How to Become a Driving Instructor in the UK

Becoming a driving instructor in the UK means joining the DVSA's register of Approved Driving Instructors — the ADI register. It is the only way to charge money for driving lessons in a car. The route is set out step by step by the DVSA, and it is the same for everyone: check you are eligible, apply, pass three qualifying tests, and register. There are no shortcuts, and there is no fee to start the qualifying process itself. The fees come at the test and registration stages, and they are fixed by the DVSA.

Are you eligible?

Before you spend anything on training, check the four eligibility rules. You must be 21 or over. You must have held a full car driving licence for at least three years. You must not have been banned — disqualified — from driving in the last four years. And you must be a fit and proper person, which the DVSA assesses through an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. You need a new DBS check to start your application, even if you already have one from another job.

A criminal record will not necessarily stop you becoming an instructor, but some things make it unlikely: the DVSA says it is unlikely your application would be accepted if you have been found guilty of drink or drug driving, dangerous driving, driving without insurance, or driving while using a hand-held mobile phone, among other offences. The ADI Registrar has refused applications — and removed instructors from the register — when they had five or more penalty points within the last three years under the totting-up rules. If you are unsure, the DVSA's Safe Driving for Life website carries a suitability assessment you can take before you apply.

The route, in order

The DVSA sets out the process in eight steps: check you are eligible; apply to become an instructor; get a trainer; take the theory test (ADI part 1); take the driving ability test (ADI part 2); get practice teaching, usually on a trainee licence; take the instructional ability test (ADI part 3); then register and start working. You can find a registered trainer through the DVSA's official register of driving instructor training, known as ORDIT.

Part 1: the theory test — £81

Part 1 is a theory test, and it is harder than the learner theory test. It has two parts, taken as a single test: 100 multiple-choice questions in 1 hour and 30 minutes, and a hazard perception test of 14 video clips. To pass the multiple-choice part you need an overall score of at least 85 out of 100, and at least 20 out of 25 in each of the four categories — road procedure; traffic signs and signals, car control, pedestrians and mechanical knowledge; driving test, disabilities and the law; and publications and instructional techniques. To pass the hazard perception part you need at least 57 points out of 75. You must pass both parts to pass the test.

You can take part 1 as many times as you need — there is no attempt limit. But the clock starts when you pass it: you must have booked your part 3 test within two years of passing part 1, or you have to start the whole process again. If you fail part 1, you can rebook, but you must wait at least three working days before taking it again.

Part 2: the driving ability test — £111

Part 2 tests your driving ability, and it is a much tougher drive than the learner test. It takes around one hour and has five parts: an eyesight check, show me, tell me vehicle safety questions, general driving ability, manoeuvres, and independent driving. The eyesight check is stricter than the learner one — 27 metres for a new-style number plate, 27.5 metres for an old-style one — and failing it counts as one of your three attempts. You will be asked five show me, tell me questions, and you will be asked to do two reversing exercises from a list of four. The independent driving section lasts about 20 minutes, following a sat nav or traffic signs.

To pass part 2 you must make no more than six driving faults, with no serious or dangerous faults. You get three attempts. If you fail all three, you have to retake and pass part 1 again — and you must wait two years from when you first passed part 1 before you can take it again.

The trainee licence — £140

Once you have passed part 2, you have the option to apply for a six-month trainee licence. It lets you give paid lessons and get real teaching experience before you take part 3. The ADI Registrar can refuse the application if you are not a fit and proper person, and you can apply for a second licence when the first expires if you can show evidence you have not had the full benefit of it — but you are unlikely to get another one just to give yourself more time to pass part 3. While you hold a trainee licence you must display it in your car, just as a qualified instructor must display their ADI badge. Only ADIs and licensed trainees may legally charge for lessons — it is illegal to charge for driving instruction without one or the other.

Part 3: the instructional ability test — £111

Part 3 is the test of your ability to teach. A DVSA examiner watches you give a client-centred driving lesson to one of your pupils for about 45 minutes. You discuss the goals for the lesson and risk management with your pupil first — no more than three minutes — then your pupil drives for about 40 minutes, and you give them no more than three minutes to reflect at the end. You are marked on 17 areas of competence, grouped into lesson planning, risk management, and teaching and learning strategies, scored 0 to 3 each for a total out of 51. A total of 0 to 30 is a fail; 31 to 42 is a grade B pass; 43 to 51 is a grade A pass. You automatically fail if you score 7 or less in the risk management category, or if the examiner stops the lesson because you have put someone in danger.

You get three attempts at part 3, and each next attempt must be booked within two years of passing part 1. If you fail the third attempt, you must stop giving paid lessons immediately — it is illegal to continue — your trainee licence becomes invalid, and you have to retake parts 1 and 2, waiting two years from when you originally passed part 1 before retaking it.

Registering — £300 — and staying registered

Once you have passed all three tests, you must register for your first ADI certificate within 12 months, or you will have to pass all three tests again. Registration costs £300. When your certificate arrives you can start charging for lessons, either by joining a driving school or by setting up your own business. Your registration lasts four years. To renew it you need a new criminal records check — allow around three months for it — and you must still be a fit and proper person. Renewal costs £300. You will face at least one standards check every four years, and you must tell the ADI Registrar within seven days if you get a caution or conviction, including penalty points.

What it costs

The DVSA fees for the qualifying route are fixed. Part 1 costs £81, part 2 costs £111, part 3 costs £111, a trainee licence costs £140, and your first ADI certificate costs £300. Training course fees are separate and vary — training organisations set their own prices, so compare them before you commit. There are no DVSA fees to start the qualifying process itself. What you earn afterwards depends on how busy you are and how well you market yourself, and your salary is reduced by running costs such as fuel and tyres. Our page on how much driving instructors earn covers the earnings picture in detail.

Is it right for you?

Teaching people to drive is a one-to-one job, often with teenagers and nervous learners, and the DVSA expects a high standard of driving, a professional approach, and a responsible attitude to pupils and the profession. The voluntary code of practice on professional standards is being replaced with a mandatory code sometime between late 2026 and early 2027, and you will have to declare you have read and agreed to it when you apply, renew, or apply for a trainee licence. If the structure of the route appeals to you — a theory test, an advanced driving test, and a teaching test, each with clear pass marks — the first step is the eligibility check and the suitability assessment on Safe Driving for Life. Take those before you pay for any training.

Sources: GOV.UK, "Become a car driving instructor: step by step" (https://www.gov.uk/become-car-driving-instructor) — checked 6 November 2026. GOV.UK, "Approved driving instructor (ADI) part 1 test" (https://www.gov.uk/adi-part-1-test) — checked 6 November 2026. GOV.UK, "Approved driving instructor (ADI) part 2 test" (https://www.gov.uk/adi-part-2-test) — checked 6 November 2026. GOV.UK, "Approved driving instructor (ADI) part 3 test" (https://www.gov.uk/adi-part-3-test) — checked 6 November 2026. GOV.UK, "Approved driving instructor (ADI) register guide" (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/whats-involved-in-being-a-driving-instructor/approved-driving-instructor-adi-register-guide) — checked 6 November 2026. GOV.UK, "Approved driving instructor (ADI) (England, Scotland and Wales)" eligibility summary (https://www.gov.uk/find-licences/approved-driving-instructor-adi-england-scotland-and-wales).