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Online Defensive Driving Course
- Online drivers education is the fun and effective way to earn your first license, prepare for a knowledge test, earn an insurance discount, or just become a better driver. We've designed our courses to keep you entertained and help you learn at the same time.
- Our online drivers ed course gets you out of the classroom and lets you learn from the comfort of your own home. You get to set your own study schedule and move through the material at your own pace, giving you freedom that a typical classroom course could never offer.
- Online Drivers Ed Approved by States Nationwide. Every year we add more and more states and drivers license agencies to our online driver education approval list. Right now, we're 100% approved in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
Available on Any Mobile Device. Our course is 100% online and you can take drivers ed at your own pace. You even have the option to stop the course and start again at a more convenient time.
Driver's Ed and Your Driver's License
Driver's Ed is a requirement to get a driver's license for teenagers and new adult drivers in many states.
While driver's education and training programs will differ from state to state, completing a course will help prepare you to pass the written exam and road test administered by your state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), Department of Revenue (DOR), Motor Vehicle Division (MVD), or Department of Public Safety (DPS).
Along with preparing you for your driver's tests, Driver's Ed will teach you the skills required of safe, responsible drivers.
Completing a driver's education course will put you one step closer to meeting the requirements of your learner's permit and getting behind the wheel with your first driver's license.
Even if you're an experienced driver or a parent getting ready to teach your teenager how to drive, a Driver's Ed course can help refresh you on topics including:
- Safe and defensive driving habits.
- Traffic laws and the rules of the road.
- Sharing the road with other drivers, motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians.
- Handling adverse conditions and emergencies situations.
Driver's Ed, whether it's a requirement or not, can benefit all drivers.
Driver's Ed Requirements in Your State
Choose your state below to learn about the specific driver's education requirements set by your state's DMV, DOR, MVD, or DPS.
On your state's page you'll find information regarding:
- Driver's Ed age and eligibility requirements.
- The total number of hours of driver's education you'll need to complete.
- The classroom and behind-the-wheel components of your state's Driver's Ed program.
- Whether you can complete your course through:
- Your high school.
- An online driver's education provider.
- A licensed, professional driving school.
- The next steps to obtain your driver's license.
Completing your Driver's Ed course will put your one step closer to getting your driver's license and may even help to lower your car insurance rates.
Choose Your State
Related Tasks & Topics
- Appointments
- Change of Address
- Lost License
- New License
- REAL ID
- Renew License
- Take a Practice Test
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Driver's Ed in North Carolina
Driver's education is the first step in the graduated licensing process for North Carolina teenagers. The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) requires all teens younger than 18 years old to complete Driver's Ed before they can apply for their NC learner's permit.
Driver's Ed will help you get your learner's permit, and eventually your driver's license, by teaching you how to drive safely and responsibly.
NC Driver's Ed Eligibility Requirements
In North Carolina, you must take driver's education before applying for your learner's permit.
To enroll in a NC Driver's Ed course, you must:
- Be at least 14 1/2 years old.
- Have your birth certificate or a valid passport.
- Currently be enrolled in high school and on your way to earning your high school diploma or its equivalent.
OR - Show sufficient evidence that if you don't receive a driver's license, you and your family would suffer significant hardship.
About Your NC Driver's Ed Course
In North Carolina, Driver's Ed is provided through your high school.
Keep an eye out for Driver's Ed information at the beginning of the school year. You will need to complete and submit the appropriate registration forms to enroll.
NC driver's education consists of:
- Classroom instruction.
- Behind-the-wheel instruction.
You will also be required to pass a vision exam in order to complete your course.
Classroom Instruction
The first part of any North Carolina Driver's Ed course consists of 30 hours of classroom time. During this phase, you will learn information about driving regulations, violations, and safe driving.
Most high schools offer several different schedules for the course, with common hours being:
- 2 hours after school for 15 days.
OR - 3 hours after school for 10 days
Morning sessions and longer classes are also held in the summer and during other long breaks for 6 1/2 hours a day for 5 days.
Be sure to bring:
- Paper and pencil for notes and written work.
- Your birth certificate or passport.
- Food and drinks for longer classes.
Behind-the-Wheel Instruction
Once you've completed the in-classroom component of Driver's Ed, you will be able to get behind the wheel (if you pass the vision exam).
In this last part of North Carolina driver's education, you will learn and practice important driving skills under supervision and get a feel for what it's really like to drive a car.
After successfully completing behind-the-wheel instruction, you'll be done with North Carolina Driver's Ed and will receive your Driver Education Certificate.
NOTE: If you have not yet completed high school or earned a GED, your Driver's Ed course will also issue you the required Driver Eligibility Certificate in order to apply for your permit.
After Driver's Ed – Getting Your Permit
When you complete North Carolina Driver's Ed and get your Driving Eligibility Certificate, you can apply for a Level 1 learner's permit as long as you:
- Are at least 15 years old and younger than 18 years old.
- Pass the DMV written test, sign test, and vision test.
- Have your high school diploma OR your Driver Eligibility Certificate.
On your Level 1 learner's permit, you will be allowed to practice driving during approved times of the day with a supervising driver.
For more information, visit our Applying for a New License (Teen Drivers) in North Carolina page.
Related Tasks & Topics
- Appointments
- Change of Address
- Lost License
- New License
- REAL ID
- Renew License
- Take a Practice Test
Want to save money on car insurance?
Join 1,972,984 Americans who searched for Car Insurance Rates:
- Get free quotes from the nation's biggest auto insurance providers.
- Over 94% of Americans qualify for lower rates.