CHULA VISTA (KGTV) \u2014 A Chula Vista driving school owner is warning parents to watch for the red flags of an unlicensed driving instructor. <\/p>\n
The warning was prompted after the driving school owner uncovered a troubling scam while attempting to hire new staff.<\/p>\n
Brian Polte, owner of Driving School 4 You LLC, said he recently posted a job listing online seeking driving instructors to keep up with growing demand \u2014 and that’s when red flags started appearing.<\/p>\n
Several applicants could not produce a valid California driving instructor license in person. Polte said a physical license sponsored by a driving school is required to legally teach in the state.<\/p>\n
“So if it’s not sponsored by a driving school, then it is illegal,” Polte said.<\/p>\n
One applicant that 10News is not naming attempted to show only a photo of a supposed instructor license on a cell phone. Polte said the problems didn’t stop there.<\/p>\n
“And it just wasn’t one. It was another one. And then the third [applicant] told me that he had his own little business,” Polte said.<\/p>\n
Polte checked all the applicants’ license numbers using the DMV’s Occupational License Lookup Tool,<\/a> which lists certified driving instructors authorized to teach in California. The results confirmed his suspicions.<\/p>\n “I did that with the ones that I saw, and they turned up illegal. So if there were ever an insurance problem, accident with these people, I would imagine that the insurance company would kick it back,” Polte said.<\/p>\n Polte’s advice to parents is to always ask to see a driving instructor’s physical license, then verify it using the DMV’s website or by calling the California Department of Motor Vehicles to confirm the license number is valid. <\/p>\n To check a driving school instructor’s license status, the number to call at the DMV is either (916) 229-3126 or (916) 229-3128.<\/p>\n “It’s serious, and let’s try to protect our youth. So I would say to every mother, father, ask to see their instructor’s license,” Polte said.<\/p>\n The DMV responded to a request for comment and said:<\/p>\n The DMV is committed to the on-road safety of the millions of Californians who travel on our roadways each and every day. The department does license driving school owners, operators, and instructors and investigates questionable\/fraudulent activity. The department takes these issues very seriously and has a convenient link for individuals to file complaints here Driving School\u00a0and Traffic Violator School Complaints – California DMV [dmv.ca.gov]<\/a>. <\/p>\n To verify a driving instructor’s credentials, plug their business information and license number in here<\/a>.<\/p>\n