If you’re interested in becoming an approved driving instructor (ADI) in Ireland, you will need to apply to the Road Safety Authority (RSA). The RSA maintains a register of all ADIs in the country, and in order to legally advertise yourself as a driving instructor, or receive payment for driver training, you must be listed within this database. So what do you need to do in order to qualify for ADI status?

Prerequisite Requirements

Before applying to become an approved driving instructor in Ireland, you will be required to meet a number of eligibility criteria as outlined by the RSA. The RSA stipulates that, to begin driving instructor training in Ireland, you will need to tick the following boxes:

• Have held a full driving licence for at least two years in the category you wish to provide tuition in - ‘A’ category for motorbikes, for example, or ‘B’ category for cars.
• Can prove you are tax compliant, paying the correct tax on any earnings and incomings. You will be required to show a tax clearance certificate in most cases for proof.
• Have not been convicted of crimes including fraud, murder, assault, or drug trafficking. The RSA will confirm convictions through collaboration with the Gardaí.
• Have fully completed an ADI permit application with accurate and truthful information and provided a recent, passport-style photograph true to your likeness.

RSA Testing Processes

Assuming you meet the eligibility criteria for ADI training in Ireland, you will then be required to undertake a three stage testing process. The three stages include a theory test, practical driving test, and an examination to test instructional ability. These driving instructor qualifications will enable you to display your full ADI permit and begin working as a driving instructor, offering lessons to learners.

If you hold an equivalent driving instructor qualification from a country other than Ireland, you may not have to undertake the full three stage testing process. Whether or not you’re required to complete the full test will be dependent upon the existing qualification held, and the country in which you gained your ADI or equivalent status. In many cases, an existing qualification can act as credits towards the Irish ADI qualification, meaning you will simply need to satisfy a few outstanding RSA criteria.

Where Can I Take my Test?

When filling out your permit application to become registered on the RSA’s ADI database, which enables you to legally undertake driver training in Ireland, you will be asked to select where you would like to take your test. Stage one of the test - the theory test - can be conducted at any of the 41 RSA test centres in Ireland. However, stages two and three - the practical examination and the instruction skills test - can only be held at select centres that have the capacity to test these skills. Currently, you may choose to take parts two and three at the following test centres:

• Athlone
• Cork
• Dundalk
• Finglas
• Galway
• Kilkenny
• Letterkenny
• Limerick
• Mullingar
• Rathgar
• Sligo
• Tralee
• Waterford

If you’re training to become an approved driving instructor for motorcycles or vehicles with trailers, you will need to sit your stage two and three examinations at Finglas, Limerick, Sligo, or Waterford, so it’s important to plan in advance if you wish to become an ADI for alternative vehicle categories.