The Legal Lowdown: What Makes Someone a Suitable Supervisor?
If you're a learner driver in the UK, it's not just your skills that matter - it's also who’s sitting next to you. Supervision is a legal requirement outside of official lessons, and the rules around it are stricter than you might think.
So who qualifies as a supervisor for a learner driver? Let's break it down - without the legal jargon headache.
Supervising a Learner Driver: The Must-Haves
To legally supervise a learner driver, the person in the passenger seat must meet all of the following:
- Be at least 25 years old
- Have held a full UK driving licence for at least 3 years
- Be qualified to drive the type of vehicle (manual or automatic) that the learner is practising in
- Have no drug or drink driving convictions in the past 5 years
- Not be using their mobile phone or asleep while supervising
Common Misconceptions
Think you can supervise from the back seat? Nope.
Think you can catch up on emails while they drive? Definitely not.
Supervising means being alert, engaged, and ready to intervene if something goes wrong. It's not a free lift or a mobile office - it’s a responsibility.
Insurance Implications
The supervising driver doesn’t just need to be qualified - the car also needs to be insured for the learner. That’s where learner driver insurance comes in. Our policy requires that the supervisor meets the criteria above, or the cover won’t be valid.
Let’s keep things legal - and covered.
Tips for Being a Good Supervisor
- Be patient - learners will make mistakes
- Stay calm, even when they stall... again
- Give clear instructions in good time
- Keep your eyes on the road too - you're their safety net
- Don’t shout. Seriously, don’t.
The Bottom Line
Being a supervisor isn’t just about meeting the DVLA’s legal checklist. It’s about giving the learner the confidence and support they need to progress safely - and ideally, without tears or roadside rows.
If you’re ticking all the boxes, congrats - you’re legally qualified and (hopefully) mentally prepared to be someone’s passenger hero.
Ready to hit the road the right way?