How Much Does it Cost to Become a Driving Instructor?
If you’re interested in becoming an approved driving instructor in Ireland, you may be wondering how much it will cost to meet the driving instructor training requirements and gain your qualifications. The truth is that there is no set fee for becoming a driving instructor, and the amount you pay will be dependent upon a number of factors, including the driving instructor training school you choose and your preferred preparation methods and techniques for the three part examination.
Driver Instructor Training Fees
Let’s be honest - becoming a driving instructor isn’t easy and it’s not advised that ADI candidates study exclusively by themselves. Regardless of how good a driver you are, the best way to ensure success is to work closely with a renowned driving instructor training school to access the best support, advice, and resources available for those wanting to gain their driving instructor qualifications. Of course, driving instructor training courses will require a fee, but how much should you really be paying for these courses?
If you see a driving instructor training school advertising courses for upwards of €3000 - and there are some - you should be asking why they’re charging so much. It doesn’t cost driving schools that much to train instructors, so much of your fee will likely be allocated to business overheads. Outrageous costs are a major red flag when it comes to choosing a driving instructor training course. You should aim to pay no more than €2500 for a comprehensive course that offers around 60 hours of tuition.
Road Safety Authority Fees
As well as paying for driving instructor training, you will be required to pay a fee for each part of the ADI test, just like learner drivers are required to pay to sit their theory and practical driving tests. The good news is that the fees are actually very reasonable, especially when you consider that the examinations will soon pay for themselves once you start training students as an ADI.
Stage 1 of the ADI test - the theory section - is the least expensive part, costing €150 per attempt. Parts 2 and 3 of the test cost €200 each per attempt. After passing stage 3, you will also be required to pay an ADI registration fee of €250, which is needed to get your details listed on the ADI register. Your registration expires after 2 years, when you will need to pay a renewal fee of €250.
Materials and Resources
If you are keen to study for the ADI examination in your own time, as well as receiving theoretical and practical tuition from a driving instructor training school, you may wish to purchase some useful resources that can help you to prepare for each stage of the test. There are many beneficial driving instructor training books out there, but don’t go overboard - just 1 or 2 comprehensive guidebooks and points of reference will be all you need. Aim to spend no more than €100 on resources.
Total Cost of Becoming a Driving Instructor
- Training Fees: €2500
- Examination Fees: €550
- ADI Registration Fees: €250
- ADI Books: €100
- TOTAL: €3400*
*This is not an exact figure - the cost of becoming a driving instructor will depend on the fees charged by your driving instructor training school, the resources you purchase, and the number of attempts it takes for you to pass each part of the ADI examination).
The good news is that the average driving instructor salary is between €25,000 to €28,000 which means that your training will pay for itself within your first couple of years as a driving instructor. Driving instructor salaries also aren’t set in stone - by taking on more clients and working more hours, you can increase your yearly wage, and you can set your own lesson fees if you open your own driving school (you can typically charge more per lesson in urban locations).
