Can I become a driving instructor with a drink driving conviction?
Hi, if i have previously been banned from driving (dr10) drink driving, can I start my instructor training? I understand it's four years, but is that from date of ban commencing or finishing? And has anyone heard of someone getting accepted despite this conviction?
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If you want to become a driving instructor, you will have to meet the minimum requirements set out by the DSA. Since the one that's of most concern to you is about convictions, I'll skip the other criteria. When you apply to do the driving instructor course, you shouldn't have been disqualified from driving within the last 4 years. This means that any driving ban which was in effect during that period would prevent you from being accepted because you would have been disqualified.
If your drink driving ban ended 4 years or more from today, then you are fine to apply. However this does not guarantee anything. Each application is scrutinised to check the ability and character of the person looking to join the driving instructors register. So someone with a DR10 could have been accepted but you could be rejected if you have any criminal records. The best thing you could do is call a driving instructor training centre and see if you are fit to join the programme by giving them all the details they need about you.
You cannot be registered as a driving instructor if you had a dr10 in the last 4 years. More importantly, they will look at your driving record (especially bans) going back as far as they like, to see if you are a 'fit and proper person' to be a driving instructor. They don't really say what that means though. The rehabilitation of offenders act doesn't seem to apply here.
I got banned 4 years ago and now getting my licence back . Do I need to tell the insurance company about this or when is it that I can non declare the ban? I thought maybe 5 years.
Most insurers ask for convictions within the last 5 years but double check what they're asking on the application form and fill in accordingly.
Under re-hab offenders law, it's the date of your offence that counts. DR10 has a five year limit on it, it would be unlawful for them to discriminate against you after then. The 'ban' itself is irrelavent; imagine you had say 9 years of appeals etc after the offence before you served the actual ban, that would be unfair (Scotland) anyway.
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