Pennsylvania Association of Professional Driving Schools (PAPDS)

Pennsylvania Association of Professional Driving Schools | PAPDS

Since 1952, the Pennsylvania Association of Professional Driving Schools (PAPDS) has advocated for excellence in driver education.

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Advancing driver ed in Pennsylvania

In 1952, Pennsylvania began licensing businesses that they called private driver training schools. The word "private" was chosen by the Department of Education as a way to differentiate between public driver training, the traditional high school driver education program, and the unlicensed training of teens and adults by individuals and companies. The state thought licensing was a critical way to both ensure quality and also to have some control over the industry. It must be remembered that, in 1952, most adults over 21 did NOT have a driver's license. Adults formed a large percentage of customers for driving schools. The Department of Education stated that it did not want school-age students taught the same way as working adults. Many businesses felt that the policies implemented created training difficulties without improving quality. This was Pennsylvania's starting point for competition between public and private school programs.