Driving Instructors

Anyone who teaches, tests, or assesses another person to drive or varies their driver’s licence and receives money or reward is required by law to hold a driving instructor licence.

This page provides information for existing driving instructors or anyone interested in becoming a licensed driving instructor.

Applying for a driving instructor licence

To find out all the information about becoming a driving instructor, the requirements and process follow this link: Apply for a driving instructor licence

Alternatively, if you are applying for a motorcycle riding instructor licence visit Apply for a riding instructor licence

Approved course providers

The approved bodies that conduct the training are Registered Training Organisations. They will need a copy of your Letter of Eligibility to enrol you into the course. If you have lost your letter, call 02 8848 8700.

The following organisations are Transport-approved providers of driving instructor training for car, heavy vehicle and motorcycle instructors.

Qualifications issued by non-approved course providers are not recognised as the courses may not have been conducted to the standard required by Transport.

Car instructors NSW

Heavy Vehicle instructors NSW

Motorcycle instructors NSW

Interstate training providers

Transport will only recognise the required certificates issued by interstate Recognised Training Organisations (RTOs) who hold a current service provider deed with the driver licensing regulator in that state.

ACT: 

Queensland: 

Northern Territory:

South Australia: 

Western Australia: 

Victoria: 

Application fees

Fees are payable to Service NSW for:

• Driver Knowledge Test
• Driving test / Motorcycle Operator Skills Test (MOST)
• Pre-learner rider training course (motorcycle instructors only)
• Working With Children Check (collected on behalf of Office of the Children's Guardian)
• Issue of a five-year Driving Instructor licence.

Fees for the instructor training course, including the final assessment, are determined by the course providers and paid directly to them.

Other fees, such as those payable to medical practitioners for the Fitness to Drive medical assessment, are your responsibility.

Upgrading to a higher class of driving instructor’s licence

If you want to add an additional class of licence to your current driving instructor licence (including Mutual Recognition recognised applicants) you can apply to upgrade.

This process also includes upgrading a driving instructor licence transmission condition, i.e. automatic to unrestricted.

For an explanation of the different upgrade processes and requirements follow the link: Apply to upgrade a driving instructor licence

Restricted driving instructor’s licence

If you want to teach driving to already licenced drivers only in return for a money or reward, you must hold a restricted driving instructor’s licence.  Restricted driving instructors cannot teach learner drivers.  The restricted driving instructor licence is for training for professional purposes such as Police and Ambulance.

To apply for a restricted driving instructor’s licence, follow this link for additional information: Apply for a restricted driving instructor licence or if you wish to apply for a restricted riding instructor licence visit Apply for a restricted riding instructor licence

There is no restricted driving instructor licence available for heavy vehicles.

Renewing a driving instructor licence

It is your responsibility as a driving instructor to ensure your:

• Driving instructor licence is current and valid for the licence class
• Driving licence is current and valid for the licence class
• Working with Children Check (WCC) is current. 

You must produce and allow a student time to examine your licence before giving driving instruction to a student.

Driving instructor licences expire after five years. A renewal notice will be mailed to you two months before expiry.

How you renew your driving instructor’s licence will depend on when your current licence expired. For advice on which process to follow to renew your licence, visit Service NSW Renew a driving instructor licence.

Driving instructor record keeping requirements

As a driving instructor you have record keeping responsibilities under Section 48 of the Driving Instructors Regulation 2016 - NSW Legislation. These records must be kept in a form approved by Transport).

You must keep the following records for every student for five years:

1. The student’s name, address and telephone number
2. The student’s driving licence number
3. The dates and times of theory and practical instruction
4. The registration number of each vehicle used for practical instruction
5. If the driving instructor’s motor vehicle is hired solely for a driving test, the name, address, and driver licence number of the person presenting for the test

 In addition, your records must include:

1. Your name, driver licence number and driving instructor’s licence number
2. The name of each driving school at which you work as a driving instructor

If you are the operator of a driving school, you have additional record keeping obligations which can be accessed at Driving Instructors Regulation 2016 - NSW Legislation.

Replacing a driving instructor licence

If your driving instructor licence is:

• Lost or stolen, Damaged or destroyed, or,
• You are downgrading your licence, or,
• You have changed your name or appearance,

you can apply for a replacement card.  For the process follow the link: Apply for a replacement driving instructor licence

Interstate and New Zealand instructors

Mutual Recognition

If you are a permanent resident of NSW and hold a current driving instructor licence from another Australian state or from New Zealand, you can apply for Mutual Recognition.

Under the Mutual Recognition Act or the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act, driving instructors moving to NSW who hold a driving instructor licence in another Australian state or territory or from New Zealand can apply for a NSW instructor licence.  To find out more follow the link: Apply for a NSW driving instructor licence under mutual recognition

If however, you are a driving instructor from another Australian state (excluding Queensland) and you wish to temporarily work in NSW as a driving instructor, you can apply under Automatic Mutual Recognition from 1 November 2022.  

Automatic Mutual Recognition

AMR enables holders of occupational licences, including driving instructors, to work in a second state or territory without having to get a licence, or pay fees, in that second state or territory.

From 1 December 2022 all states and territories will be participating in the AMR scheme except for Queensland.

Driving instructors will be added to the AMR scheme on this date.

If a worker is eligible for AMR, they work under an Automatic Deemed Registration (ADR).

To work in a second state under ADR, workers must hold a valid and current licence in their home jurisdiction. For most people, this is where they live and carry out most of their work.

Transport for NSW (Transport) will recognise all AMR participating state and territory licensed driving instructors.

They will also recognise a NSW driving instructor licence.

While working in NSW, workers can:

• only undertake activities they are allowed to perform under their home state licence, and
• must comply with local regulations.
• A driving instructor working in NSW with ADR is not automatically entitled to work in other driver/rider testing and assessment programs in NSW.

All AMR participating states will also recognise a NSW licensed driving instructor.

How interstate driving instructors notify Transport

From the AMR page on nsw.gov.au, driving instructors will access a list of all the occupations included in the AMR scheme from 1 December 2022.

Driving instructors can find their occupation on the list and notify the regulator using the link to the notification platform.

The driving instructor will begin notification by creating a MyServiceNSW account.

Driving instructors need to provide basic information such as name, address, home state and occupational number and expiry date. They also need to confirm that they are not subject of criminal, civil or disciplinary proceedings in any state in relation to the occupation that they are notifying for. Driving instructors must also provide a valid NSW Working With Children Check if intending to instruct C Class or R Class.

Transport will verify the information the driving instructor has provided with their home state. Once a notification has been submitted, a driving instructor can start working in NSW unless Transport advises otherwise.

Information for driving instructors will be available from 1 December 2022 on the NSW Government website.

Regulating driving instructors working under ADR

Driving instructors working under ADR in NSW will need to be able to hand over their driving instructor licence for inspection at the request of:

• an authorised officer
• an NSW Police officer
• any person who wishes to receive or is receiving driving instruction from the driving instructor.

Driving instructors working under ADR in NSW will be able to use their home state driving instructor licence (or equivalent) for this purpose.

All interstate workers must comply with NSW regulations while working in NSW.

Failure to comply with relevant state or territory legislation or regulation could impact a worker’s eligibility to continue to work under AMR and may also affect the status of their home state driving instructor licence.

 Frequently asked questions

Heavy vehicle, older driver, safer driver and motorcycle training/assessing schemes or courses

The Heavy Vehicle Competency Based Assessment (HVCBA), Older Driver Assessor, Safer Driver and Motorcycle Rider Training/Assessing schemes and courses operate under contracts/agreements with Transport.

Instructors wanting to work in these schemes or courses must be employed by an organisation with a current Transport contract/agreement.

Instructors in these schemes or courses are required to undertake further training and assessments, in addition to the requirements listed above. Information on these requirements can be obtained from Transport by emailing:

• HVCBA - hvtraining@transport.nsw.gov.au
• Older Driver Assessor - olderdriverassessor@transport.nsw.gov.au
• Safer Driver - saferdriverscourse@transport.nsw.gov.au
• Applicants for the HVCBA or Older Driver Assessor courses must hold prior to enrolment onto the course, the relevant instructor licence and certificates for:
  • TAEASS412 Assess competence, or,
  • A Transport approved equivalent.

For more information see Heavy Vehicle Competency Based Assessment (HVCBA) Scheme or Older Driver Assessment.

Instructor behaviour

In issuing you a driving instructor licence, Transport for NSW (Transport) considers you to be a public official.

As such, Transport must ensure that driving instructors are of ‘good repute’, ‘good character’ and otherwise ‘fit and proper.

This is to protect the community, to benefit the driving instruction industry, and to promote the safety and protection of persons receiving driving instruction.

Please ensure you review the standards as set out in the Driving Instructors and Assessors Fit and Proper Policy (PDF, 353.15 KB).

If you do not meet the standards as set out in the Fit and Proper Guidelines, Transport can take action including cancellation of your driving instructor licence. You may also be liable to fines and or prosecution. 

For further information please refer to the Driving Instructors Act 1992 No 3 - NSW Legislation & Driving Instructors Regulation 2016 - NSW Legislation.