Driving Academy franchise
2025 filing · April 1, 2025Shares sales figures
Driving Academy at a glance
A truck driving school that prepares students for the commercial driver's license written exam and road test. At the end of 2024 there were 6 Driving Academy locations in the US, 4 franchised and 2 company-owned.
The business
- Industry
- Education
- Franchisor
- Driving Academy Franchising, Inc
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Linden, New Jersey
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $224K–$557K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $50,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 10%
- The greater of 10% of gross revenue or $1,000 a month (the minimum starts a year after signing), paid monthly, plus 1% to the system advertising fund
- Brand fund
- 1%
- 1% of gross revenue a month, paid monthly
- Renewal fee
- See terms
- A flat $15,000 for each Franchise
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2024
- 6
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 4
- Company-owned
- 2
- States
- 4
- Most in New Jersey, Florida and Indiana
From Driving Academy Franchising, Inc’s 2025 filing; revenue and net loss from its audited financial statements, page 226; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Franchisor revenue is the company that sells the franchises (royalties, fees and anything else it earns), not what a location makes.
Where it ranks
Driving Academy among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Driving Academy | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $390,750 | Costs more than 54% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $50,000 | Higher than 70% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 10% | Higher than 95% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 6 | Fewer than 69% of franchises |
How much a Driving Academy franchise costs
Opening one Driving Academy costs an estimated $224,200 to $557,300. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are equipment, furniture and fixtures ($65,000 to $189,000) and vehicles ($27,500 to $135,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $50,000 | ||
| Technology | $9,700 | $15,000 | |
| Equipment, Furniture and Fixtures | $65,000 | $189,000 | |
| Real Estate | $14,950 | $27,700 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $1,500 | $21,500 | |
| Utilities | $200 | $500 | |
| Signage | $3,500 | $6,000 | |
| Start Up Inventory | $4,000 | $7,500 | |
| Grand Opening Marketing | $3,000 | $5,000 | |
| Vehicles | $27,500 | $135,000 | |
| Vehicle Graphics | $4,500 | $10,800 | |
| Staffing | $12,000 | $30,800 | |
| Insurance | $850 | $2,000 | |
| Travel, Lodging and Meals for Initial Training Program | $1,950 | $4,000 | |
| Business Licenses, Permits, Certifications and other Professional Fees | $550 | $2,500 | |
| Additional Funds (3 months) | $25,000 | $50,000 | |
| Total | $224,200 | $557,300 | |
Source: Driving Academy Franchising, Inc, 2025 filing, page 20
Driving Academy franchise fee
The franchise fee is $50,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Driving Academy Franchising, Inc, 2025 filing, page 12
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | The greater of 10% of gross revenue or $1,000 a month (the minimum starts a year after signing), paid monthly, plus 1% to the system advertising fund. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 1% of gross revenue a month, paid monthly. |
| Renewal Fee | A flat $15,000 for each Franchise |
| Additional Training | $250 per person per day or costs of third-party charges. |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Driving Academy Franchising, Inc, 2025 filing, page 13
Other fees as filed, from pages 14–15. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Driving Academy publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: Driving Academy Franchising, Inc, 2025 filing, page 60
How Driving Academy compares
Of the 221 education franchises on this site, Driving Academy is the 160th cheapest to open and the 133rd largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Driving Academy | Typical education brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $224K | $120K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $557K | $228K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $50K | $42K | $40K |
| Royalty | 10% | 7% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| US locations | 6 | 15 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 148 of 221 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 221 brands in education franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 (+1) | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 (0) | 1 |
| 2024 | 4 (+3) | 2 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating. Company-owned outlets are run by an affiliate.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Over 4 years, from the start of 2021 to the end of 2024, franchised locations went from 0 to 4 (+4). The earlier years come from the brand's 2024 filing.
Source: Driving Academy Franchising, Inc, 2025 filing, page 65
2021: Driving Academy Franchising, Inc, 2024 filing, page 72
Where Driving Academy locations are
At the end of 2024, Driving Academy had locations in 4 states. The most are in New Jersey, Florida and Indiana.
- New Jersey3
- Florida1
- Indiana1
- Oregon1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Florida | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Indiana | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Oregon | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Source: Driving Academy Franchising, Inc, 2025 filing, page 65
Who owns Driving Academy?
Driving Academy franchises are sold by Driving Academy Franchising, Inc. Its filing names no parent company.
From Driving Academy Franchising, Inc’s 2025 filing, page 9.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: Driving Academy Franchising, Inc, 2025 filing, litigation on page 12, bankruptcy on page 12
Driving Academy filings
A franchisor files a new disclosure each year it sells franchises. The figures on this page come from Driving Academy Franchising, Inc’s 2025 filing, issued April 1, 2025; the earlier ones below are on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository and the Minnesota Department of Commerce and fill in older location counts.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 filing | April 1, 2025 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2022–2024 |
| 2024 filing | – | Minnesota | Locations, 2021 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
