5 cm and a line thickness of 3 cm.
FOR motorcycles, vehicles for people with reduced mobility and tricycles and quadricycles the dimensions are different and they must remain in total size of 13 cm high and 10 cm wide, in which the letter "L" must be 10 cm high, 7 cm wide and a line thickness of 2 cm.
Shape, color and materials
Both the white and green surfaces have to be level 2 reflective and may be printed on a surface of 1,4 mm aluminum or a material with similar mechanical characteristics. The edge of the sign must be surrounded by a raised bead that stands out from the rest of the sign.
Where should I put the L?
The novice driver L sign should be placed on the left rear of vehicle, in a visible place. Motorcycles, vehicles for people with reduced mobility and three-wheelers can carry it anywhere on their back as long as it is also visible.
Why an L?
Actually, the internal name given to this signal is V-13 and it has an “L” printed on it for the same reason that in Spain we have “Stop” signs instead of “Pare”. As is this octagonal sign, the letter L comes from an English word: “Learning”, instead of using the first letter of a Spanish word like the N of “Novel”.
Images – Paul Inkles, Alice Salles