Mark Jason Turnbull v Registrar of Approved Driving Instructors

Facts

The appellant, Mark Jason Turnbull, applied to the Registrar of Approved Driving Instructors for a further, third, trainee driving instructor licence. He had already held two trainee licences covering the period 24 February 2025 to 23 February 2026. By letter received on 23 January 2026 he made representations that Part 3 test dates were in short supply and that the Registrar had cancelled a Part 3 test date. On 30 March 2026 the Registrar refused the application, finding no evidence that the appellant had lost training time and taking the view that two licences afforded more than adequate time to gain the experience needed to pass the Part 3 test and secure entry on the Register of Approved Driving Instructors; Parliament had not intended a trainee licence to run for however long a trainee took to pass, nor the trainee licence system to become an alternative to full registration. The Registrar also observed that a trainee licence was not required in order to sit the Part 3 test, subject to the maximum permitted attempts, and that the existing second licence continued until this appeal was determined. The appellant, who had failed the Part 3 test on 7 August 2025 and 27 March 2026, appealed to the First-tier Tribunal, which heard the matter by CVP on 28 August 2026 with the appellant attending and giving oral evidence.