Driver Ed FAQ

Any student who pays in advance and requests a refund will receive a refund for those lessons not yet taken (or scheduled within the 48 hours), minus the $275 non-refundable deposit. This refund will be based on the standard hourly rate, not any discounted coupon rate. All the no-show or late cancellation fees must be paid to receive the refund. Refunds are issued within 7-10 business days from the date of the approved refund. If the account has had no activity (scheduled drives or classes) for over 12 months, a $60 reactivation fee will be charged before scheduling drive lessons, training, or classes. Every effort will be made to ensure all instruction is offered during this time limit. The fact the person does not obtain a permit or driver's license during this time is not the responsibility of the Institute for Drivers Safety and will not be cause for an extension.

Our certified trainers are paid by the student. Without your notice we can not fill that slot and the certified trainer loses pay. We must then pay our certified trainers for the lost drive, the fee helps off-set the cost. This is why we ask you to be careful when scheduling your teen's drive time.

You can drop off your teen, but it is your responsibility to make sure their paperwork is in order. At pick-up we urge all parents of those teens who still need their permits to join the briefing by the certified trainers. The instructions and paperwork given to the teens is extremely important and it will help guide you through the process of getting the permit at the MVD and scheduling drives.

Please bring a pencil and a notebook. We order pizza for lunch. If your student would like to participate, it is $5. There are vending machines for snacks and drinks as well.

Our Road to Excellence Program is designed to integrate the classroom learning experience to the real life scenarios that they will encounter in the One on One driving sessions with our certified trainers. We have found that these drivers pick up the concepts of safe defensive driving when they have the classroom orientation. A permit evaluation only covers about 20% of Title 28, Rules of the Road. There is no discussion of Defensive Driving concepts on a permit evaluation. The national safety council shows a student going through classroom, versus a student that does not, has a 48% lower accident rate.

In most cases, when your teen receives their driver's license they should be a listed driver on your policy. However, you must always check with your insurance company to confirm their rules.

Yes. You should make a copy of the certificate for your insurance company as most major carriers allow incentives to young drivers. You must contact your insurance company to see if any incentives apply.

They can get a learner's permit once they are 15 1/2 years old by taking the permit test online at MVDNow.gov or in person at MVD. However, they can take our driver education class anytime earlier to help them prepare for the permit test. At the end of the class, we offer a practice test that is similar to the official exam given at the MVD.

Once your teen is 15 1/2, go to the MVD to take the test. No appointment is needed, you just must arrive before 4:30 p.m.

If the student is under 18 years old, they have to hold their permit for six months or more before they can get their license.

Log in to your student account on our website. Choose an available time and your preferred instructor.

Our scheduling software lets you see all available driving lessons and who is teaching them. If your preferred instructor is open, you can select them for a lesson. We recommend scheduling with at least two instructors since they have different teaching styles.

Our scheduling software lets you see all available driving lessons and who is teaching them. You may choose the same instructor for each lesson if they are open or try a different instructor. We recommend scheduling with at least two instructors since they have different teaching styles.

No, our vehicles have safety features (passenger brake, passenger mirror, student driver signs, etc.) that don't come in standard cars.

We hold driving lessons seven days a week. Driving times vary based on school schedules. If you have any questions, please call our office anytime and we will do our best to get you an answer. You will be able to schedule your drive times online after you register.

You can schedule additional drives by calling our office to have more lessons added to your account. We encourage you to consider additional driving lessons if your teen is having difficulty.

Yes. We welcome proactive parents to be involved with our program; however, there are some rules if you ride along. Silence is golden! You must be quiet when the actual drive is in progress, and you may have NO interaction with your teen while our certified trainer is working. The teen is most relaxed in the one-on-one session with just our certified trainers in the vehicle.

Should you need to reschedule a lesson, you may do so by logging into your account on our website. You must cancel or reschedule at least 48 hours in advance to avoid a $85 late cancellation fee.

Typically we start driving on surface streets for an initial evaluation of the student's skills. This will include braking, accelerating, steering, judgment, SMOG use, and understanding the rules of the road. For students who have the basics skills, the first drive will also include some freeway driving practicing following distance, lane changes, and merging.

Once you have obtained a permit, you can start behind-the-wheel lessons. Taking the class first will better prepare you for the permit test. However, many students also take our class after they have obtained their permits. Once registered, you can schedule lessons by logging into your student account. Be sure the lesson date you select is after you have your permit as you are required to bring your permit to all lessons.