Approved driving instructors (ADIs) in Great Britain work to a code of practice that sets out how they should treat pupils, handle money and deal with complaints. At present the code is voluntary. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has published a replacement that will be mandatory, to be introduced sometime between late 2026 and early 2027, with the exact date still to be confirmed. This article summarises both, using GOV.UK pages that apply in England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has separate arrangements. It is general information, and the new code is not yet in force.
The current voluntary code
GOV.UK describes the existing code as voluntary for ADIs to follow. It was agreed between DVSA and the National Associations Strategic Partnership, whose member groups are the Approved Driving Instructors National Joint Council, the Driving Instructors Association and the Motor Schools Association of Great Britain. Those professional bodies expect their members to follow it, and an ADI who agrees to it can update their registration to show so. The code was first published in 2017, and DVSA updated its personal conduct section on 20 November 2025.
What it already promises pupils
The voluntary code groups its commitments into four headings.
- Personal conduct: behaving professionally, complying with equality, consumer and data protection law, avoiding inappropriate physical contact and language, avoiding involvement in a client’s personal affairs, respecting confidentiality, and using social media responsibly.
- Business dealings: safeguarding and accounting for money paid in advance, and making the code and terms of business available on or before the first lesson. Those terms should include the price and duration of lessons, cancellation terms, refund terms and the complaints procedure.
- Progress and advice: keeping a record of progress, including the number of lessons provided, and advising when to apply for a driving test.
- Advertising: claims must be clear, fair and verifiable under the CAP codes, and any pass rate should state how it was calculated.
Cost-related terms are explored in the guide to comparing real lesson costs, and prepaid packages in the guide to block booking driving lessons.
What changes under the mandatory code
DVSA says the new code will replace the ADI register guide and the voluntary code. Instructors will have to declare that they have read and agreed to it when they apply to become an instructor, renew their registration or apply for a trainee licence. It will also set out what it means to be a fit and proper person. The ADI Registrar may issue a formal warning, carry out a standards check or investigation, or suspend and remove an instructor who does not comply.
The published wording is specific. It says instructors must not enter a sexual or romantic relationship with someone they are instructing, and that the Registrar could remove an instructor following a complaint of this kind from a pupil or relative. Instructors must not use a mobile phone or hand-held device while instructing, including in hands-free mode, and may receive 6 penalty points for using one in a moving vehicle. They must display their badge or trainee certificate in the windscreen when giving paid instruction.
Money, lessons and terms of business
The new code will add duties that bear directly on pupils. Instructors will have to keep accurate records of lessons completed and hours delivered, tell pupils their progress and what further training is needed, account for and protect money paid, particularly in advance, and provide the instruction paid for. Terms of business must cover contact details, price and duration, cancellation, refunds, handling of personal data and how to complain, and should be given in writing before lessons begin.
The code lists conduct for which the Registrar can remove an instructor from the register: giving lessons shorter than agreed, instruction below the expected standard, repeatedly arriving late and repeatedly cancelling lessons. It also says instructors must make sure any learning materials developed using AI are accurate and in line with national standards. See the guide to instructor car requirements for vehicle rules.
Safeguarding and fit and proper
The new code will require instructors to protect all pupils from harm, especially children under 18 and vulnerable adults, to maintain professional boundaries and to avoid inappropriate contact with pupils outside lessons, including through personal social media. It will also require instructors to tell DVSA within 7 days if they are the subject of an allegation, are cautioned or convicted of an offence, including motoring offences, or are barred from working with children, and failing to report may itself be treated as misconduct. The fit and proper test is discussed in the guide to DBS checks and ADI registration, and instructor assessment in the guide to the ADI standards check.
If something goes wrong
The existing code says complaints should first go to the instructor, driving school or contractor under their complaints procedure. If the matter is not resolved, a client who thinks the business service is unsatisfactory can contact a local Citizens Advice, and a client unhappy with the instructor’s professional service can email the ADI Registrar at the address given in the code. DVSA says it uses the code when assessing complaints. The complaint route is covered further in the guide to complaining about an instructor.
The bottom line
Today the ADI code of practice is voluntary and promises pupils professional conduct, written terms of business, safeguarded prepayments, a progress record and fair advertising. DVSA plans a mandatory replacement sometime between late 2026 and early 2027, which instructors must declare they have agreed to when applying or renewing, with clearer rules on safeguarding, records, money, phones and reporting. The new code is not yet in force, so pupils should still ask any instructor for their terms of business before the first lesson.
Sources
- Driving instructor code of practice, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, last updated 23 September 2026 (gov.uk)
- Approved driving instructor (ADI) code of practice, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (gov.uk)
- Driving instructor code of practice (effective date to be confirmed), Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (gov.uk)