How to Find Defensive Driving Courses in Alabama

Find an approved Alabama defensive driving course on the DPS website to dismiss a minor traffic violation with court permission (and lower your premium).
Written by Bonnie Stinson
Edited by Jessica Barrett
Taking a defensive driving course in
Alabama
could help you dismiss a minor traffic violation and
save on your car insurance premium
with discounts. But to reap the benefits, the course you take must be approved by the court or your insurance company.
  • The Department of Public Safety has a list of approved courses, but the court or the insurance company has final approval.
  • Defensive driving courses can help dismiss minor traffic violations in Alabama.
  • You can unlock insurance discounts after completing an approved course.
  • Alabama drivers are limited to one defensive driving course every two years.

An Alabama defensive driving course might help you dismiss a ticket

Alabama drivers can dismiss minor traffic citations for moving violations like
texting and driving
with court permission once every two years by taking a court-approved online defensive driving course. It does not apply to major violations like breaking
Alabama DUI laws
or
hit-and-runs
.
Keep in mind: Taking a defensive driving course doesn’t remove existing points from your record. Those violation points will remain on your
Alabama driving record
but won’t count toward a license suspension when you attend traffic school. 
In Alabama, if you get 12 or more points over two years,
your license will be suspended
for at least 60 days or up to a year. 
Here’s what you need to do to dismiss a minor ticket violation in Alabama: 
  • Show up to your court date and receive approval from an Alabama judge. You’ll need to be ticketed for a minor moving violation to qualify.
  • Contact the court that issued the citation or the
    Alabama Department of Public Safety (DPS)
    to find an approved traffic school.
  • Enroll in an in-person or online
    driving course
    approved by the Alabama court or DPS.
  • Complete the course within the specified timeframe and submit your certificate of completion to the court or DPS. 

Some defensive driving courses can reduce your insurance rates

It’s not uncommon for car insurance companies to reward policyholders who take driver re-education courses with discounts. Want to save hundreds on your insurance premium and brush up on
Alabama red light camera laws
at the same time? Follow these steps:
  • Contact your insurance provider to find out if you’re eligible for a
    safe driver discount
  • Shop around for a defensive driving course approved by your insurance provider
  • Complete the driving skills course and send proof of completion to your insurance company
Not all Alabama courses will qualify you for an insurance discount from your provider.
For example,
GEICO
offers discounts to Alabama drivers who voluntarily take online defensive driving classes offered by MyImprov, the National Safety Council (NSC), or American Safety Council—but you must be a GEICO policyholder to get the discount. 
Since each insurance provider has their own set of safe driver discount qualifications, it’s important to contact your company’s customer support to find the best savings!
Traffic tickets can
impact
your
Alabama car insurance rates
, so it’s worth pursuing this option to save some money.

Your defensive driving course must be DPS or insurer-approved

You need to make sure your defensive driving program is approved by the Alabama Department of Public Safety (DPS) or your insurance provider for a citation dismissal or insurance discount. 
  • An Alabama traffic court judge must permit you to attend a traffic school to dismiss a minor Alabama traffic ticket for a moving violation
  • You’ll need to request a list of approved driving schools from the Alabama DPS or the court
  • Several online traffic school companies offer four-hour, six-hour, and eight-hour defensive driving courses that satisfy court requirements and earn you insurance discounts. 
DriveSafe Online® and American Safety Council’s Safe Motorist are both popular online traffic school choices but you’ll need to contact the Alabama court that issued your traffic citation, DPS, or auto insurance company to confirm the course is approved. 

Most defensive driving courses cost $25 to $50

You can expect an Alabama defensive driver course to cost somewhere between $25 and $50 on average, but the exact price will vary depending on the provider and the course you register for. 
Remember, it’s way cheaper to take a course than pay to
reinstate your Alabama driver’s license
if you accumulate too many points.

FAQs

Courses can take between one and eight hours with a mixture of quizzes and interactive content that include defensive driving techniques, traffic laws, and general driver improvement tips. 
In-person courses usually take longer than online ones but you’re allowed to take virtual courses at your own pace—just make sure you complete your defensive driving course within the timeframe specified by the municipal court.
You are eligible to take a safer driver course from a defensive driving school once every two years to dismiss a citation with court permission.
Yes! Court permission gives you eligibility for ticket dismissal if you pass the final exam for an approved defensive driving course. While the points will stay on your record, they won’t apply to license suspension in the future in the state of Alabama.
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