How to become a driving instructor

Official title: Driving instructors

Also called: Instructor, Hgv instructor, Lgv instructor, Cycle instructor, Driver-instructor, Cycling instructor, Driving instructor, Forklift instructor, Fork lift instructor, Motorcycle instructor, Motor cycle instructor, Fork lift truck instructor

Driving instructors co-ordinate and undertake the instruction of people learning to drive cars, motorcycles, buses, fork-lifts and haulage vehicles.

Main tasks

• Checks instruction and learning standards and discusses teaching plans with other instructors
• Plans lessons in accordance with the needs and abilities of individual pupils
• Explains driving techniques and assists pupil with difficulties
• Familiarises pupil with the Highway Code and different road and traffic conditions
• Advises pupil when to apply for theoretical and practical driving tests and familiarises them with test procedures and standards

How to become one

There are no formal academic requirements. Candidates must have held a current driving licence for four out of the last six years, have no motoring or criminal convictions and be over 21 years old. To gain registration as an Approved Driving Instructor, entrants must pass a three-part examination. Instructors for Large Goods Vehicles (LGVs), Passenger Carrying Vehicles (PCVs) and Fork-lifts are trained internally or at specialist training establishments.

Pay · Outlook

• About 46,700 people work in this job now, and about 46,400 are projected by 2035. (-0.6%)

Related jobs

• Heavy and large goods vehicle drivers
• Bus and coach drivers
• Taxi and cab drivers and chauffeurs
• Delivery drivers and couriers

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Questions people ask

How do I become a driving instructor?

There are no formal academic requirements. Candidates must have held a current driving licence for four out of the last six years, have no motoring or criminal convictions and be over 21 years old. To gain registration as an Approved Driving Instructor, entrants must pass a three-part examination. Instructors for Large Goods Vehicles (LGVs), Passenger Carrying Vehicles (PCVs) and Fork-lifts are trained internally or at specialist training establishments.

Is a driving instructor a growing career in the UK?

Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 46,700 people now and 46,400 later (Department for Education).

Do you need a degree to become a driving instructor?

Usually not. Only 17% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Sources

• Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03