What you must know before starting out on Driving Instructor Training

There are a number of legal requirements that must be met before anyone wishing to become a driving instructor can begin driving instructor training. This article sets out the main elements of the statutory requirements.

To become a driving instructor the following legal requirements must be met:

The applicant must hold a full UK unrestricted car driving licence, or a European Union (EU)/European Economic Area (EEA) unrestricted car driving licence that has been exchanged for either a GB licence or a Community Licence - advice on exchange of foreign licences can be obtained from DVLA.

The applicant must have held the licence for a total of at least four of the six years prior to qualifying. A foreign driving licence, an automatic car driving licence or a provisional licence held after passing the driving test, all count towards the four years.

The applicant must not have been disqualified from driving at any time in the four years prior to being entered in the Register.

The applicant must be a "fit and proper" person to have your name entered in the Register. All spent and unspent convictions, motoring and non-motoring will be taken into account when we assess your suitability to be entered on the Register. This includes fixed penalty offences such as speeding.


Note - the acceptance decision rests with the Registrar. The Registrar will take into account any motoring convictions acquired in the last six years, and any criminal record. Any motoring offence(s) resulting in endorsements totalling five penalty points or more are likely to result in an application being refused. A criminal record is not necessarily a bar ? the DSA assess the suitability of ex-offenders to apply to join the Register of Approved Driving Instructors in accordance with their Suitability Statement. The DSA statement on how we handle disclosure information is also available on their websites.

The applicant must pass the two practical exams within two years of passing the theory and hazard perception tests, and then apply for registration within 12 months.

Further age and time restrictions - the law states that you cannot accompany a person learning to drive unless you have held a full UK or EU/EEA driving licence for three years and are aged 21 or over.

Note - A full licence issued in another country will count towards this three year period, provided it is accepted under the 'exchange' scheme mentioned above.

After Registration, it is within the Registrar to remove an ADI from the Register, for example where a person has failed to meet the 'fit and proper' requirement, either by being convicted of an offence, or where their professional conduct has brought the Register into disrepute, or they have failed or refused to attend a check test