New South Wales driving instructor reforms will strengthen protections for young people and vulnerable learner drivers, with schools required to make clear how alleged misconduct can be reported.
The NSW Government announced the changes on Thursday, saying the new rules would improve accountability across driving schools and create clearer reporting pathways for learners.
Under the Driving Instructors Regulation 2026, instructors and schools must prominently display information explaining how concerns about an instructor can be reported to authorities.
Drivers and schools will also have to complete vehicle hire records on the day services are provided. The government said the requirement would help ensure records remain up to date when reports are made.
Road Minister Jenny Aitchison said learner drivers deserved to “feel safe and supported”.
“These changes strengthen protections for learner drivers by improving accountability and making it clearer how concerns about inappropriate behaviour or misconduct can be reported,” she said.
Ms Aitchison said the “overwhelming majority” of instructors in NSW provided “a professional and valuable service to learner” drivers. The reforms, she said, would support that professionalism through clearer expectations and stronger safeguards.
The changes come as debate continues over violence against women and girls, following a spate of femicides across the country earlier this year.
Women’s Minister Jodie Harrison said the government was “prioritising women’s safety and making sure instructors and schools are held accountable”.
“Learning to drive is a rite of passage for many of our young people, and they have the right to feel safe with their instructor,” she said.
Ms Harrison said young people should know there was somewhere to report alleged misconduct so they felt comfortable speaking up, while acknowledging that the industry was made up largely of professionals committed to road safety.
The regulation will also remove outdated administrative provisions and unused fees. Ms Aitchison said the move would cut unnecessary red tape and create a more modern and efficient regulatory framework.
