MI Driving Instructor

The Michigan Department of State Driver Education Unit issues instructor certificates. Providers and instructors are regulated under the Driver Education Provider and Instructor Act (DEPIA), which requires certification plus certain recordkeeping and program requirements. The Secretary of State can deny, suspend, or revoke certification for noncompliance with the acts or rules regulating driver education.

You must be certified by the Michigan Department of State, be at least 21 years of age, and meet all driving record and legal requirements. The department also requires a Driver Education Live Scan Fingerprint Background Check Request Form with your application packet.

Certifications are issued for Adult classification (A), Teen classification (T), and Truck classification (TR). The instructor certification application process varies for each classification, and truck training is aimed at adults while the Adult/Teen packet covers teen and adult students.

Adult and teen applicants submit the Instructor Conditional Certification Application Packet (Adult/Teen). Truck applicants submit the Instructor Original Certification Application Packet (Truck). Both go to the Driver Education Unit with required documents and payment, online through e-Services or by mail to 430 W. Allegan Street, 3rd Floor, Lansing, MI 48918.

To reapply, submit a new certificate application, all required documents, and payment of the $45 application fee by mail to the Driver Education Unit in Lansing. The source does not state the original application fee or any online processing fee for instructors, so confirm those with the department.

Ahead of expiration, the department emails a renewal notice listing your expiration date. Renew online through e-Services with your instructor account login and a Discover, MasterCard, VISA, or e-check payment; card payments carry a processing fee. Or mail the preprinted renewal application, required documents and records, and a check or money order payable to the State of Michigan.

If you have not received your renewal materials within 45 days of your certificate expiring, contact the department for assistance. Reach the Driver Education Unit at [email protected] or 517-241-6850, or by mail at 430 W. Allegan Street, 3rd Floor, Lansing, Michigan 48918.

It is a misdemeanor offense for a person or business to offer or engage in driver education instruction without being certified. Violations are punishable by law and may result in imprisonment and up to a $2,000 fine in addition to administrative fines.

Beginning February 7, 2022, FMCSA minimum training standards apply to first-time Class A or B CDL applicants, CDL upgrades, and first-time H, P, or S endorsements. Training must come from an FMCSA-registered provider, and the curriculum in 49 CFR 380 must be completed before skills testing. Truck providers are encouraged to register as a truck provider before signing up on the Training Provider Registry.

Start with the Driver Education Provider Manual and, if applicable, the Michigan Curriculum Guide, since the department directs applicants to review requirements and laws there before applying. Then work through your classification materials: Adult and Teen contract, recordkeeping, and lesson-plan forms, or Truck contract, attendance, BTW instruction, and ELDT curriculum checklists. Common failures are submitting the wrong classification packet, skipping the Live Scan fingerprint form, and incomplete renewal forms, which may delay or prevent renewal.