The Register of Approved Driving Instructors (ADI) was set up in the interests of road safety in order to maintain and improve the standard of car driving instruction available to the general public.
It also ensures that the public can expect an acceptable standard of tuition from those registered as driving instructors. It is administered by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA), an Executive Agency of the Department of Transport, under the provisions of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
This Act makes it illegal for anyone to charge (either money or monies worth) for instruction in driving a motorcar unless:
- their name is on the Register of Approved Driving Instructors
- they hold a trainee's "Licence to give instruction" issued by the Registrar
The legal requirements are contained in The Road Traffic Act 1988 and The Motor Cars (Driving Instruction) Regulations 2005.
Skills required
Approved driving instructors require a high standard of driving ability and a sound knowledge of the subjects related to teaching others to drive and must be able to apply these abilities.
Teaching others to drive includes being knowledgeable about:
- how to teach
- how people learn
- how to assess the performance of others
- communication
- interpersonal skills
Legal requirements
When applying to become a driving instructor, you must fulfill the following legal requirements:
- hold a full UK or European Union (EU/European Economic Area (EEA) unrestricted car driving licence
- have held it for a total of at least four out of the past six years prior to entering the Register after qualifying
- not have been disqualified from driving at any time in the four years prior to being entered in the Register
- be a “fit and proper” person to have your name entered in the Register. All convictions, motoring and non-motoring, will be taken into account when we assess your suitability to be entered on the Register. From Spring 2007 applicants will be required to have an enhanced level criminal record check. The information from this check will be used by us to assess the suitability of persons applying for inclusion on the Register of Approved Driving Instructors.. To help you decide if any conviction you may have could affect any application you might make, you can find the link to our statement on the suitability of ex-offenders in the related items box.
- Pass the two qualifying practical examinations within two years of passing the theory examination
- Apply for registration within 12 months of passing the final part of the examination.
Suitability Policy statement
Qualifying
The qualification examination is in three parts:
- a computer based theory test
- a practical test of your driving ability
- a practical test of your ability to instruct
You must take and pass all three parts of the examination in this order and you must complete the whole examination within two years of passing the theory test. If you are unable to complete the examinations within this time you must start again from the beginning and pass each part again. You can take the theory test as many times as you want but you are only allowed a maximum of three attempts at each of the practical tests within each two year qualification period.
How can I obtain training?
You may already be taking a course with an ADI trainer, but included with the starter pack, you will receive a copy of the Official Register of Driving Instructor Training (ORDIT). This is a list of establishments and trainers who offer both training for those who want to become an ADI and retraining for those who feel they require it. The establishments on the list have satisfied the inspection criteria set by the driver training industry and DSA.
Applying to become an approved driving instructor
If you decide to embark on this career, your first step should be to complete the application form enclosed in the starter pack and submit it to the Registrar who will decide if it will be accepted. You will need to send in character references from two people who know you well and will be prepared to vouch for you when approached by the Registrar. You should use the forms enclosed in the pack for these references.
It should not be assumed that acceptance is an automatic process, new applications can be refused by the Registrar if they do not meet the necessary legal requirements.