Understand what is changing, what it means for your driving school, and where your current procedures, records or documentation may need attention.
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PRACTICAL GUIDANCE FROM ABERDEEN BUSINESS ONLINE
The new Code affects more than your Terms & Conditions
Aberdeen Business Online has reviewed the published DVSA Driving Instructor Code of Practice and broken the key requirements down into practical, everyday driving-school situations.
The aim is to help you understand what is changing.You will see what the requirements mean in day-to-day business, which parts are fixed by DVSA, which decisions remain yours, and where your current setup may need to be reviewed or strengthened.
UnderstandWhat DVSA actually says.
ApplyWhat it means in a real driving school.
ReviewHow your current business operates today.
ActWhat may need documenting, recording or changing.
Source: DVSA Driving Instructor Code of Practice, updated 23 September 2026. The mandatory Code is expected to take effect between late 2026 and early 2027. Its effective date is still to be confirmed. Read the published DVSA Code.
SEPARATING REQUIREMENTS FROM PRACTICAL GUIDANCE
Throughout the guide, I separate what DVSA requires from the choices you make
This matters because not every practical policy is dictated by DVSA. Your cancellation period, prices and refund method are business decisions. Other duties are fixed by the Code.
DVSA MUSTA requirement expressed as a mandatory duty in the published Code.
DVSA SHOULDA DVSA recommendation or expected good practice.
WHAT THIS MEANS DAY TO DAYABO translating the requirement into a normal instructor situation.
YOUR BUSINESS DECISIONA policy you choose, such as your cancellation period or block-refund method.
ABO PRACTICAL GUIDANCEA practical way to document, evidence or manage the requirement.
Please read each section rather than rushing through it.This guide is intended to help instructors learn what the new Code means for their own business, not simply lead to a form or sell a document.
WHY THE CHANGE MATTERS
This replaces the previous voluntary arrangements
DVSA MUST / MANDATORY CODEDVSA has published a new mandatory Code of Practice which will replace the approved driving instructor register guide and voluntary code arrangements.
The Code covers professional behaviour, safeguarding, instruction and road safety, driving tests, devices, business terms, financial responsibilities, data protection, marketing, complaints and other duties.
Consequences matter: DVSA states that non-compliance can lead to a formal warning, a standards check or investigation, suspension, or removal from the ADI register depending on the circumstances.
This is wider than changing a few lines in an old document
Money paid in advanceCan you show what the pupil paid for, what has been used and what remains?
Lesson recordsCan you show the lessons and hours that were actually delivered?
Pass photosCan you show explicit written permission before publishing pupil information or images?
ComplaintsCan you show what the complaint was, what you did and how it was resolved?
A KEY DISTINCTION
Do I only need to deal with this when I renew my ADI registration?
DVSA MUSTDVSA says you must declare that you have read and agreed to the Code when you apply to become an instructor, renew your registration, or apply for a trainee licence.
That is the declaration. It is not the whole requirement.The Code then sets out ongoing standards and responsibilities covering the way you teach, run your business, manage pupil information, keep records, handle money and deal with complaints.
THE DECLARATIONWhen you confirm agreement
Application to become an instructor
Renewal of ADI registration
Application for a trainee licence
THE CODE IN PRACTICEWhat you are agreeing to follow
Professional and safeguarding responsibilities
Terms, lesson and progress records
Advance payments and pupil data
Marketing consent and complaints
Your registration renewal is a point at which you declare agreement to the Code.It should not be confused with the ongoing responsibilities contained within the Code itself.
Why this matters: requirements such as keeping lesson records, telling pupils their progress, accounting for advance payments and recording complaints arise through everyday pupil relationships. They are not tasks that can be completed simply by signing a declaration at renewal.
NOT EVERYTHING IS A DOCUMENT
The Code also affects conduct and day-to-day instruction
The documentation and business requirements are important, but they are not the whole Code. Instructors should understand the wider professional duties as well.
SafeguardingProtect pupils from harm, especially under-18s and vulnerable adults, understand safeguarding principles and maintain professional boundaries.
Reporting to DVSACertain allegations, cautions, convictions and barring decisions must be reported to DVSA within the stated period.
Phones and devicesNo handheld device use while instructing and no receiving calls during instruction, including hands-free calls.
ADI badgeThe badge or trainee certificate must be displayed in the windscreen when providing paid instruction.
Registration detailsSpecified changes to name, home address, business address or email must be updated with DVSA within 7 calendar days.
Road safety and instructionInstruction must be at the right level, the pupil must be entitled to drive, and the vehicle must remain legal and roadworthy.
EmergenciesInstructors should know how to get help, assist those involved and provide basic emergency care.
FOCUS OF THE REST OF THIS GUIDE
The remaining sections go deeper into the business, pupil-facing and record-keeping areas where instructors may need to review how they currently operate.
WHAT PUPILS MUST UNDERSTAND
Your existing Terms may not be enough
DVSA MUSTYour terms of business must include your business contact details, lesson price and duration, cancellation policy, refund policy, how personal data will be handled, and how pupils can make a complaint.
DVSA SHOULDThese terms should be given to the pupil in writing before lessons start.
Many instructors already have paperwork that originally came from training, a franchise, another instructor, or documents shared and adapted over the years. That wording may still contain useful material, but it should not simply be assumed to cover the new mandatory Code.
This is not simply a case of changing a few lines in an old template.The important question is whether your documents, procedures and records together reflect the requirements and the way your business actually operates.
WHAT THIS MEANS DAY TO DAY
Your old Terms say "48 hours notice"
That may still be your policy. But do the same documents clearly cover refunds, personal data and complaints? Do your records also show advance money, lessons delivered and complaint outcomes where relevant?
ABO PRACTICAL GUIDANCE
Do not throw your existing paperwork away. Upload it. Useful wording can be retained where appropriate, while missing, unclear or outdated areas are identified for review.
YOUR BUSINESS DECISIONS NEED TO BE CLEAR
DVSA requires the policy. You decide what the policy actually is
DVSA MUSTYour written terms must include your cancellation policy and refund policy.
EVERYDAY EXAMPLE
A pupil cancels tomorrow morning's two-hour lesson tonight
Do you require 24, 48 or 72 hours? Is the full fee charged? Are genuine emergencies treated differently? Those are your business decisions, but the policy should be clear before the dispute happens.
EVERYDAY EXAMPLE
A pupil buys 10 discounted hours and stops after using 6
Do you recalculate the used lessons at the normal hourly rate, refund unused hours at the block rate, or use another clearly defined method? The pupil should know the rule before buying the block.
ABO PRACTICAL GUIDANCE
The guided setup records your actual cancellation, no-show, lateness, block-booking and refund arrangements. If you have not yet decided something, it can be flagged for review rather than guessed.
THE CODE GOES BEYOND TERMS
Can you show what was paid for, delivered and learned?
DVSA MUSTKeep accurate records of lessons completed and hours delivered, clearly tell pupils their current progress and further training needs, account for and protect money paid to you, particularly advance payments, and provide the instruction that has been paid for.
EVERYDAY EXAMPLE
A pupil prepaid 10 hours and has just completed another two-hour lesson
Can you quickly show the original credit, the hours already delivered and the remaining balance?
EVERYDAY EXAMPLE
"Am I nearly test ready?"
Can the pupil understand what they are doing well, what still needs work and what their next training focus is?
OPTIONAL ABO TOOLS
ABO-LGR can record completed lessons and remaining lesson credit. ABO-LPR can record skills progress, lesson notes and next-lesson focus. These are optional tools and are not required to purchase the documentation service.
A DOCUMENT DESCRIBES THE POLICY. A RECORD HELPS SHOW WHAT HAPPENED.
If a question, dispute or investigation arose, what could you actually show?
Having clear Terms and procedures matters. But some parts of the Code also involve individual events and records created while you work with a pupil.
Advance-payment disputeA pupil says they paid for 10 hours but only received 6. Your Terms explain the policy. Your lesson and credit records show what was purchased, delivered and remains.
Progress questionedA pupil says they were never told they needed more training. A progress record can show skills covered, current progress, dated notes and areas still needing work.
Pass photo challengedA Privacy Notice explains how data is handled. An individual consent record can show whether that pupil explicitly agreed to their information or image being shared.
Complaint disputedA Complaints Procedure explains what should happen. A complaint record shows what was received, the action taken, the response and how it was resolved.
Personal data queriedIf a former pupil asks about information still held, can you identify where their information is kept, how it is managed and what your retention or deletion approach is?
Documents requestedIf DVSA or the ADI Registrar investigates, the Code says you must cooperate fully, including providing information, documents and explanations when asked.
This does not mean DVSA has announced routine paperwork inspections for every instructor.It means your business should be able to support the policies and responsibilities you have agreed to follow if a relevant question, complaint or investigation arises.
A template can describe your policies. It cannot create the individual records that show what actually happened.You do not need complicated software, but you do need practical processes and appropriate records.
FIXED RULE + PRACTICAL CONSULTATION + YOUR VEHICLE POLICY
The pupil books the test, but the proposed date should be discussed with the instructor first
DVSA MUSTLearners must book and manage their own car driving-test appointment. Instructors cannot book, change, swap or cancel the pupil's test.
DVSA SHOULDBefore the test, consider whether the pupil is ready and advise them to book a later test if they are not. On test day, agree beforehand whether you will accompany them and use the debrief to identify any future training needs.
WHAT THIS MEANS DAY TO DAY
The learner should discuss the proposed date with you before booking if they expect to use your tuition car
This gives you the opportunity to consider readiness, your availability and whether your vehicle can be supplied. The pupil still makes and manages the actual DVSA booking.
EVERYDAY EXAMPLE
"I've booked my test for next month and I need your car"
The booking itself belongs to the learner, but that does not automatically reserve your vehicle. Your terms can make prior consultation, notice, availability, readiness and test-car charges clear.
ABO PRACTICAL GUIDANCE
Your setup records whether you expect the proposed date to be discussed first, the notice you require, whether your car is subject to agreement, the reasons it may not be supplied, and your test-day arrangements and price.
PROFESSIONAL DUTIES + CLEAR PUPIL RULES
Safety and professional boundaries are not optional commercial policies
DVSA MUSTProtect pupils from harm, especially children under 18 and vulnerable adults, create a safe learning environment, understand safeguarding principles and maintain professional boundaries.
WHAT THIS MEANS DAY TO DAY
A pupil arrives apparently unfit to drive or repeatedly ignores safety instructions
The Code creates safety and professional duties. ABO also recommends making the practical pupil rules clear in your Terms so the pupil understands when a lesson may be stopped or tuition may end.
UNDER-18 EXAMPLE
A parent pays and manages bookings for a 17-year-old pupil
Who receives the documents? What parent/guardian details do you keep? What progress or payment information may be shared, and in what circumstances? These arrangements should be understood rather than assumed.
ABO PRACTICAL GUIDANCE
The documentation setup records pupil responsibilities, unsafe-lesson arrangements, circumstances where tuition may end, unused prepaid credit, and how under-18 parent/guardian arrangements work in your business.
WHAT INFORMATION DO YOU ACTUALLY HOLD?
A sentence saying "I comply with data protection law" is not a privacy process
DVSA MUSTFollow data-protection requirements, including correct handling, storage and destruction of data, and protect pupil information and information given in confidence.
EVERYDAY EXAMPLE
A pupil passes today
Their phone number, pickup address, lesson history, messages, payment records and progress notes may still exist across your phone, email, cloud storage or driving-instructor app. What is kept, where, why and for how long?
DASHCAM EXAMPLE
Your car records road-facing video during lessons
Does it record audio? Is there a cabin camera? How long is footage retained? Who may receive it after an incident? Is it ever published? The actual setup matters when preparing privacy information.
ABO PRACTICAL GUIDANCE
You do not need to know GDPR terminology. The guided setup asks what information you actually collect, where it is stored, which services receive it, what you do after pupils leave, and how any in-car camera works.
WRITTEN CONSENT MATTERS
A normal pass-photo habit now deserves a proper recorded process
DVSA MUSTDo not share client information, images or videos without explicit written consent. In-car camera footage must not be distributed, circulated or published without consent.
EVERYDAY EXAMPLE
A pupil passes and you take the usual photo beside the car
A verbal "is it okay if I put this on Facebook?" is not the same as keeping explicit written consent. Your process should record what the pupil agreed could be used and where.
The Code also mentions AI-created material.Learning and promotional materials produced using AI must still be technically correct, accurate and aligned with the relevant standards. AI does not remove the instructor's responsibility for what is published.
ABO PRACTICAL GUIDANCE
Marketing permission is kept separate from general Terms so it is clear and optional. The setup records whether you use pass photos, names, reviews, social media, website content or other promotional material.
THIS NEEDS A PROCESS, NOT JUST AN EMAIL ADDRESS
DVSA now requires a complaint record and the outcome
DVSA MUSTDeal with complaints promptly and try to resolve them quickly, make sure the pupil knows how to complain, and keep a record of complaints and how they were resolved.
RECEIVED→ACKNOWLEDGED→REVIEWED→RESPONSE→OUTCOME→RESOLUTION RECORDED
DVSA does not prescribe one universal acknowledgement period or one fixed response deadline in the Code. The practical procedure still needs to be workable and clear for the instructor and pupil.
EVERYDAY EXAMPLE
A pupil disputes a late-cancellation charge on WhatsApp
You resolve it today. Six months later the issue is raised again. Can you show the complaint, the records you checked, your response, any action taken and how it was closed?
HOW ABO PROVIDES THE SOLUTION
You do not need to arrive with a full complaints procedure already designed. ABO uses your current arrangements to prepare a personalised Complaints Procedure covering receipt, acknowledgement, review, response, outcome and resolution. Lower packages include a clear complaint-record template you manage yourself. The Complete Documentation System can record and manage complaints, outcomes and history in the secure dashboard.
A PROFESSIONAL-LOOKING DOCUMENT IS NOT THE SAME AS A COMPLETE PROCESS
AI and templates can produce excellent wording. What happens after you create the document?
AI can help draft professional-looking Terms and other documents very quickly. Existing instructor Terms can also contain useful wording. The important question is not how impressive the document looks, but whether it accurately reflects your own driving school and whether the processes described in it actually exist.
TEMPLATE / AI DOCUMENTCan create wording
Can look polished and comprehensive
May not reflect your actual prices, refunds or test-car policy
Cannot know whether the described process is what you really do
Does not create individual lesson, credit or progress records
Does not create a pupil's marketing-consent record
Does not create a complaint and resolution history
ABO REVIEW & SETUPStarts with how your business actually works
Explains the requirements in practical terms
Reviews existing paperwork you supply
Captures your actual policies and business decisions
Identifies missing or unclear areas
Builds the supporting document set around your agreed setup
Creates a controlled first version for your review and approval
Creating the document is one task. Operating what it says is another.A Terms document can say you keep accurate lesson records, monitor progress or deal with complaints. It does not itself create those individual records.
Changing the name and prices on a generic template is not the same as reviewing your business against the new mandatory Code.The stronger question is: do your documents, everyday processes and records all reflect how your driving school actually operates?
Turn what you have learned into a documented setup for your own driving school
The £199 service is not the purchase of a generic document. It is a guided review and first documentation setup built around the way your business actually operates.
Renewals cover the hosted system, not unlimited policy rewriting.The initial setup includes reasonable corrections needed to reach the first approved version. Later substantial business or policy changes may require a controlled update.
ALREADY HAVE A WEBSITE? NO PROBLEM
The documentation service works independently of your website provider
You do not need to replace your existing website to use Aberdeen Business Online documentation. The right setup depends on how much you want to manage yourself.
£199Use the documents yourselfYou receive the approved document set. Send it directly to pupils or ask your existing website provider to add links to the PDFs.
£249One ABO-hosted documentation linkYour current documents are kept online for you. Add the link to your own website, WhatsApp, email or pupil messages.
£329Digital acceptance without replacing your siteYour own website can link to the ABO pupil page, or you can send the link directly. Pupils read and accept the current versions online.
£399Documentation and records managed as a systemYour existing site can still link in. Document versions, pupil acceptance evidence and complaint records are managed separately in the secure ABO system.
Your documentation does not have to be built into an ABO website.If you already have a site you are happy with, keep it. If you want a new or improved driving-school website later, that is a separate service.
FROM DOCUMENTS TO EVERYDAY RECORDS
So how can I manage this in practice?
Your documentation explains how your driving school operates. Some responsibilities then create records throughout the pupil relationship. You can manage these in whatever suitable way works for your business. ABO Driving Instructor Edition is one practical digital approach.
You do not need ABO software to follow the Code.DVSA does not require instructors to use ABO or any particular software. The important thing is having appropriate processes and records. ABO is designed to make those everyday records easier to organise and manage.
ABO-ENQNew pupil enquiry→ABO-REGPupil registration→ABO-LGRLessons & prepaid credit→ABO-LPRProgress & next focus→ABO-DASH LiteOne home screen
ABO-REG | Pupil RegistrationCreates a structured pupil record including registration information, relevant contacts, under-18 parent/guardian arrangements where applicable, privacy information, documentation acknowledgement and appropriate consent.
ABO-LGR | Lesson RegisterRecords individual lessons, hours delivered and prepaid/block lesson credit so the instructor can see what has been used and what remains.
ABO-LPR | Pupil ProgressRecords driving skills, lesson-by-lesson progress, dated notes and the next areas of training, supporting clear communication about progress and further training needs.
Complaints | Planned AdditionA structured record of the complaint received, action taken, response, outcome and resolution, supporting the Code's requirement to keep complaint and resolution records.
ABO-DASH Lite | One Place to StartProvides one home screen for the instructor's ABO tools rather than relying on separate paper forms, notes and unrelated applications.
Managed Pupil InformationStructured systems can make it easier to know where pupil information is held and to manage records consistently, including deletion when appropriate under your agreed data approach.
Documentation says how your business operates.Your processes put that into practice. Your records help show what actually happened.
HOW THE TWO ABO SERVICES FIT TOGETHER
ABO Documentation helps establish and control your business policies, Terms, Privacy Notice, Complaints Procedure and related documents. ABO Driving Instructor Edition provides optional everyday tools for managing important pupil registration, lesson, credit and progress records. They can be used independently or together.
YOU SHOULD NOW UNDERSTAND MORE THAN WHEN YOU STARTED
Now review how these requirements apply to your own business
You should now have a clearer understanding of the areas covered by the new Code, which requirements are fixed by DVSA, and which policies remain decisions for your own driving school.
✓ Review existing Terms and paperwork
✓ Check cancellation and refund arrangements
✓ Consider advance payments and lesson records
✓ Review pupil progress and future training records
✓ Check privacy, retention and dashcam arrangements
✓ Formalise written marketing consent
✓ Put a workable complaints and resolution process in place
✓ Review under-18 and parent/guardian arrangements where relevant
Allow around 15 to 20 minutes for the Documentation Setup.It is a guided review of how your driving school currently operates, not a short contact form. Read the explanations and examples as you go. You do not need to already have every policy worked out. Missing or uncertain areas can be flagged for review.
NEXT STEP
Complete your Driving School Documentation Setup
Your answers become the source record used for ABO review and document preparation. The aim is to avoid a second questionnaire and to identify areas needing attention before the first draft is prepared.
What happens after you submit?
ABO reviews your answers and any documents you supplied.
Missing, unclear or conflicting areas are identified rather than guessed.
Your personalised first document set is prepared.
You review the draft and reasonable corrections are made.
You approve the final documents.
Your approved Version 1.0 is issued and retained as the controlled record.
