Frequently Asked Questions - Traffic Safety Course in NC

General Info

Course Info

General Info

1. Is your course approved by the state of North Carolina?

Yes! Our online North Carolina traffic school courses are court-approved throughout the state.

2. I want to reduce points from my driving record, but I’m not sure if I’m eligible to take a North Carolina online traffic school course. How do I find out?

If you have accumulated 7 or more points on your driving record, the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will notify you and require you to complete a traffic safety course to reduce as many as 3 of those points.

If you have not received this notice and have received a traffic ticket, you may contact your court to ask permission to dismiss your ticket or points with one of these courses. Generally, you will be eligible if:

• You hold a valid non-commercial North Carolina driver’s license
• Your citation is non-alcohol-related
• You have not taken a traffic safety course within the past 5 years
• You are between the ages of 15 and 21 (WAKE COUNTY ONLY)

If you still are unclear if you qualify for traffic school, contact your court and request more information concerning your particular circumstances. 

3. Which North Carolina traffic school courses do you offer?

We offer 2 courses that can help you clean up your North Carolina driving record:

• The North Carolina 4-Hour Traffic Safety Course: For drivers in Guilford or Wake Counties who have received permission to attend a traffic school course (you must be 15-21 years of age in Wake County ONLY)
• The North Carolina 8-Hour Traffic Safety Course: For drivers in all other North Carolina counties who have received permission from their local court to attend traffic school for ticket or point dismissal.

4. How do I get my insurance discount?

You’ll need to contact your insurance provider to see if they offer a discount. Once you’ve completed the course, I Drive Safely will mail you a Certificate of Completion; you’ll need to submit your certificate to your insurance provider to get your discount.

Course Info

1. How long will this course take?

The course for drivers in Guilford or Wake counties is required to be 4 hours long; all other drivers must complete an 8 hour course.

2. What types of things will I study?

Each course is broken down into 8 chapters that focus on a single topic pertaining to North Carolina driving and traffic laws. These topics include:

• Highway safety
• Alcohol- and drug-impaired driving
• State traffic laws
• Driving emergencies
• Vehicle maintenance

3. Do I have to take a final exam?

Yes, the course final consists of 25 multiple-choice questions, and you’ll need to get a score of 80% of higher to pass. The good news is that we make it as easy as possible for you. If you don’t pass your exam on the first try, you can retake it until you do!

4. Is there any way I can fail the course?

Nope! You have unlimited retakes on your chapter quizzes and final exam, so if you fail to achieve a passing score on your first try, you can take it again until you do.

5. Why does your course have timers?

This course is required by North Carolina courts to span 4 or 8 hours in length, depending upon your county of residence. To comply with these requirements, we (and all other online defensive driving schools) are required to place timers on each page of the course. We realize that some students may read faster than the timer will permit you to advance, but state regulations prohibit us from changing this function. The timers cannot be disabled for any reason.

6. Is there a calendar deadline to complete a North Carolina traffic school course?

Even though our courses are self-paced, you may be given a deadline to complete yours. These deadlines are typically determined by the North Carolina courts or DMV. While we allow you 90 days to complete your course before your account is suspended, the court or DMV may require you to finish your course much sooner than that. Make sure to determine your court’s deadline before beginning the course.

Regardless of court deadlines, you MUST complete the course within 90 days of registration. Any student who has not successfully completed the course within 90 days will be terminated without notice and will not be eligible for a refund.

7. What certificate delivery options do I have?

We’ll send your certificate of completion to you for free via U.S. Mail. If you need it sooner than that, we have additional options, including e-mail delivery, direct download, and express delivery by FedEx.