How to take Defensive Driving to Dismiss Traffic Tickets or Points
Defensive Driving, Traffic School, and Driver Improvement Online Courses
Does Your State Allow Defensive Driving Courses Online for Traffic Ticket Dismissal or Points Deducted from Your Driving History?
Alabama
Yes. Most courts will allow the online Traffic Safety
course. Some courts however, the 4 hour and 8 hour defensive driving classes are “in-house” in the municipal courts. These court sponsored defensive driving classes are very expensive. Generally 3-4 times location the price of our online course. Birmingham, for instance, has an 8 hour sit in classroom course and the cost is $150 plus court cost.
Alaska
Yes. Alaska does allow our low cost online course (the “
” sponsored course) for ticket dismissal, 2 points off your driving record, and an insurance discount.
Arizona
Yes. Arizona allows
courses. This will dismiss the citation, and prevent the ticket from being reported to the DMV.
Arkansas
Yes. Arkansas allows the online defensive driving course of which they call “Driving School
“. If you have one (1) moving violation on your driving record within the last three (3) years, a valid driver’s license and no failure to appears, you are most likely eligible for this program. You must come to the court clerk’s office to sign up for this program. There will be a fine and court costs and you will have to take a Defensive Driving School. Once you complete these requirements, the charge is dismissed and will not go on your state driving record.
California
Yes. California does allow our online course and refers to their defensive driving as Traffic School
. You CANNOT go to traffic school for Equipment offenses, Non-moving offenses (like parking offenses), Misdemeanors Offenses with a mandatory court appearance, Alcohol- or drug-related offenses, Offenses in a commercial vehicle. You are also NOT eligible for traffic school if you have gone to traffic school for another ticket that you got in the last 18 months.
Colorado
Yes. Colorado allows a
course only if the accused has demonstrated a need for remedial training due to an extensive record or other aggravation in the nature of the offense itself. Traffic class is not a negotiation tool for the reduction of points or a dismissal.
Connecticut
Yes. In Connecticut, an operator of a motor vehicle retraining program/
is asked by the Connecticut DMV is some cases.
- A driver who is 24 years of age or younger and have received 2 moving violations or suspension offenses.
- 25 years old or older and have received 3 moving violations or suspension offenses.
- Convicted of driving over 75 MPH in a highway construction zone.
- A commercial driver’s license (CDL) holder and are convicted of driving over 65 MPH in a highway construction zone.
Delaware
Yes. Delaware typically allows
courses only to deduct 10% off your car insurance. The 10% reduction in you insurance premium is mandated by state law.
Florida
Yes. Florida allows the online Driver Improvement
course for ticket dismissal and car insurance discounts! Florida law allows this election once in a 12-month period and no more than five times in your lifetime. Florida’s basic 4 hour online course is our low price course. Florida also allows an 8 hour traffic school and a 12 hour advanced driver improvement for aggressive drivers.
Georgia
No. Online classes are not accepted for traffic violation charges. You certainly can take an
however.
Hawaii
allows defensive driving
in some district courts for ticket fine dismissal.
Idaho
No. A driver is only allowed one point reduction on their driving record within a 3-year period regardless of what type of course is completed. Completion of a DDC
or TSC DOES NOT REMOVE convictions from the driving record in Idaho.
Illinois
No. The only court-approved line 4-hour Traffic Safety School course is the one offered by the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety.
Indiana
No If you wish to pay your ticket prior to your court date, and then take a defensive driving class to get credit toward the points on your license, you can call the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles at (317) 233-6000. The defensive driving course will not dismiss a traffic ticket fine.
Iowa
Yes. The Iowa DMV may ask you to complete a defensive
OR Are convicted of driving 25 to 29 MPH over the speed limit. Ask the court for approval.
Kansas
Yes. Kansas allows DOI ( Driving Operator Improvement) or defensive driving through our
course.
Kentucky
Yes. Kentucky allows the online traffic school
course. The Internet Course will provide the same point reduction and license reinstatement benefits as the classroom course.
Louisiana
Yes. Many Parish courts will allow a defensive driving course
online to dismiss or defer the fine of a traffic ticket.
Maine
No. A student who completes the course will receive a three-point credit on their driving record, however. The 5-hour Maine Driving Dynamics course is a driver improvement course that is aimed to improve a student’s defensive driving awareness and abilities.
Maryland
No. When you accumulate 5-7 points on your driver’s license, you will likely be asked to complete a driver improvement course.
Massachusetts
No. For drivers with 3 or more surchargeable events who are asked to complete either a classroom or online Driver Retraining Program.
Michigan Yes. the Secretary of State (Michigan SOS) approves the basic driver improvement (Michigan BDIC
) course. The Michigan SOS notifies the driver in writing that he/she qualifies for a Michigan approved driver improvement course to remove drivers license points or to dismiss a traffic ticket. The Michigan law allows this course of action to occur only one time in the drivers lifetime. This law could use a revisit by the Michigan lawmakers, as laws do change and if someone had taken such a driver improvement course 20 years ago, there would have been no mention whatsoever in that course of the risks of texting while driving. Today courses provide a great deal of focus on the dangers of texting and driving. Texting on a cell or smart phone while driving is comparable to drinking and driving and driving under the influence or while intoxicated. A once a year driver improvement course, as it is in most states would be highly beneficial to Michigan drivers.
Minnesota
No. Only a sit-in the classroom course is allowed in Minnesota for traffic tickets. The online driver improvement course is valid in Minnesota for auto insurance discounts however. Also, Minnesota residents who are senior citizens may take the
, 55 Alive course online for a mandatory car insurance discount.
Mississippi
Yes. DDS (Defensive Driving School
) is offered to any adult who has not received a ticket in the past three years. Then after completion of the DDS your return the certificate of completion to the court clerk, the ticket is dismissed.
Missouri
Yes. Missouri allows our I Drive Safely
sponsored online driver improvement program (DIP) course. The online course is valid in Missouri for the following counties: Adair County – Kirksville, Andrew County – Savannah, Atchison County – Rock Port, Audrain County – Mexico, Barton County – Lamar, Bollinger County – Marble Hill, Boone County – Columbia, Buchanan County – St. Joseph, Butler County – Poplar Bluff, Callaway County – Fulton, Cape Girardeau County – Jackson, Cass County – Harrisonville, Clay County – Liberty, Clinton County – Plattsburg, Cole County – Jefferson City, Cooper County – Boonville, Crawford County – Steelville, Dade County – Greenfield, Daviess County – Gallatin, Franklin County – Union, Gasconade County – Hermann, Greene County – Springfield, Grundy County – Trenton, Harrison County – Bethany, Hickory County – Hermitage, Holt County – Oregon, Howell County – West Plains, Lawrence County – Mount Vernon, Lewis County – Monticello, Lincoln County – Troy, Livingston County – Chillicothe, Macon County – Macon, Madison County – Fredericktown, Marion County – Palmyra, McDonald County – Pineville, Miller County – Tuscumbia, Nodaway County – Maryville, Oregon County – Alton, Osage County – Linn, Pemiscot County – Caruthersville, Perry County – Perryville, Pike County – Bowling Green, Platte County – Platte City, Putnam County – Unionville, Reynolds County – Centerville, Ripley County – Doniphan, Saline County – Marshall, Schuyler County – Lancaster, Scott County – Benton, Shannon County – Eminence, Shelby County – Shelbyville, St. Clair County – Osceola, Ste. Genevieve County – Ste. Genevieve, Sullivan County – Milan, Vernon County – Nevada, Wayne County – Greenville, Webster County – Marshfield, Worth County – Grant City, Wright County – Hartville.
Montana
Yes. Montana allows the defensive driving
in many situations. Contact the county or court where the traffic ticket was issued to see if the course is an option in your case.
Nebraska
Yes. The Nebraska STOP online
four (4) hour defensive driving course is available. According to Nebraska law, drivers can only take a ticket dismissal class for minor traffic violations once every three years. For more serious violations, STAR/ADD classes can only be taken once every eight years.
Nevada
Yes, Nevada allows our online traffic school
course.
New Jersey
Yes, New Jersey allows both New Jersey defensive driving
online course for traffic infractions as well as a Point and Insurance Reduction Program or PIRP
online for a reduction in driving records or drivers license points.
New Mexico
Yes. New Mexico allows our online defensive driving
for traffic violations.
New York
Yes, New York allows our New York PIRP online course
for defensive driving and Point and Insurance Reduction Program for driving points accumulation.
North Carolina (N.C.)
Yes. In Guilford county
and Wake county
, no prior approval is needed. In all other courts, check with the county court for approval prior to registering for an online defensive driving course.
North Dakota
Yes. North Dakota allows our Insurance Reduction and Crash Prevention
(IRCP), Insurance Reduction for Mature Drivers
(IRMD), and Insurance Premium Reduction Course
(IPRC) online. Basically, the course covers all three topics.
Ohio
Yes. Ohio approves a Remedial Driving Instruction Course
(RDIC). These courses are designed for drivers in the state of Ohio that have received a traffic ticket or citation which they would like to have dismissed. You must obtain or have received either a court approval or a judge’s approval to take the course online.
Oklahoma
Yes. Oklahoma allows online defensive driving
courses for traffic infractions or violations but not for points reduction.
Oregon
Yes. Oregon allows the traffic school course for all courts in the state.
Rhode Island
Maybe. Check with your court. It’s up to the judge whether it’s allowed or not. The Rhode Island defensive driving
online course may be asked after you violate certain traffic laws and is always available to get an auto insurance discount.
South Carolina
Yes. Our
course online is approved by the state and courts.
South Dakota
Yes. Generally the South Dakota defensive driving
course is referred or assigned to be taken by the courts for traffic tickets but it can be initiated by the driver as well.
Tennessee
Yes. Our Tennessee traffic school
online course is for the Tennessee DSHS.
Texas
Yes. Texas allows our
which is approved by the Texas TDLR (Texas Dept of Licensing and Regulations). In the case of a speeding ticket, the Texas violator cannot be charged with speeding greater than 25 mph over the posted speed limit. The offender must not have used the driving safety course within the last 12 months to have a traffic offense dismissed.
Utah
Yes. Utah allows the defensive driving
to be taken online for many courts and traffic charges.
Vermont
No. The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles (Vermont DMV). You may, however, take the course online for a car insurance discount
.
Virginia
Yes. Any non-commercial CDL driver 20 years old or older can take a driver improvement course
either in person or online, but if you’re under 20 years old, you must take the course in a classroom.
Washington
Yes. You must notify the court before the court appearance date listed on the traffic citation and request the
deferral.
West Virginia
Yes. In West Virginia, you can complete
for a traffic offense or to have points removed from your driving record. You can have up to 3 points reduced from your existing record each time you complete a course. However, you can take a defensive driving course only once every 12 months for point reduction. For more information, contact the WV DMV. If you’re a problem driver and have accumulated 14 points or more on your driving record, you will not be eligible to use the defensive driving course to remove a driver’s license suspension.
Wisconsin
Yes. Two variations are allowed which are both online. One is all offenses except Failure to Yield
right of way, and the other is for Failure to Yield
tickets
Wyoming
Yes. In Wyoming, you may be court-ordered to complete defensive driving if you’ve received a traffic ticket. If you’re not referred by the court, you should take sign-up and complete a defensive driving course to dismiss a traffic ticket
and cut the fine cost and points.
If you have received a traffic ticket for a moving violation (speeding, running a red light, stop sign, etc.), check with the court for which the ticket, summons, citation is written. Generally the court and appearance date will be written on the front of the ticket. You can usually search the internet for that court and get the information you need. City courts in most states will have a fee to be paid and approval to take the course if dismissal of the ticket is allow. Most states and court offer either deferred adjudication, diversion, or outright dismissal upon completion of the defensive driving course. Most all allow the online internet course, but a few still do not.
A benefit in taking the low cost online defensive driving courses are that not only will you dismissed the ticket or get points deducted from your drivers license record, you can usually get an auto insurance discount as well!
Many states and city or circuit courts offer an option to take defensive driving, known also as a driver improvement program and accident prevention course for dismissing a traffic ticket involving a moving violation. Speeding tickets are the most often common offenses which result in traffic fines or driving safety deferrals. A deferred adjudication or deferred judgment is a probation because a judge or court official authorizes the deferral of the fine. If a defendant remains on probation, usually 6 months to a year without getting a second charge, the case is dismissed. Many courts will ask the violator to take a defensive driving or driver improvement course in lieu of the fine and instead of a conviction record on the drivers license.