DSA complaints procedure
Right to appeal
If you don’t pass your driving test, you’ll obviously be disappointed.
Although DSA can’t change your examiner’s decision, if you think your examiner did not carry out your test in line with the regulations, you have the right to appeal to:
- a magistrates’ court if you live in England or Wales
- a sheriff’s court if you live in Scotland
You have six months after your test to do this in England and Wales, and 21 days after your test in Scotland.
Complaints about tests
If you want to make a complaint, there are four stages you should follow.
Stage one
Contact DSA by email, phone, or letter if you have any questions or complaints about:
- booking your test
- test cancellations
- the conduct of your test
- the result of your test
- out-of-pocket expenses
DSA needs to know:
- the type of test you took, the date, time and place you took your test, and why you’re complaining
- what outcome you’re looking for
- two from the following three pieces of information about you:
DSA also needs to know:
- driver number (from your driving licence)
- theory test pass certificate number
- practical test booking reference
DSA aims to answer complaints within ten working days of receiving them (not including weekends or bank holidays). Complaints about theory and practical tests are dealt with in different offices; please make sure you contact the right office.
Stage two
If you’ve followed the procedure in stage one and aren’t satisfied with the response, you can write to the head of corporate correspondence. You can ask him to look at your complaint.
Stage three
If you have followed the procedure in stage two and aren’t satisfied with the response, you can write to the chief executive. You can ask her to look at your complaint.
Stage four
If you have followed steps one to three and are still not satisfied, you can also ask the chief executive to refer your complaint to the Independent Complaints Assessor (ICA).
Taking things further
If you have:
- had your complaint investigated by the ICA, or
- asked for your complaint to be investigated by the ICA but the ICA declined to do so
and are still dissatisfied, you can ask the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) to look at your complaint. You must do this through a Member of Parliament (MP) who is usually, but does not have to be your own constituency MP.
Complaints about compulsory basic training (CBT)
If you have any questions or complaints about your CBT course that you can’t sort out with your trainer, you should contact the CBT section at DSA headquarters.
Complaints from or about approved driving instructors (ADI)
If you have a complaint about an ADI that you can’t sort out with them, the school or the contractor, or you’re an ADI with a complaint about your ADI registration, you can write to the registrar of ADIs at DSA headquarters.
Complaints from or about trainer bookers/approved training bodies
If you have a complaint about a trainer booker or an approved training body that you can’t sort out with them, or you’re a trainer booker with a complaint about the trainer booking facility, you can contact the office that deal with practical test enquiries and complaints.
Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FoIA) and Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA)
If you ask for information, DSA will treat your request as though you had made it under the FoIA, whether you mentioned the Act or not in your request.
In many cases you’ll get what you asked for more quickly than the 20 working days the Act allows public bodies to respond to FoIA requests.
If you wish to obtain copies of your own personal data (a subject access request), DSA is not able to provide this to anybody acting on your behalf unless you provide us with your written permission.
If you’re contacting DSA about someone else, you must include the following statement from them in your letter:
‘I [their name] authorise [your name] to request this information on my behalf.’
That person must sign next to the statement for DSA to give the information to you.
