Independent instructors

Who this is for

Driving instructors who run their own business and want learners to find and book them online without running a booking desk. Each lesson is a contract between you and the learner. LicenceLane is the marketplace: it is not the instructor, a driving school or a registered training organisation (Instructor Terms, clause 2).

• Car (C) instruction, automatic and manual, is offered Australia-wide.
• LR, MR, HR and HC services are offered only in Queensland.
• Motorcycle, MC and other licence classes are excluded, and out-of-scope services must not be listed or delivered (Instructor Terms, clause 2).

What you need to hold

Before activation and for as long as you use LicenceLane, you must hold every current driver licence, instructor authority, accreditation, qualification, medical clearance and child-safety screening required for the class and place you teach, and have the legal right to work and run your business (Instructor Terms, clause 4). Some of these are set by law where you teach and some are LicenceLane policy; a lawful exemption is accepted where one applies. The application asks for these documents, front and back where there is a back, with the expiry date of each one except the photo:

• your driver licence for every class you will teach;
• your state or territory driving instructor licence or accreditation;
• if you teach the car class, a working with children check valid where you teach;
• your current insurance for paid instruction;
• a photo of you, which learners see on your profile.

LicenceLane may ask for further evidence and verify it with the issuing body (clause 4). Your vehicle must be registered, roadworthy, clean, suitable for the class and fitted with the controls, signs and plates the law requires. Insurance must include compulsory cover plus motor, public liability and professional or business cover for paid instruction, the class you teach, learners and test use (clause 6).

If any of these expires, is suspended or is restricted, you must tell LicenceLane immediately (Instructor Terms, clause 4).

What LicenceLane does

• Publishes your profile in the learner search: your classes, suburbs, vehicle, price and open times.
• Runs your calendar. You set weekly hours, book leave and choose suburbs by radius around your base. You choose the gap kept between lessons (15, 30 or 60 minutes). Once you activate your bookable hours, an eligible learner can book and pay for any open slot without further approval from you (Instructor Terms, clause 9).
• Sets the price the learner pays and shows you the price, commission, payout fee and your estimated earnings before you activate availability (clause 10).
• Collects the learner's payment at the time of booking as your limited collection agent, deducts commission and a $10 payout fee per transfer, and pays you in your weekly or fortnightly Monday run (clause 12).
• Administers learner cancellations under the published Learner Terms (clause 13).
• Emails the learner a review request two hours after the lesson ends. Reviews must be genuine, with no incentive conditional on a positive review (Code of Conduct, clause 9).
• Reminds you before a document expires.
• Support by email at info@licencelane.com.au.

A verification badge on your profile records a platform check at a point in time. It is not a government endorsement or a guarantee of ongoing status (Instructor Terms, clause 4).

What stays yours

• The contract with the learner (Instructor Terms, clause 2).
• Your hours, the locations you serve, your vehicle and your lawful teaching method (clause 3).
• Your business. You are responsible for your own tax, insurance and business costs, and the arrangement is non-exclusive: you are free to work through other channels (clause 3).
• Your prices elsewhere. LicenceLane sets the price for bookings made through it, but you can decline to publish availability at that price, and what you charge through other channels is up to you (clause 10).

Two limits go with that. Your profile must be accurate, and you must never guarantee a pass (Instructor Terms, clause 9; Code of Conduct, clause 6). And once a learner has booked and paid, the booking must be honoured; you cannot reject it because another opportunity has come up (clause 9).

Fees and payouts

Commission is calculated on the lesson price after any discount, never on the platform booking fee learners pay LicenceLane (Instructor Terms, clauses 10 and 11). The rates include GST; it is not added later. LicenceLane invoices learners for your lessons in your business name as your agent, and charges no GST on them if you aren't GST-registered. You are responsible for your own tax reporting (clause 12).

Completed bookings are paid in your weekly or fortnightly run. Your payout statement shows completed bookings, commission, refunds, chargebacks, adjustments and the net amount (clause 12). If you cancel or cannot deliver a booked lesson, the learner may take a refund and that amount can be taken from your payout (clause 13).

Getting listed

1. Create your account. Name, email, phone and a password. A code is sent to your email and your phone to confirm both are yours.
2. Complete the application. Five steps: about you, licence classes, suburbs, availability and documents. Save and come back as often as you like before you submit.
3. Submit for review. You accept the Instructor Partner Terms and Code of Conduct at this step, and that acceptance is recorded. LicenceLane then checks your application and documents and either approves it, asks for more information inside your portal, or declines it with a reason.
4. Go live. Once approved, review your pricing and payout details, then activate your availability to receive bookings.

Start your application. Before you do, read the Instructor Partner Terms, the Instructor Code of Conduct and the Privacy Policy.