16/09/2025
Is your driving instructor legal? 🚗
It's illegal in the UK to charge for driving lessons unless the instructor is either an approved driving instructor (ADI) or a trainee potential driving instructor (PDI). Instructors who do not meet these qualifications and charge for lessons are breaking the law, and are unlikely to have the required insurance, which will leave you unprotected in the event of a collision ⛔️
The DVSA ensures that all approved and trainee instructors adhere to strict safety standards. This includes an enhanced DBS check and ongoing assessments to ensure that they remain a fit and proper person to teach ✅️
Your instructor should display their badge in the windscreen at all times when charging for lessons. If this is not displayed, then you should ask to see it. The badge will have their photo, reference number and expiry date. If you suspect that your instructor is teaching illegally then you can report this to the DVSA who will take this very seriously and investigate 🚦
Illegal instructors will often charge less than the going rate in your area, so if it seems too good to be true, it probably is ❌️
Learning to drive is expensive, and understandably people want to find the best deal. However the only way to know you are protected by the law, are protected by insurance, are safe to spend time in an enclosed environment with someone who has had an extensive background check and receive quality teaching, is to have your lessons delivered by a fully approved instructor, or a trainee instructor displaying the relevant badge 🛑
Is it really worth the risk to save a few £££'s? 👎
