A green badge in the windscreen shows that a driving instructor is on the register of approved driving instructors (ADIs), but registration is not permanent. This article summarises the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) ADI register guide on GOV.UK, which applies in England, Scotland and Wales; Northern Ireland has a separate publication. DVSA says the guide and the voluntary code of practice will be replaced by a new mandatory code sometime between late 2026 and early 2027, so details may change. It is general information for learners and trainee instructors.
Joining the register
A person can register as an ADI after passing all three qualifying tests, and must register within one year of passing the part 3 test. Registration then lasts 4 years. It allows the holder to describe themselves as a DVSA Approved Driving Instructor (Car) and to charge for driving instruction. The guide states that it is illegal to charge for driving lessons without being on the register or holding a trainee licence, and that the badge or trainee licence must be displayed in the windscreen during paid instruction. How the qualification route works is explained in the guide to becoming an approved driving instructor.
Separate from registration, the guide lists the general legal requirements for anyone accompanying a learner driver: being 21 or over, being qualified to drive the same category of vehicle, and having held a full licence for that category for at least 3 years. Registration is what allows an instructor to charge.
The ADI Registrar, who works for DVSA, is responsible for the register. The Registrar can refuse entry, refuse to let someone stay on the register, remove someone in certain circumstances or refuse to let a previously removed person rejoin.
Renewal and re-registration
An instructor is responsible for renewing the registration every 4 years and must still be a fit and proper person. A criminal records check must be completed before renewing; the guide says it normally takes around 3 months but can take longer. Someone whose registration ran out within the last 12 months can re-register, again after a criminal records check. If it ran out more than 12 months ago, the person has to start the process of becoming an instructor again.
The meaning of fit and proper, including the factors the Registrar weighs, is covered in the guide to DBS checks and ADI registration.
Duties between renewals
The guide says an ADI must write to the Registrar within 7 days of getting a caution or conviction, including a binding over order, entry on the sex offenders register, being barred from working with children, or any motoring or non-motoring offence including penalty points. Name, home address and business address changes must be updated within 7 days. An ADI must also take and pass a standards check when DVSA asks, and can be removed for failing to meet the required standards, failing to attend or refusing to take one. How the check works is explained in the guide to the ADI standards check.
Suspension, removal and appeals
Removal normally starts with a letter from the Registrar saying that removal is intended. The instructor can respond and supply evidence. Usually the name is not removed until 28 days after the letter, which allows an appeal; if there is no appeal, the name is removed. The Registrar can also use an immediate removal process, in which the name is removed within 14 days unless the instructor appeals to the General Regulatory Chamber within 10 days of the letter or the appeal succeeds.
The Registrar can suspend a registration immediately if they think the instructor poses a significant threat to public safety. The guide states that an instructor cannot be paid for giving driving instruction while suspended. Any instructor who disagrees with a registration decision can appeal to the General Regulatory Chamber.
Voluntary extras and what pupils can check
DVSA encourages continuing professional development, which is voluntary, and instructors can take a voluntary DVSA special test that gives a gold, silver, bronze or fail grade that may be used in advertising. Instructors can also sign up to the voluntary code of practice, discussed in the guide to what instructors promise pupils.
For a learner, the practical points are the badge colour and the complaint route. GOV.UK says a green badge means a qualified instructor and a pink badge a trainee, and that a person who charges without either can be reported to DVSA. Learners who have paid for lessons in advance may want to read the guide to block booking driving lessons before committing to a large package.
The bottom line
ADI registration lasts 4 years and must be renewed by an instructor who is still fit and proper, with a criminal records check that can take about 3 months. Cautions, convictions and changes of details have to be reported within 7 days, DVSA can require a standards check, and the Registrar can suspend or remove an instructor, who can appeal to the General Regulatory Chamber. The mandatory code of practice due between late 2026 and early 2027 will replace the guide, so these rules should be rechecked on GOV.UK.
Sources
- Approved driving instructor (ADI) register guide, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (gov.uk)
- Driving lessons and learning to drive: taking driving lessons (gov.uk)