FAQs – Virginia Driver Improvement Course
Course Information
- Why should I take a driver improvement course?
- Is this course approved?
- I'm not sure if I'm eligible to take a Virginia driver improvement course. How do I find out?
- Is there an age requirement to complete a driver improvement course online?
- How often can I take a driver improvement course in Virginia?
- Must I complete this driver improvement traffic school course in one sitting?
- How long will this course take?
- What types of things will I study?
- Do I have to take a final exam?
- Why can't I take my final exam at home?
- What is the testing and grading policy?
- Is there any way I can fail the course?
- Why does this course have timers?
Course Information
Completion of a Virginia driver improvement course can help you reduce points and fines associated with traffic tickets, lower your insurance rates, meet court requirements, or earn 5 Safe Driving points to your driving record.
Yes! Our Virginia driver improvement courses are state-approved by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to meet all requirements for point and fine reduction, insurance discounts, and safe driving points.
If you are being ordered by the DMV to complete a defensive driving course, you will receive notice in the mail mandating that you attend. Similarly, if you are being ordered by the court to complete a driver improvement course, you will receive referral at your court date.
If you need court permission to reduce points or fines/fees with a defensive driving course, you can contact your court before your court date to request permission to do so. Generally, you must meet the following requirements:
- You must hold a valid non-commercial Virginia drivers license.
- You have been cited for a minor moving violation.
- You do not have any outstanding violations on your record, and your license has not been suspended or revoked.
- You are aged 20 years or older.
If you still are unclear as to whether you qualify for traffic school, contact your court and request more information concerning your particular circumstances.
Virginia residents must be at least 20 years old to be eligible for online driver improvement. Any drivers under 20 years must complete their driver improvement requirements in a classroom setting.
You may take the course once every 24 months (2 years) for point reduction or to receive 5 safe driving points. If you are taking it as part of a court order, or for ticket dismissal/fine reduction, there is no completion limit.
No. With our online course, you are free to log in and out as much as you want, which means you can work in as many sessions as you need to complete the course!
The Virginia driver improvement program meets the state-mandated 8-hour length requirement. You may work through those 8 hours all in one day if you choose, or you may spread it out over a longer period of time. How long it takes is completely up to you!
Each of your 8 course chapters focuses on topics that pertain to Virginia driving and traffic laws. These topics include:
- Highway safety
- Alcohol- and drug-impaired driving
- State traffic laws
- Driving emergencies
- Vehicle maintenance
Yes, you do. The final exam is 50 multiple-choice questions, and you will need to achieve a passing score of 80% or higher. You get unlimited retakes on the exam if you do not pass on your first try — so you’re guaranteed to pass the course!
IMPORTANT NOTE: You must take your final exam at an approved testing center, per Virginia state law. You will have the opportunity to choose a testing center near you during registration. If you need to retake your final exam, you must wait 24 hours, and will therefore need to schedule another appointment at your testing center in order to complete your retake.
The state of Virginia mandates that you complete your final exam at an approved testing center. We (and all other online defensive driving schools) must comply with these state requirements. Your exam is still taken right on our website, so you will log in with your username and password as usual – you will just do it on a different computer at an approved location. These include UPS stores, public libraries, and other similar locations.
Each of the 8 chapters contains a quiz that reviews important content from that chapter. There are 10 questions per quiz, and you need to obtain an 80% or higher to pass onto the next chapter. The quizzes will provide you with an excellent opportunity to master the course material and prepare for your final exam. You will be provided with feedback on any incorrect answers, and you may retake your quizzes an unlimited amount of times.
You will then take your final exam at the end of your course at your approved testing center.
You must score an 80% or higher to pass, and you may retake the exam an unlimited amount of times. You may only attempt your exam once per day, per Virginia state law.
You have unlimited retakes on your chapter quizzes and your final exam, so if you fail to achieve an 80% on your first try, you may simply retake them again until you pass.
Please note that you may only attempt your final exam once per day, at an approved testing center. If you need to retake the exam, you must schedule another appointment to do so at least 24 hours later.
You also must finish the course and pass the test (at the approved testing facility) within 180 days of starting the course.
This course is required by Virginia law to span 8 hours in length. To comply with this law, 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.
