The voluntary ADI code of practice is on its way out.
The DVSA has published a new mandatory code for driving instructors in England, Scotland and Wales. It lands between late 2026 and early 2027. You'll have to declare you've read and agreed to it every time you renew, apply to join the register or apply for a trainee licence.
Break it, and the ADI Registrar can act.
What the DVSA can do
- Issue a formal warning
- Order a standards check or investigation
- Suspend you and remove you from the register
That's your badge, your income and your business. Gone.
The rule that matters most for your car
The code says you must keep your vehicle insured, roadworthy and legal. It must also have a dual rear-view mirror and correctly positioned L plates (or D plates in Wales), and you should keep it clean and free from loose objects.
So a lapsed MOT isn't just a fine anymore. Forgotten insurance isn't just a nasty letter. Under the new code, they're conduct issues that put your registration at risk.
This is exactly what Smart Operations PRO was built for.
Green, amber, red. You know where you stand the second you open the app.
What Smart Operations PRO does for you
Compliance countdowns that don't let anything slip
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Your ADI badge and licence, tracked too
The code expects you to display a valid badge on every paid lesson. SOP counts down to your ADI or PDI badge expiry and your driving licence renewal, right alongside your car.
DVSA-style daily and weekly checks
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The other must-knows from the code
SOP handles your car and credentials. Here's what else to get sorted:
- ⏱️ The 7-day rules. Report any allegation, caution or conviction (motoring offences included) to crt@dvsa.gov.uk within 7 days. Update your registration within 7 days if your name, address or email changes. Miss either and it can count as misconduct.
- 📵 Phones. No phone use while instructing. Not even hands-free calls. Park and switch off the engine before using a tablet.
- 📄 Terms of business in writing. Contact details, lesson prices and durations, cancellation policy, refund policy, how you handle pupil data, and how pupils can complain.
- 📝 Records. Keep accurate records of lessons and hours delivered, and a log of any complaints and how you resolved them.
- 📣 Marketing. Advertise a pass rate? Explain how it's calculated. No pupil photos or dashcam footage without written consent. Anything you create with AI must be accurate and in line with the national standards.
- 🚫 Grounds for removal. Short lessons, poor instruction, repeated lateness or cancellations, misusing the test booking system, unprofessional behaviour at test centres and relationships with pupils are all named in the code.
- ⚖️ Fit and proper. Your conduct outside work counts. 5 or more penalty points, or a driving ban in the last 4 years, makes it unlikely you'll be considered fit and proper.
Our guide to the new DVSA code of practice for driving instructors walks through every section of the code in detail.
Get ahead now
Don't wait for the start date. The instructors who get caught out will be the ones who left it late.
Start with the part that's easiest to lose track of: your car and your credentials.
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Frequently asked questions
This article summarises the DVSA's published code of practice (effective date to be confirmed) as of September 2026. Check the official code on GOV.UK for the final wording.