Driving test day car booking: what an ADI should agree in writing
A test-day car booking records the fee, what is included, the car checks you completed and what happens if the test is cancelled or the car is refused. No rule says you must use a written booking, but GOV.UK says a test is cancelled and the candidate pays again if the car does not meet the rules, which is a good reason to settle the details first.
Do you need a written test-day booking?
We found no rule that requires an instructor to use a written agreement when a pupil takes their test in the instructor's car. In practice, the day is where small misunderstandings become expensive: a test fee lost, a pupil who thought the warm-up lesson was included, a disagreement over who pays if the test is cancelled.
A one-page booking sheet settles these before the day. It is separate from your main pupil agreement, and it is worth having even for a pupil you have taught for months.
What the car must meet on the day
GOV.UK sets out the rules for the car used in a driving test, and the instructor's car must meet them like any other. In summary, the car must be roadworthy, taxed, insured for a driving test, and have a current MOT if it is over 3 years old. It must also have L-plates (or D-plates in Wales) on the front and rear, and no warning lights showing safety issues.
It must have no tyre damage and meet the legal tread depth, an extra interior rear-view mirror for the examiner, and a passenger seatbelt and head restraint for the examiner. A hire car can be used if it has dual controls and meets the other rules. Some cars cannot be used because they do not give the examiner all-round vision, and GOV.UK lists them. Read the current page before every test, because the list of unsuitable models changes.
What to agree about the fee and what it covers
Put the fee in writing and say what it covers. Typical items are the use of your car, a warm-up lesson before the test, your time waiting and your attendance if the pupil wants you there. List them separately, so the pupil can see what they are paying for.
Say when the fee is due: before the day, on the day, or only if the test goes ahead. If you hold a deposit, say what happens to it if the test date moves.
If the test is cancelled or the car is refused
GOV.UK says the test will be cancelled and the candidate has to pay again if the car does not meet the rules. That is a real cost, and the booking sheet should say who bears it in each case. A reasonable approach is to treat a fault you could have found in your pre-test checks differently from something that happened on the day that nobody could foresee, and to agree that in advance.
Say how much notice you need if the pupil moves or cancels the test date. If the booking was made online or by phone, Citizens Advice says consumers get a 14-day cooling-off period for services arranged that way, with an exception where they asked for the service to be provided during that period. A test-day booking made weeks ahead can fall inside that window, so keep the wording clear and take advice on charges if unsure.
Keeping a record of the car checks
A signed checklist taken the morning of the test shows the car was ready when it left you. Record the registration, the date of the checks, the MOT and tax status, and tick each requirement above. It takes two minutes and answers the question that otherwise has no answer: was the car fit for the test when we arrived? See also our guide to pre-lesson safety checks worth documenting.
A test-day car booking and checklist sheet
A preview of our free Test Day Car Booking Sheet. The complete, print-ready version is sent to you by email.
Pupil and test details
- Pupil full name
- Pupil phone number
- + 3 more in the full form
The booking
- Car being usedInstructor's car · Hire car with dual controls · Pupil's own car
- Car make, model and registration
- + 5 more in the full form
Car checklist (completed on the morning of the test)
- Car is roadworthy and taxedYes / No
- MOT is current, if the car is over 3 years oldYes / No
- + 7 more in the full form
If the test is cancelled or the car is refused
- Who bears the cost if the car is refused because of a fault found before the test
- Who bears the cost if the test is cancelled for a reason outside either person's control
The full form has 23 questions in 4 sections, a signed declaration and space for your business details. Get it free below.
Free template
Get the print-ready Test Day Car Booking Sheet
A print-ready sheet covering the fee, what is included, the car checks and what happens if the test is cancelled, with space for both signatures. Free, and yours to adapt.
Frequently asked questions
Does the instructor's car need dual controls for a driving test?
GOV.UK says a car the candidate brings themselves does not need dual controls, and that a hire car can be used if it is fitted with dual controls and meets all the other rules. An instructor's car usually has them already.
Who pays if the examiner refuses the car?
GOV.UK says the test is cancelled and the candidate has to pay again if the car does not meet the rules. Who then bears that cost between you and the pupil is for your own terms to say, so agree it in writing before the day.
Do I have to be present for my pupil's test?
We did not find a rule on this in the sources we checked, so confirm with DVSA before you promise a pupil that you can or cannot sit in. Whatever you agree, put it on the booking sheet.
Should the test-day fee be separate from the lesson price?
Usually yes. It covers different things, such as the car, a warm-up lesson and waiting time, and a separate line lets the pupil see exactly what they are paying for.
Sources
- Using your own car for your driving test, GOV.UK
- Cancelling a service you've arranged, Citizens Advice
The paperwork behind every pupil, in one pack
Pupil agreement, cancellation terms, block booking terms, progress records and a GDPR notice as editable templates. One payment, no subscription.
See the packs, from £29 →These articles are general guidance for UK driving instructors, not legal advice, and they are not DVSA guidance. Our forms are editable templates: adapt them to your own business, your insurer's terms and the current DVSA rules for your registration.