How to become a driving instructor
To become a driving instructor in England, Scotland or Wales, you must meet the eligibility requirements, complete a new criminal record check, apply to the DVSA and pass all three Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) qualifying tests. Once you have passed ADI Parts 1, 2 and 3, you must register as an ADI before you can legally charge learners for driving lessons. The process is different in Northern Ireland.
Want to learn more? Watch our video below.
Who can become a driving instructor?
To start qualifying as an Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) in England, Scotland or Wales, you must be at least 21 years old, have held a full driving licence for at least three years and not have been disqualified from driving within the previous four years.
You must also be considered a “fit and proper” person by the DVSA. This means your driving record and wider conduct can be taken into account when your application is assessed. Motoring offences, penalty points, criminal convictions, pending court proceedings or being barred from working with children may affect your application, although having a criminal record does not automatically mean you cannot become a driving instructor.
You can also become an ADI if you hold an automatic-only driving licence. However, you will need to take the relevant qualifying driving tests in an automatic vehicle and, once qualified, you will only be able to provide paid instruction in automatic cars. If you hold a manual licence, you can qualify to teach in both manual and automatic vehicles.
Step by Step: How to become a Driving Instructor
Before you apply, do a quick check that your circumstances are unlikely to cause problems later in the process.
Make sure you:
- Have held a full driving licence for at least three years
- Have not been disqualified from driving in the last four years
- Understand that penalty points (have not had more than 6 penalty points), motoring offences or other convictions may be considered by the DVSA
- Know whether you want to qualify in a manual or automatic car, as this can affect what vehicles you can teach in once qualified
have read and understood the responsibilities expected of an Approved Driving Instructor
If you’re unsure whether you meet the requirements, you can check your eligibility to become a driving instructor on gov.uk before continuing with your application.
Before you can apply to become an Approved Driving Instructor, you’ll need to complete a new criminal record check. You cannot use an existing DBS certificate, even if it is still current.
The application is completed online and currently costs £5.40. You’ll need documents to prove your identity, which could include your driving licence, passport, a recent utility bill or bank statement.
Once completed, your criminal record check will be sent to you by post. If your check contains criminal information, the DVSA may contact you as part of assessing your suitability to join the ADI register.
You can apply for your driving instructor criminal record check through gov.uk.
Once you have completed your criminal record check, you can apply to the DVSA to start the Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) qualifying process.
Before submitting your application, you’ll need to confirm that you have read and agree to the responsibilities set out in the ADI register guide. Once you enter the qualifying process, the DVSA will provide the details you need to use its ADI services, including your ADI Personal Reference Number (PRN).
Keep your PRN safe. It is a unique reference linked to your ADI record, and you will need it at different stages of your journey, including when using DVSA services and applying for a trainee instructor licence or your first ADI registration.
You can start your application to become a driving instructor on gov.uk.
You can study for some parts of the ADI qualification yourself, but most people choose to train with an approved provider to prepare for the practical tests. This is where Bill Plant Driving School can help!
Bill Plant Driving School is one of the UK’s largest ORDIT-registered training establishments, which means our instructor training meets DVSA standards.
With Bill Plant Driving School, you can get:
- Training from £1495 (when paid in full)
- Support for ADI Parts 1, 2 and 3
- One-on-one training with experienced ORDIT instructor trainers
- Flexible or intensive training options
- Online learning resources
- Support through the PDI trainee stage (Earn an average of £36 per hour in weekly driving lesson revenue with Bill Plant Driving School while on a PDI licence).
- Receive 20 hours of additional FREE driving instructor training as a PDI.
Request a Driving Instructor Training Pack to see the training options available.
ADI Part 1 is the theory stage of the qualification and includes multiple-choice questions and a hazard perception test.
Bill Plant Driving School helps you prepare with structured learning, online resources and support from your trainer, so you know what to expect before you take the test.
For a full breakdown of the test, see our ADI Part 1 guide.
ADI Part 2 is the practical driving test, where you’ll need to show a high standard of driving ability.
Bill Plant Driving School supports you with practical training focused on the skills and driving standard expected by the DVSA, helping you prepare with confidence before test day.
For more detail, see our ADI Part 2 guide.
After passing ADI Part 2, you can choose to apply for a PDI trainee licence, which allows you to gain real experience teaching learners while you work towards Part 3.
With Bill Plant Driving School, PDIs can benefit from:
- 20 hours of additional FREE driving instructor training
- Real-world teaching experience before taking Part 3
- An average of £36 per hour in driving lesson revenue while working on a PDI licence
This can help you build your confidence, develop your teaching skills and start earning before becoming a fully qualified ADI.
ADI Part 3 tests your ability to teach a real learner safely and effectively.
Bill Plant Driving School helps you prepare with practical instructional training, feedback from experienced trainers and support based around the skills the DVSA will assess during the test.
For more detail, see our ADI Part 3 guide.
Once you’ve passed ADI Part 3, you must register as an Approved Driving Instructor within 12 months before you can start charging for driving lessons. Your first ADI registration currently costs £300.
After qualifying, you can choose to work independently or join a driving school franchise.
With a Bill Plant Driving School franchise, you can benefit from:
- A Volkswagen tuition vehicle
- Insurance, servicing and maintenance included
- National marketing support to help generate pupils
- A dedicated Instructor Support Team
- Control over when, where and how much you work
Joining the Bill Plant Driving School franchise is completely optional, but it can give you the support and infrastructure to start building your driving instructor business from day one.
Learn more about joining the Bill Plant Driving School franchise.
How Bill Plant can help you through the process
Becoming a driving instructor involves several stages, but you don’t have to work through them alone. Bill Plant Driving School can support you from your first training session through to becoming a qualified ADI.
When you train with Bill Plant, you can benefit from:
- Training with an ORDIT-registered training establishment
- Support for ADI Parts 1, 2 and 3
- Intensive or flexible training options
- Online learning resources through the Bill Plant app
- The option to join the PDI programme and gain real teaching experience while you train
- The option to join the Bill Plant franchise once you qualify
Whether you want to qualify as quickly as possible or fit your training around your current job, we can help you choose a route that works for you.
Request your free Driving Instructor Training Pack to see our course options, costs and what’s included.
Why become a Driving Instructor?
Becoming a Driving Instructor is more than just another job! Start your Driving Instructor Training with Bill Plant Driving School and unlock your potential.
You’re in charge.
When you become a Driving Instructor, you are in complete control of your career and earning potential
Work / Life Balance
Choose your own hours and book lessons that fit around your schedule
£50,000+ salary potential
Working a full 30-40 hour week, at £36 per hour, will generate you £1080-£1440 in weekly driving lesson revenue.
If you work 48 weeks in the calendar year (based on 30 hour working weeks) you can earn more than £50,000!
Some of the Areas We Offer Driving Instructor Training
With over 40 training hubs across the UK, you’ll never have to travel too far to access your award-winning in-car training from one of our experienced trainers, to help you become a driving instructor. Here’s just a few below, but speak to one of our training experts to find the closest hub to you!
Join our franchise after your training!
Frequently Asked Questions
Don’t worry, you can still train to become a Driving Instructor, whilst doing a full-time job alongside your training. Driving Instructor Training consists of 3 parts. You can complete Part 1 at home whilst being supported by our dedicated Training Support team. Only 8 days are needed to complete our intensive training course.
- 10 hours of Part 2 training (completed over 2 consecutive days)
- Part 3 training (completed over 6 days)
If you need to be more flexible with your training, then our flexible training course is right for you! You can schedule all your in-car sessions at dates/times that are convenient for you.
No, you do not need to provide your own vehicle to complete your Driving Instructor Training. The in-car sessions of your training program will take place in the comfort of one of our market-leading Volkswagen tuition vehicles! For your Part 2/3 exams, you can have the choice to use your own car, but you can also rent one from us, or use one of our tuition vehicles if you’re on our PDI trainee license.
There are no hidden costs for your Driving Instructor Training. All payments made to us are for your training only. For your PDI & ADI licenses, you’ll need to pay the DVSA, regardless of your training provider.
Correct as of August 2026, the current costs for tests and license badges can be found in our Driving Instructor Training Information Pack.
To be able to start training and be eligible to become a Driving Instructor, there are a few requirements to which you must be able to meet:
- You must’ve held a full UK driving license for 3+ years.
- Have 5 points or less, on your driving license.
- You must be able to read a number plate from 90 feet away (you’re allowed to wear glasses/contact lenses for this).
- You must be able to pass a DBS check with the UK government.
- To legally qualify as a Driving Instructor, you must also be able to register as a PDI and obtain a Personal Reference Number (PRN).
Most people can expect to qualify as a driving instructor within around six to nine months, although this varies depending on how much time you can dedicate to training, test availability and how quickly you pass each of the three ADI tests.
Bill Plant offers both flexible and intensive driving instructor training, so you can choose a training route that fits around your existing commitments.
Once you have passed ADI Part 3, you can apply to join the Approved Driving Instructor register and receive your ADI badge. You must apply within 12 months of passing Part 3.
The full journey to this point typically takes around six to nine months, although your individual timescale will depend on training progress and test availability.
Yes! There continues to be strong demand for driving instructors, although the level of demand varies by location.
The DVSA’s 2025 survey found that 54.6% of instructors did not have availability to take on new pupils, while 47.3% had a waiting list of learners. At Bill Plant Driving School, more than 60% of our franchisees are fully booked, with many others reporting busy diaries.
This means there can be good opportunities for newly qualified instructors, particularly in areas where learners are struggling to find available tuition.
Your earnings as a self-employed driving instructor depend on your lesson rate, the number of hours you choose to work and your business costs.
Bill Plant Driving School instructors currently earn an average of around £36 per hour in lesson revenue. At 30 teaching hours per week over 48 weeks, that could generate more than £50,000 in annual lesson revenue before tax and business expenses.
As a self-employed instructor, you control your diary and how many hours you work, so your overall earning potential can vary considerably.