Nearly 1,400 people have been driving with only a learner permit for over 26 years.
They include people in every county, according to figures released to Newstalk under Freedom of Information legislation.
According to the Department of Transport, nearly 232,000 drivers only have learner permits.
They include nearly 68,000 people in Dublin, almost 25,000 in Cork, over 12,000 in Galway, and just under that mark in Kildare.
Under current rules, you can’t apply for a third or subsequent learner permit unless you’ve recently done a driving test or have an upcoming test.
But the new figures show over 21,000 drivers have had a learner permit for at least 11 years, and 1,365 have had one for over 26 years.
Brian Farrell, from the Road Safety Authority, says the new figures are concerning.
He said: "It's absolutely far from an ideal situation.
"We would encourage all those people on those learner permits to come forward and take their driving test.
"That is a challenge at the moment given the restrictions... but really and truly at this stage these people should be coming forward for a driving test."
You must always have a fully qualified driver with you if you have a learner permit.
2,475 drivers got penalty points last year for breaking that law - up 27% on 2019.
A further 1,581 drivers were penalised in the first five months of this year.
