Who needs to take a Georgia defensive driving course?
Drive Smart Georgia offers a state-approved Georgia defensive driving course. So, who needs to take the class? The short answer is that anyone can take an in-person or an online defensive driving course on Zoom and derive different benefits for different reasons.
The defensive driving (also known as Driver Improvement) course is designed to teach drivers about safe driving techniques and behaviors that can help them stay safe on the road.
Our signature course can be taken in-person in a traditional classroom setting or from the comfort of your home with our Zoom version. Both in-person and Zoom options include 6-hours of instruction and meet all Georgia law requirements. We offer weekly 1-day or 2-day options for the in-person or Zoom course to work with your busy schedule.
We teach our in-person classes at our Cumming office, located at 1790 Peachtree Pkwy, Suite 202, Cumming, GA 30041.
Who needs to take an in-person or
online Georgia defensive driving course?
Anyone can take and benefit from a Georgia defensive driving class. Two of the most popular reasons that people take it is to reduce their auto insurance cost and for personal education to stay safe on the road.
Reasons to take the Georgia Defensive Driving course:
Ticket dismissal – Many judges in Georgia will dismiss or not process a moving violation ticket if the offender completes the six-hour course. This means the ticket won’t be reported to insurance or appear on the driver’s record.
Fine and point reduction – Under Georgia law, some courts allow offenders to complete a course, resulting in a 20% fine reduction and no points added to the driver’s record.
Points removal – Drivers may take the course once every five years to remove seven points from their driving record.
- Drivers aged 21 and older who accumulate 15 points within 24 months will have their license suspended.
- Drivers under 18 who accumulate four or more points within 12 months will have their license suspended for six months.
- Drivers under 21 will have their license suspended for six months for a single moving violation that results in an assessment of four or more points.
License reinstatement – If your license has been suspended in Georgia, often courts require the completion of a Defensive Driving course before it can be reinstated.
Insurance discounts – Georgia drivers can take the 6-hour Defensive Driving course to receive a 10-15% discount on their auto insurance premium. The exact discount varies by insurance company, so please check with your insurer for specific details.
Personal education – Parents often attend the course for an insurance discount and want their newly licensed teen driver to attend for personal education. If your teen has completed our Driver’s Ed program, many insurance companies offer a discount for Driver’s Ed until age 21. In this case, the defensive driving class may not provide an additional discount but is still beneficial for personal education. Please check with your insurer for specific details.
What is a defensive driving course?
Our 6-hour defensive driving course is designed to teach drivers about safe driving attitudes, behaviors, and techniques. It can be taken for ticket dismissal, fine and point reduction, points removal, or license reinstatement. When taken for these reasons, the $95 price is set by the state of Georgia. The program is fully refundable if the student does not complete the course or earn a certificate of completion if the refund request is made within 14 days of purchase.
CLICK HERE if you need to take a defensive driving course to reduce points or a fine, reinstate your license, points removal, or ticket dismissal.
You can register up to 1 hour before the class starts for both our in-person and Zoom courses. If you register for a Zoom course, you’ll immediately receive the Zoom login instructions via email upon registration. You’ll receive a certificate of completion on the same day that you finish the defensive driving class for both in-person & Zoom courses. Georgia allows the defensive driving course to be taught online ONLY if conducted live with an instructor via Zoom. Therefore, the certificate you receive for our Zoom course is exactly the same as our in-person course.
Why should I take a Defensive Driving Course if I have a clean driving record?
There are two huge reasons to take a defensive driving course if you have a clean driving record in Georgia. The first reason is to reduce the high cost of insurance premiums. The second is to refresh those rusty driving skills to stay safer on the road and to maintain your good driving record.
Is the rising cost of auto insurance putting a strain on your family budget?
According to Forbes, in 2024, the average cost of full coverage auto insurance in the U.S. rose 26% from 2023. In Georgia, the increase was slightly above average. For a family with several drivers (especially TEEN DRIVERS), the cost to ensure everyone can be sky high.
Drive Smart Georgia can help! If you have a clean driving record and want to take a Georgia defensive driving class solely to reduce your insurance cost and to fine-tune your rusty driving skills, you can take the 6-hour course at Drive Smart Georgia.
Reduce costly insurance premiums
Georgia drivers can take the 6-hour defensive driving course to receive a 10-15% discount on their auto insurance premium. The exact discount varies by insurance company, so please check with your insurer for specific details.
Parents often attend the course for an insurance discount and want their newly licensed teen driver to attend for personal education. If your teen has completed our Driver’s Ed program, many insurance companies offer a discount for Driver’s Ed until age 21. In this case, the defensive driving class may not provide an additional discount but is still beneficial for personal education. Please check with your insurer for specific details.
Does your Defensive Driving/Driver Improvement course include driving lessons?
No. It includes in-person classroom or Zoom instruction only and does not include in-car driving lessons. However, they are available for purchase on our website.
CLICK HERE to view the complete Points Schedule, a detailed list of traffic violations, and the point penalty for each.
CLICK HERE to read more Drive Smart Georgia blog posts.
Related articles:
- Defensive Driving is now available at Drive Smart Georgia
- Drowsy driving is highly dangerous for teen drivers
- What is Joshua’s Law? A guide for parents to limit teen driver dangers