Every school had different characteristics: in one school if someone was qualified as Shinan-Menkyo, he or she was allowed to take disciples in and to instruct them freely, in another school he or she was allowed to issue licenses but needed to get the shisho's permission beforehand, and so on.
指南許可を得れば自由に弟子を取って教えて良いとする流派や、免許を発行して良いが、師匠の許可を取る必要があるとする流派など様々であった。