The ADED Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialist (CDRS) credential
The CDRS is a credential from ADED, the Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists. It is not a state license. ADED’s handbook lists seven ways to qualify for the CDRS exam, based on degree type and hours of driver rehabilitation experience, and it counts occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology among health-related degrees, along with other fields. The credential lasts three years and must be renewed under ADED’s renewal requirements. No fees are copied.
Quoted from official pages checked November 11, 2026. Confirm current requirements, fees, and dates on those sites. This page is not legal advice and does not guarantee eligibility, certification, or licensure.
Source read in full on November 11, 2026: ADED’s Candidate Handbook, Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialist (CDRS) Examination (PDF, 2025 edition). Every quote on this page comes from that handbook. Check ADED’s CDRS Certification Exam page for current dates and fees. ADED’s 2026 application and exam windows have closed, and ADED says its 2027 handbook is due in early 2027, so details may change.
Who can qualify
The handbook states: “You may take the certification examination if you meet one of the seven education and experience requirements listed below.” It groups the pathways by background: healthcare providers with a four-year degree (832 hours of experience), non-healthcare providers with a four-year degree (1664 hours), and healthcare providers with a two-year degree (2496 hours). The four-year healthcare group can qualify through a “post-graduate ADED-approved university program certificate”, the Driver Rehabilitation Professional (DRP) microcredential, or ADED courses; the other two groups through the DRP microcredential or ADED courses. The handbook lists the University of Florida, McGill University, and Western University as approved programs.
The handbook defines the healthcare group: “Health related degrees include Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Kinesiotherapy, Speech Language Pathology, Therapeutic Recreational Therapy, Nursing, Exercise Physiology or other areas as approved by the Certification Committee.” The two-year pathways are for “Healthcare providers with two-year undergraduate degree in approved health-related area of study”. The handbook does not name an assistant degree such as an OTA or PTA degree, so ask ADED whether a two-year degree you hold qualifies.
For each pathway, the handbook says experience must include both settings: “A minimum of 20% of experience must be earned with on the road assessment and/or training.” and “A minimum of 20% of experience must be earned with clinical assessment experience.” Pathway 3 adds “ADED Course Completion of Introduction to Driver Rehabilitation (15 hours) and Application of Adaptive Vehicle Modifications (15 hours).”
The exam and renewal
The handbook states: “Your examination will be given via computer at a PSI Test Center.” For this year’s application and testing dates, see ADED’s exam page.
On the title: “Once an applicant has been officially notified they have passed the certification examination, the person may use the title CDRS® and its mark.” The handbook says certification “is effective for 3 years beginning immediately upon official notification of a passing score”; in this site’s words, it ends on the last day of the third year. It adds that “Failure to renew certification or rejection of a renewal application by the certification committee shall cause the certification to expire.” ADED posts its renewal requirements on its website.
Credential, not license
A CDRS does not replace an OT, PT, or SLP license, and state rules on driver training and evaluation vary. Check your state board and your state’s driver licensing agency. Other voluntary credentials are on specialties.
What this page does not do
It does not copy fees or pass counts and does not say whether any degree or hours qualify. It is not legal, medical, or compliance advice. Confirm current rules with the agency or organization that publishes them, your employer, and your state board.