How could Ron take a driving test, when wizards are in hiding?

Question

I don't know how about in the UK, but here in Poland (and I know, we have quite a few different kinds of papers) to merely take the exam you need to show some kind of ID. It sounds reasonable to me, just to make sure it's you passing the exam and not your professionally-driving friend.

Now, given that the wizarding community is hiding, I don't see how any of them could have any kind of 'official' identification and take part in any muggle affairs that require it, including taking a driving exam. Was this somehow dealt with in canon? Or any plausible explanation? The fact that it took him 19 years did allow for some preparations.

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Edit: There are two reasons why I don't believe that he could've Confunded the examiner.

First, the exact quote about the exam:

“Parked all right, then?” Ron asked Harry. “I did. Hermione didn’t believe I could pass a Muggle driving test, did you? She thought I’d have to Confund the examiner.”

“No, I didn’t,” said Hermione, “I had complete faith in you.”

“As a matter of fact, I did Confund him,” Ron whispered to Harry, as together they lifted Albus’s trunk and owl onto the train. “I only forgot to look in the wing mirror, and let’s face it, I can use a Supersensory Charm for that.”

This clearly states the examiner was Confunded in the middle of the exam. The presentation of ID is likely the first thing to do, so it would be too late.

Second, the Confundus charm has some lasting effect on the victim - take for example Dawlish or how Cormac McLaggen behaved after he was Confunded by Hermione during the Quidditch tryouts. The examiner in that case would be in no condition to really assess one's driving skills (or in an emergency stop the car). And I find it hard to believe that altering the exam results in this way is something Hermione would allow as a primary plan.

Answer 1

In the UK, the ID documents needed to get a driving license are either a UK passport or some other document showing you have the right to be in the country.

Ron could easily have had a UK passport

Ron is a British citizen, having been (presumably) born in Britain, so there's no reason he shouldn't have a UK passport (see below for more details about this).

Now, given that the wizarding community is hiding

You seem to be misunderstanding here. Witches and wizards aren't hiding their existence from Muggles. As Hogsmeade is the only exclusively magical village in the country, most of them must live alongside Muggles, have Muggle neighbours, be accepted within the Muggle community, even while having to keep up some level of secrecy about their jobs, their interests, and their lives.

In the particular case of Ron, he was brought up in a family who obviously has little experience of anything to do with Muggle life (Mr Weasley collecting plugs, marvelling at the "fellytone", being confused by Muggle money, etc.), so he may not have been registered with the Muggle authorities as a British citizen at birth. However, being married to a Muggle-born witch, who will know (or know how to find out) the necessary procedure for getting a Muggle passport, he may well have got himself one in later life. Since he can presumably prove that he was born in the country, he should have no trouble being able to get one.

Alternatively, maybe wizards have passports too. Why are we thinking of them as "Muggle passports"? Remember that there is a Ministry of Magic, which has at least some contact with the Muggle government (the Minister for Magic's meetings with the Prime Minister). Perhaps witches and wizards register their children's birth with the Ministry of Magic, which then sorts matters out with the Muggle ministries so that the children can get British passports.

Or he could have used Confundus.

As BMWurm suggested in a comment on the OP, a wizard like Ron could easily cast a quick spell on the driving test examiner or whichever official is meant to check his passport, to make them think everything is in order with his documents even when he didn't really show them any documents.

Answer 2

A few possibilities spring to mind:

1. Ron could have confunded the examiner to skip the identity requirements.

   In fact, we know that he Confunded the examiner because he admitted to doing so! When the test is discussed in the epilogue:

   “Parked all right, then?” Ron asked Harry. “I did. Hermione didn’t believe I could pass a Muggle driving test, did you? She thought I’d have to Confund the examiner.”

   “No, I didn’t,” said Hermione, “I had complete faith in you.”

   “As a matter of fact, I did Confund him,” Ron whispered to Harry, as together they lifted Albus’s trunk and owl onto the train. “I only forgot to look in the wing mirror, and let’s face it, I can use a Supersensory Charm for that.”

   It’s quite possible that he also Confunded the examiner to get past the identification requirements.

   I still have all the paperwork from my UK driving tests, and I can’t see anything specifically noting which identification I took the exam. My ID was checked right at the start, so I assume the examiner wouldn’t have done the test if he was unhappy with it.

2. Ron may actually have the correct paperwork.

   Remember that he’s married to Hermione, who is (1) well-versed in Muggle culture, and (2) very smart. It’s quite possible she was able to help him get the correct paperwork – this surely can’t be the first time a wizard has needed a passport or similar.

   Quoting from the UK driving test requirements:

   You must bring:

   • your theory test pass certificate (or confirmation) if you’re not exempt from taking the theory test
   • your driving licence

   The driving theory test is a prerequisite for driving in the UK. I don’t know what he did about that, but I can imagine Hermione forcing him to take it – wizard or not, driving without knowing what road signs mean can be very dangerous and conspicuous.

   The license would be a provisional driving license; this is required for learner drivers, and comes with certain restrictions. (It is also an acceptable form of ID in many places.)

   I can’t remember what happened after my test, but I think sometimes you have to give up the provisional license if you pass. If so, Confunding wouldn’t be an option – the examiner will notice when he can’t find it later.

   Getting a provisional license would be a bit tricky – I’m not sure what he’d do about the passport, card payment or previous addresses – but the Ministry have a department called The Muggle Liaison Office. I can imagine one of their roles is to falsify paperwork for such situations.