Is the ORDIT Register Up to Date?

Not in the way someone searching the register might reasonably expect.

A Freedom of Information response from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency revealed that, as of 9 February 2026, 452 of the 485 registrations listed on the Official Register of Driving Instructor Training had lapsed beyond the normal four-year registration cycle.

That is approximately 93% of all registrations on the register.

Those registrations had not been removed because DVSA paused the ORDIT scheme while prioritising its statutory services. The affected trainers and organisations continued to appear on GOV.UK even though their normal registration period had ended.

This does not mean those trainers are unqualified, unsuitable or responsible for the delay. DVSA has prevented them from completing the normal reassessment and renewal process.

It does mean that appearing on the register is not currently proof that someone has completed an ORDIT reassessment within the previous four years.

What did the DVSA Freedom of Information response reveal?

I submitted a Freedom of Information request to DVSA on 9 February 2026. DVSA responded on 5 March 2026, under reference 2602-100593.

DVSA provided the following information:

DVSA therefore reported 61 ORDIT assessments between 2020 and 2023, followed by no completed assessments from 2024 to the date of its response.

How long does ORDIT registration normally last?

The ORDIT membership terms and conditions state that registration lasts for four years.

Under the normal process, an organisation must apply for the reassessment and re-registration of each trainer at least three months before the existing registration expires.

The trainer must then complete the required DVSA process. This includes an engagement call, an examination of training records and a practical assessment of the trainer delivering instructor training.

The terms also say that, to remain on the register, organisations must ensure their trainers pass a full assessment when required.

That is how ORDIT is designed to operate. The current pause means the normal four-year reassessment and renewal process has not been available.

What does it mean when an ORDIT registration has lapsed?

In this FOI response, DVSA used "lapsed" to describe registrations that had gone beyond the four-year cycle.

Normally, a trainer would need to complete an ORDIT reassessment and re-register before that period ended. However, DVSA is not currently accepting ORDIT applications.

Its current renewal guidance says trainers waiting to renew will not be removed from the register while applications remain paused.

This creates an unusual position. A trainer can remain listed on GOV.UK with DVSA's permission even though more than four years have passed since the start of their previous registration period.

The trainer has not necessarily refused to renew, failed an assessment or allowed their registration to lapse through inaction. DVSA has paused the process they would need to complete.

Are the 452 trainers still ORDIT registered?

DVSA continues to list the affected registrations and has said trainers waiting to renew will not be removed while the scheme is paused.

It would therefore be misleading to claim that all 452 registrations are invalid or that the trainers are acting improperly by remaining on the register.

However, it would also be misleading to assume that every trainer listed has completed an ORDIT reassessment within the normal four-year period.

The important distinction is between:

• remaining listed under DVSA's temporary arrangements
• having completed a reassessment within the normal four-year cycle

At present, those are not necessarily the same thing.

Does a lapsed registration mean the trainer failed an assessment?

No.

The FOI response does not say that 452 trainers failed an ORDIT assessment. It says their registrations had lapsed beyond the four-year cycle but remained on the register because the scheme was paused.

The ORDIT terms and conditions describe a separate process for an unsuccessful reassessment.

A trainer who does not achieve the required Grade A result at their first reassessment can make a second attempt. They remain on the register while preparing for that attempt. A trainer who is unsuccessful for a second time can then be removed.

There is no evidence in this FOI response that the 452 lapsed registrations resulted from failed assessments.

How many registrations had not lapsed?

DVSA reported:

• 485 total registrations
• 452 registrations that had lapsed beyond the four-year cycle

The difference between those figures is 33.

This suggests that 33 registrations had not been identified in the response as having lapsed beyond the four-year cycle.

However, the FOI response did not provide their individual registration dates, assessment dates or renewal status. It would therefore be unsafe to describe those 33 as the only active, valid or currently assessed ORDIT registrations.

The response does not provide enough information to make that claim.

Is DVSA accepting new ORDIT applications?

No.

DVSA told me that the most recent new application was accepted on 21 September 2023. It also said that no date had been decided for reopening the scheme.

The current GOV.UK guidance continues to state that DVSA is not accepting ORDIT applications.

This means an eligible instructor trainer who is not already registered cannot currently complete the application and assessment process required to join ORDIT.

What does an ORDIT assessment involve?

ORDIT is more than a list of instructor trainers.

The membership terms and conditions show that the assessment process can examine:

• the trainer's course programmes
• training modules and learning materials
• records of training delivered
• trainee feedback and reflection
• how trainee progress is monitored
• the trainer's own appraisal of training
• alignment with the relevant DVSA national standards
• the trainer's delivery of instructor training in practice
• continued professional development
• quality assurance within a larger organisation

Training records must be considered satisfactory before the practical assessment can proceed.

For ADI Part 3 training, the programme should be structured, aligned with the national standard and adapted to the trainee's ability. Learning outcomes should be agreed and trainee progress should be monitored and recorded.

These are meaningful requirements. The pause does not remove the value of an ORDIT assessment that a trainer previously completed.

The issue is that the public register does not currently show how recently each listed trainer completed that process.

What is the ORDIT register intended to provide?

According to its membership terms and conditions, ORDIT is intended to improve the standard of instructor training and help trainees make informed choices.

Its objectives include ensuring that trainers have been assessed as suitable for entry, promoting best practice and making reliable information available to the public.

The terms also require ORDIT trainers and organisations to meet standards around:

• honest and evidence-based advertising
• structured training
• record keeping
• client-centred development
• professional conduct
• consumer protection
• complaints
• refunds
• continued professional development

These requirements help explain why ORDIT can be valuable.

However, the reliability of a four-year reassessment cycle depends on those reassessments taking place. The FOI response confirms that none were completed from 2024 to the date of the response.

Can the current ORDIT register still be useful?

Yes, but it needs to be interpreted carefully.

Appearing on the register provides evidence that a trainer or organisation was previously accepted through the DVSA ORDIT process and remains listed with DVSA's permission.

It does not currently confirm:

• when the trainer was last assessed
• whether their four-year registration period has passed
• whether they have been able to complete a reassessment
• how recently DVSA observed their instructor training
• what continued professional development they have completed since their assessment

ORDIT remains relevant evidence when choosing a trainer. It is not currently a complete or current assessment history.

Does an instructor trainer have to be ORDIT registered?

No.

ORDIT is a voluntary register. A DVSA Approved Driving Instructor does not need an additional qualification to provide driving instructor training.

Only trainers who have successfully completed the ORDIT process can advertise themselves as ORDIT registered. However, instructor trainers who are not on ORDIT can still legally provide training.

When choosing a trainer, it can be useful to consider:

• whether they are ORDIT registered
• when they completed their most recent ORDIT assessment
• their experience developing PDIs and ADIs
• how they adapt training to the individual
• their understanding of current DVSA standards
• how they monitor and record development
• their approach to feedback and reflective practice
• the support available between training
• their continued professional development
• the financial and contractual terms of the training

An ORDIT listing can form part of that decision. It should not stop a trainee from asking further questions.

Am I ORDIT registered?

No.

I am a DVSA Approved Driving Instructor and achieved Grade A at my most recent ADI Standards Check. I therefore meet the published Grade A eligibility requirement to apply for ORDIT.

Meeting that requirement does not make me an ORDIT-registered trainer.

I would still need to satisfy DVSA's suitability checks, complete the required assessment and successfully register. Because DVSA is not accepting applications, I cannot currently begin that process.

I intend to apply when the scheme reopens. Until I have successfully completed the DVSA process, I will not describe myself as an ORDIT-registered trainer.

What should a trainee take from this?

Do not treat the register as the complete answer.

A trainer appearing on ORDIT has previously completed the DVSA process and remains listed under DVSA's current arrangements. That is relevant evidence.

The FOI response also shows that approximately 93% of listed registrations had passed their normal four-year registration cycle. No ORDIT assessments had been completed from 2024 to the date of the response.

That does not make the affected trainers unsuitable. It means the register cannot currently tell you how recently most of them were assessed.

Ask when the trainer completed their ORDIT assessment. Ask what development they have completed since then. Ask how their training is structured, monitored and adapted to the individual.

Choose using all the available evidence, not a title or listing in isolation.

Official information and sources

The figures on this page come from a DVSA Freedom of Information response following my request of 9 February 2026.

View the original FOI response from DVSA (ref: 2602-100593)DVSA Freedom of Information Response

Source: Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), response to a Freedom of Information request submitted by Joshua Holleran. The original response is reproduced for transparency. Personal contact information has been redacted.

• ORDIT membership terms and conditions
• Become a driving instructor ORDIT trainer
• Renew or manage your ORDIT registration
• Approved driving instructor register guide

The published GOV.UK guidance was checked on 2 September 2026. This page will be updated if DVSA reopens ORDIT applications or materially changes the scheme.