Get a trainee driving instructor licence
Rules for using your trainee licence
You must:
- be a ‘fit and proper’ person
- get the required amount of supervision or extra training while your licence is still valid
Displaying your licence
You must display your trainee licence on the nearside edge of the front windscreen of your car while you give driving lessons.
Where you train
Your trainee licence shows the name and address of your training establishment. You can only give instruction from there, so you cannot work independently, such as by setting up your own school.
You must not advertise yourself as an instructor. Any advertising your training establishment does must not make it seem like you’re a fully qualified instructor.
Changing your driving school
You must apply for a new trainee licence if you leave a driving school and join a new one. There’s no fee for doing this.
DVSA will send you a new licence showing the details of your new school. You should send your old licence to DVSA as soon as you get the new one.
You can still give driving lessons while you wait for your new licence.
When trainee licences can be taken away
The ADI registrar can take your trainee licence away before it runs out if:
- you break any of the rules for having a trainee licence
- the licence was issued by mistake or gained by fraud
- you fail 3 attempts at the ADI part 3 test
Not using your trainee licence
You should return your trainee licence to DVSA if you are not using it, for example because of a long period of illness.
You will not get a refund, but DVSA will know that you have not had full use of the licence. This will be a factor in deciding whether to give you another licence in future.
Lost or stolen licence
You should tell the police straight away if your licence is lost or stolen. They will give you a crime reference number.
You’ll have to pay £3 if you lose your licence or cannot give DVSA a crime reference number.
To get a replacement, email DVSA with the following:
- the crime reference number
- your permission that DVSA can use your photocard driving licence photo or a previous photo they have on record
Approved Driving Instructor Registrar
[email protected]
DVSA will contact you to tell you how to pay.