How to become a driving instructor in the UK (2026): steps and costs

We don't run driving instructor courses or franchises. We list independent trainers, and when you book and pay for training with one through Orbit, we take a platform fee. Once you've qualified, Orbit is the software you run your diary, bookings, payments and business records on, free for instructors. So we have no reason to tell you becoming an ADI is cheaper, faster or easier than it is. The guides on the AA, BSM, RED and Bill Plant sites are written by schools that sell training courses and franchises.

The numbers first. Becoming an approved driving instructor costs £748.40 in official fees (the three DVSA tests, the trainee licence, your first badge and the DBS check). The course prices Bill Plant, BSM and RED publish run from £1,495 to £2,999. Retakes, car costs and lost income come on top. There are three tests: Part 1 has unlimited attempts, Parts 2 and 3 have three each. Once you pass Part 1 you have 2 years to pass Part 2 and book Part 3, or you start again.

The 8 steps and their fees

GOV.UK's step-by-step guide splits the qualification into eight steps. It covers England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has its own process, covered at the end of this guide.

Sources: DVSA's ADI fees page and GOV.UK's DBS check page, checked 28 September 2026. These fees are the same whether you train with a franchise or an independent. Fail a test and you pay the full fee again.

Step 1: check you're eligible

GOV.UK's eligibility checker says you need to be:

• 21 or over
• a full car licence holder for at least 3 years
• free of any driving ban (disqualification) in the last 4 years

It then warns that your application can be refused if you have 5 or more penalty points. The ADI register guide is more specific: the ADI Registrar "has refused applications or removed an ADI from the register when they've had 5 or more penalty points within the last 3 years". The new code of practice (below) repeats the line: you're unlikely to be "fit and proper" if you have 5 or more points, or have been disqualified from driving within the last 4 years.

Your licence type matters too. Qualify on an automatic licence and you can only teach in automatic cars.

Before you spend anything, try DVSA's driving instructor suitability assessment on Safe Driving for Life. GOV.UK links to it as the first thing to do.

Step 2: get your DBS check and apply

You need a new criminal record check, even if you already have one for another job. DVSA's contractor is Complete Background Screening (CBS) and the check costs £5.40 online via GOV.UK. If you can't verify your identity online, doing it at a Post Office costs £12. The certificate comes by post. (We covered CBS in our DBS renewal guide.)

GOV.UK says you must agree to the responsibilities in the ADI register guide before you start your application. Once DVSA accepts it, you can book Part 1.

The new mandatory code of practice

On 23 September 2026 DVSA published a new driving instructor code of practice. It is mandatory, and it will replace the ADI register guide and the current voluntary code "sometime between late 2026 and early 2027". The exact start date is still to be confirmed.

Once it's in force, you must declare that you have read and agreed to it when you apply to become an instructor, apply for a trainee licence or renew your registration. It covers the fit and proper test above, how you behave with pupils, phone use while instructing, your written terms (including cancellation and refund policies) and how you advertise pass rates. Read it before you apply.

Step 3: get a trainer (and what "ORDIT" means)

GOV.UK's step 3 is to "get a registered trainer to help you prepare for the 3 qualifying tests". If you want a trainee licence, you'll need at least 40 hours of training from a qualified ADI anyway (more on that in step 6).

ORDIT is the Official Register of Driving Instructor Training, DVSA's voluntary register of instructor trainers. You can search it on GOV.UK. Because it's voluntary, a trainer doesn't have to be on it to coach you, so ask.

Franchise trainer vs independent trainer: the real difference

Your training route matters more than the fee. You have three practical paths.

Route 1: a franchise school. AA, BSM, RED, Bill Plant and others run ADI courses that lead into their franchises. The published prices we checked run from £1,495 (Bill Plant, paid in full) to £2,999 (RED, pay as you go). The pitch is "earn as you train" or "get your fees back". Read the terms. RED says it refunds training fees "gradually, up to a maximum of £2,999, over your first 24 months on the road as a RED franchised driving instructor", partly as franchise credit. The AA's own earnings figure assumes a 24-month AA Solo franchise term.

Route 2: an independent trainer. A smaller school or a solo ORDIT trainer, with no franchise at the end. Driver trainer Chris Bensted says training usually takes 40 to 80 hours at £40 to £70 an hour. This is the route we prefer, because it keeps your business your business.

Route 3: pay as you go. Some independents charge by the hour with no ties. Bensted's warning: costs can creep up if you need extra support.

None of these is automatically better. What matters is what you're tied to when the training ends. Ask this in writing before you pay anyone: "If I don't want to join your franchise after qualifying, what happens, and what does it cost me?" If the answer is vague, walk away.

Orbit lists independent training partners. Train with one, qualify, then run your business on Orbit for free. No weekly franchise fee. No branded car you don't own. If Route 2 sounds right, start there.

Step 4: pass ADI Part 1 (theory and hazard perception), £81

Part 1 is a computer-based test at a theory test centre, in two parts taken in one sitting:

• 100 multiple-choice questions in 1 hour 30 minutes, 25 in each of four categories:
  • road procedure
  • traffic signs and signals, car control, pedestrians and mechanical knowledge
  • driving test, disabilities, and the law
  • publications and instructional techniques
• 14 hazard perception clips, scored up to 5 points per developing hazard.

To pass the questions you need 85 out of 100 overall and at least 20 out of 25 in each category. Score 85 but miss 20 in one category and you fail. The hazard perception pass mark is 57 out of 75. You must pass both parts. There's no limit on attempts, but you must wait at least 3 working days between tests.

Most Part 1 tests end in a fail. DVSA's table DRT511A shows 31,081 Part 1 tests in 2025/26 and a pass rate of 37.0% (ADI qualifying test data).

Practise on the free Orbit ADI Part 1 practice tool.

Step 5: pass ADI Part 2 (driving ability), £111

Part 2 takes around an hour and has five parts:

• An eyesight check: read a number plate from 27 metres (new-style plate) or 27.5 metres (old-style plate). Fail it and you fail the test, and it counts as one of your three attempts.
• Five "show me, tell me" vehicle safety questions: three before you drive, two while driving.
• General driving, including motorways or dual carriageways where possible. You might be asked to do an emergency stop.
• Two of four reversing exercises: parallel park, reverse into a bay, drive into a bay and reverse out, or pull up on the right, reverse about 2 car lengths and rejoin the traffic.
• About 20 minutes of independent driving, following a sat nav or traffic signs.

You pass with no more than 6 driving faults and no serious or dangerous faults.

You get three attempts. Fail the third and you have to retake and pass Part 1, and you can't take Part 1 again until 2 years after you first passed it. In 2025/26, 55.3% of Part 2 tests were passes (DRT521A).

Step 6: get a trainee licence (pink badge), £140

Optional. After Part 2 you can apply for a six-month trainee licence. It lets you charge for lessons before you've passed Part 3. Trainees display a pink badge; qualified ADIs display a green one.

To apply you must have passed Part 1 in the last 2 years, passed Part 2, and had at least 40 hours of training from a qualified ADI (at least 10 of them in a car), recorded on the ADI 21T form. You then choose one of two conditions, and you can't switch later:

• be supervised by your sponsoring ADI for 20% of all the lessons you give, or
• do at least 20 hours of extra training within 3 months of getting the licence, and before you book Part 3.

The licence names your training establishment and you can only instruct from there, so you can't set up on your own. In adverts you must call yourself a "trainee driving instructor", not a PDI, and give the school's contact details, not yours.

When it runs out you can apply for another, but GOV.UK says that's unlikely if you "just want more time to pass" Part 3.

This is why franchises like the trainee licence. "Earn while you train with us" is true, and because you can only instruct from your training establishment, your trainee work runs through their school. Read the sponsor's terms in full before you sign.

Step 7: pass ADI Part 3 (instructional ability), £111

Part 3 is the hardest of the three. A DVSA examiner watches you give a client-centred lesson to a real pupil for about 45 minutes. You're scored 0 to 3 on 17 competencies across lesson planning, risk management, and teaching and learning strategies, for a total out of 51:

• 43 to 51: Grade A
• 31 to 42: Grade B
• 0 to 30: fail

You also fail automatically if you score 7 or less in risk management, or if the examiner stops the lesson because you've put someone in danger.

The pass rate is low. DVSA's table DRT521C shows 27.8% of 13,606 Part 3 tests were passes in 2025/26, and 28.2% in April to June 2026. Marian Kitson, the DVSA director responsible for enforcement, wrote in September 2026 that "too many people are reaching their Part 3 test without the communication and teaching skills the role demands".

You get three attempts. Fail the third and you must stop giving paid lessons straight away, your trainee licence becomes invalid, and you have to retake Parts 1 and 2, waiting 2 years from your original Part 1 pass. For more on the difficulty, see how hard is it to become a driving instructor.

Our Standards Check calculator uses the same 17 competencies and grade bands, so you can use it to benchmark your readiness.

Step 8: register as an ADI and start charging, £300

Pass Part 3 and you must register within 12 months, or you'll have to pass all three tests again. Your first ADI certificate (the green badge) costs £300 and your registration lasts 4 years. Renewal is another £300 every 4 years, with a new DBS check each time.

Once you're on the register you can charge for lessons. What you do next is another decision: join a franchise, go fully independent, or sit in between with your own business plus a pupil-matching platform.

How much does it cost to become a driving instructor?

Chris Bensted, the driver trainer quoted above, puts it plainly: "On paper, it ranges from £800 to £3000. In reality it can be anywhere between £3,000 and £8,000." The gap is retakes, the training model you choose and any contract you sign. Here is what can be pinned to a published price.

Official fees: £608.40 to £748.40

Sources: ADI fees and DBS check on GOV.UK. No training provider sets these.

Training fees: published prices from £1,495 to £2,999

Add the official fees and a published course comes to £2,243.40 (Bill Plant) to £3,747.40 (RED pay as you go), with a trainee licence, before a single retake.

If you then join a franchise, the weekly fee becomes your biggest recurring cost. The AA franchise starts from £181 a week for its Solo package or £201 for all-inclusive, plus a £180 admin fee and a £170 deposit. Over 52 weeks that's £9,412 or £10,452.

Costs with no fixed price

• Failed tests. In 2025/26 the pass rates were 37.0% for Part 1, 55.3% for Part 2 and 27.8% for Part 3 (DVSA). Each retake is the full fee again plus whatever extra training you need. Trainees on the extra-training licence option must do 5 hours of extra training before a Part 3 retake.
• Your car. Parts 2 and 3 need a car that meets DVSA's test rules, taxed and insured for the test. A hire car must have dual controls.
• Books and apps. DVSA lists the books the Part 1 questions are based on, from The Highway Code to the Driving Instructor's Handbook.
• Insurance once you start charging.
• Lost income. If you take time off other work to train, count the earnings you give up.

So what's the realistic total?

Published prices give you £2,243 to £3,747 before a single retake. Bensted's £3,000 to £8,000 is his range once retakes, extra training, car costs and lost income land. Where you end up depends mostly on how many retakes you need.

Run your own numbers on the Orbit franchise cost calculator.

How long does it take to become a driving instructor?

DVSA doesn't publish an average. It sets the deadlines:

• Once you pass Part 1, you must pass Part 2 and book Part 3 within 2 years, or start the whole process again. The Roads Minister confirmed in written answer 26270 (9 September 2026) that if your Part 3 application goes in before the deadline, the test itself can take place afterwards.
• A trainee licence lasts 6 months.
• After passing Part 3 you have 12 months to register.

Test availability is the other factor. DVSA said in September 2026 that applications to qualify are up 152% since 2018/19 and that some Part 2 and Part 3 tests have "taken longer to book than [they] should". It is recruiting more ADI examiners. If no dates are showing, use DVSA's book to hold service to nominate a date and centre. The same written answer says priority is given, where appropriate, to trainees near the end of their two-year window.

Is it worth becoming a driving instructor? The earnings picture

Here are the numbers that have a source.

What the AA's £52,412 is

The AA says you "could earn an average of £52,412" as an ADI. Its explanation says the figure is "based on a 35-hour teaching week over 48 weeks a year, in a Category A manual vehicle on a 24-month AA Solo term, using the average lesson price of £36.80 charged by AA Driving School Instructors in 2025", and that it is "gross income before expenses".

The AA doesn't say so, but the sum suggests the franchise fee is already out of it. 35 hours × 48 weeks × £36.80 is £61,824. Fifty-two weeks of the £181 Solo fee is £9,412. £61,824 minus £9,412 is exactly £52,412. Fuel, which the AA says its franchise fee doesn't cover, still comes out of that figure, and so does tax.

Franchise vs independent at the same price

Same hours, same £36.80 lesson price, run two ways:

The AA says a franchise fee typically covers a branded car, servicing and repairs, insurance, breakdown cover, marketing "with a steady supply of pupils included" and business support. Its page doesn't say which of these the cheaper £181 Solo package leaves out, so ask.

The question for an independent is simple: can you run your own car, insurance, servicing and marketing for less than £9,412 a year? If you can, independence pays. If you can't, the franchise is doing its job. An independent also sets their own price.

Both columns assume a full 35-hour teaching week. Most instructors work less. In DVSA's 2025 survey of 3,448 instructors, 19.3% worked 35 hours or more a week, and £36 to £40 was the most common price for a one-hour lesson (50.3% of ADIs charge it). Our driving instructor earnings guide breaks down take-home pay across the hours and prices most instructors work.

The catch: the independent route means finding your own pupils. That's the bit franchises sell, and it's what Orbit's pupil marketplace is for.

Model your own scenario on the Orbit earnings calculator and the lesson rate calculator.

Franchise vs independent: which training route makes sense for you

Short version: if you already know you want to go independent, don't train with a franchise. If you don't know yet, train somewhere with no contractual lock-in so you keep both doors open.

Red flags before you sign anything

Adapted from Chris Bensted's cost breakdown:

• "Guaranteed pass." Doesn't exist. DVSA examiners mark the tests, not your trainer.
• Long franchise tie-ins. Find out exactly how long you're committed and what leaving costs.
• Pupil supply promises without a number. "We'll keep you busy" is not the same as a written commitment to a number of pupils.
• Vague answers on what happens if you fail. Who pays for the extra training? You should know before you pay a penny.
• "Free training" that needs you to sign a separate agreement to collect. That agreement is the bit that matters.

Ask every provider the same five questions, and get the answers in writing:

1. What happens if I fail a test?
2. Can I leave the franchise, when, and how much does it cost?
3. What's included in the quoted price, and what isn't?
4. Who's training me, and are they on the ORDIT register?
5. Can I speak to current and former trainees who qualified with you?

More on the franchise escape in our guide to how to leave a driving instructor franchise and the hidden costs of a driving school franchise.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

England, Scotland and Wales: the same DVSA process, fees and tests.

Northern Ireland: a separate process run by the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), set out on nidirect. There are still three tests, but the rules differ. You need to have held a full licence for four of the past six years, you must pass all three parts in order within two years, and the enhanced criminal record check is done by AccessNI. Part 2 is taken at Balmoral (Belfast) or Altnagelvin, and Part 3 at Ladas Drive (Belfast) or Altnagelvin. NI trainee licences also last six months, and apart from "very exceptional circumstances" you can only get two in a lifetime. Fees are different from Great Britain, and all three parts must be taken in the same jurisdiction.

Already registered in Northern Ireland? GOV.UK's eligibility checker has a route to transfer your registration to Great Britain.

Before you sign anything, run your own numbers in the franchise cost calculator. When you're ready to train, we can introduce you to an independent trainer. And when you pass your Part 3, Orbit runs your diary, card payments, expense and mileage records and pupil marketplace listing, free for instructors, with no weekly franchise fee, no contract, and you drive your own car.