Florida Driver's Handbook 2009

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6. Other Information

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Traffic Law Substance Abuse Education Course Providers

Reasons for Attending Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education

If you have never held a regular driver license in any state, country, or jurisdiction, you must complete a Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education course before applying for a Learner's license in the state of Florida. The driver education courses offered by some county school boards may substitute for this requirement. Please contact your local school board for further information. If you are under 21 years old and receive a notice of suspension for driving with a BAL of .02 to .05, you must complete a Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education course in order to reinstate your driver license on a hardship basis.

Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education Course Providers

The following is a list of approved course providers. Those providers who are approved to offer their course statewide may or may not offer schools in your area. Call to locate a school near you.

#1 Lowest Price Traffic School800-729-1460
Florida Educational Driving School954-345-5155
National Safety Council800-237-0676
#1 A Driver Training Associates800-937-9533
First Time Driver Program800-252-9951
The Florida Virtual School407-513-3587
Florida Association of DUI Programs800-953-3237
St. Petersburg College727-341-4489
South Florida Safety Program305-255-7118
American Safety Institute, Inc.800-800-7121
#1National Traffic Safety Institute800-654-6874
American Safety Council.com800-771-2255

Advanced Driver Improvement Courses

Reasons for Attending Advanced Driver Improvement

If your driver license was suspended in the state of Florida for points or as a habitual traffic offender (non-DUI related), or by court order, you must complete an advanced driver improvement course.

Note: If you hold a Florida driver license and receive a ticket for a moving violation in Arizona, the state of Arizona may withhold adjudication if you complete a state-approved advanced driver improvement course.

To locate an approved online advanced driver improvement course, refer to your local telephone directory, or contact the course providers listed below.

Advanced Driver Improvement Course Providers

The following is a list of approved course providers. Those providers who are approved to offer their course statewide may or may not offer schools in your area. Call to locate a school near you.

National Safety Council, Florida800-237-0676
# 1 A Driver Training Associates800-937-9533
#1National Traffic Safety Institute800-654-6874
American Safety Institute, Inc.800-800-7121
American Safety Council.com800-771-2255

Basic Driver Improvement Courses

Reasons for Attending Basic Driver Improvement

You must complete a basic driver improvement course (Traffic Collision Avoidance Course) if you want to retain your driver license in the following circumstance:

  • you were a driver in a crash and are found at fault and someone was transported to the hospital or
  • you had two crashes in a two-year period, which resulted in property damage greater than $50 or
  • you are convicted of running a red light two times within 12 months

If you receive a ticket for a non-criminal moving violation, and you do not hold a commercial driver license, you may elect to attend a basic driver improvement course in lieu of points on your driving record.

In some cases, you may choose to attend a basic driver improvement course to receive insurance discounts. This discount is solely at the discretion of your insurance company.

Electing to Attend Traffic School

Drivers with a Class A, B, or C license, or drivers charged with exceeding the speed limit by more than 30 mph may not make an election under this subsection.

If, as a result of a moving violation, you elect to attend and complete a basic driver improvement course, you will receive the following benefits:

  1. Your insurance rates cannot go up and your policy cannot be cancelled because of this violation, unless this involved a crash where you were at fault.
  2. Points may not be added to your driver license record, adjudication of guilt is withheld, and safe driver status is maintained if applicable. You may not make an election under this subsection if you have made this election in the preceding 12 months. A person may make no more than five elections within ten years.

Within 30 days from the date you received the traffic citation and prior to attending class, you must:

  1. inform the Clerk of Court in the county where you received the citation that you want to go to traffic school, and
  2. pay an election fee to the Clerk of Court in the county where you received the citation.

You may contact the traffic school of your choice to register for class. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles must approve the course. Traffic schools are listed in your local telephone directory under "driving instruction" or "traffic schools." Approved course providers are also listed below. To locate an approved on-line basic driver improvement course, refer to your local telephone directory, or contact the course providers listed below.

A full list of your options for satisfying your traffic citation is on the back of the citation. You are required to choose one of the three options within 30 days of receiving the citation.

Basic Driver Improvement Course Providers

#1 Lowest Price Traffic School800-729-1460
# 1 A BEST CHOICE-I DRIVE SAFELY800-723-1955
Safety Council800-372-3335
South Florida Safety Program305-255-7118
Florida Educational Driving School954-345-5155
Wise Traffic School877-885-8848
FloridaDriverSafety.com888-404-0414
# 1 A Driver Training Associates800-937-9533
USA Training Company866-531-9055
American Safety Institute, Inc.800-800-7121
Traffic Safety Institute800-654-6874
American Safety Council.com800-771-2255
National Safety Council800-237-0676
Comedy Traffic School800-252-9951
U.S. Interactive, Inc.800-505-5095
National Online Traffic School866-455-8054

The following is a list of approved course providers. Those providers who are approved to offer their course statewide may or may not offer schools in your area. Call to locate a school near you.

Florida Licensed DUI Programs

The Bureau of Driver Education and DUI Programs provides the oversight for 26 licensed programs. The Bureau administers Rule 15A-10, F.A.C., including instructor certification and training, investigating complaints, processing client appeals, conducting site visits, maintaining quality assurance, coordinating trust fund, and evaluating programs' effectiveness.

The DUI programs are private and professional non-profit organizations that are required to provide education, a psychosocial evaluation and treatment referral services to DUI offenders to satisfy judicial and driver licensing requirements. Two educational services are offered - Level I for first-time offenders and Level II for multiple offenders. The Level I course is to be a minimum of 12 hours of classroom instruction and incorporates didactic and interactive educational techniques. The Level II course is a minimum of 21 hours of classroom time using primarily interactive educational techniques in a group setting. The average class size is not to exceed 15 students for Level II. This course focuses on the problems of the repeat offender and treatment readiness as the majority of students are referred to treatment. In no case is placement in Level II used in lieu of treatment.

Serving: Alachua, Bradford, Dixie, Gilchrist, Levy and Union Co.North Central Florida Safety Council, Inc.352-377-2566
Serving: Baker, Clay, Columbia, Duval, Hamilton, Lafayette, Nassau, St. Johns, and Suwannee Co.Northeast Florida Safety Council, Inc.904-399-3119
Serving: Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson and Washington Co.14th Judicial Circuit DUI Program850-872-7730
Serving: Brevard Co.Florida Safety Council
Family Counseling Center (Counterattack-Brevard)
321-631-2347
321-632-5812
Serving: BrowardBroward County Commission on Alcoholism, Inc.
Metro Safety Council
954-763-4505
954-476-0055
Serving: Collier Co.David Lawrence Mental Health Center, Inc.239-643-6101
Serving: Miami-Dade Co.Advocate Program, Inc.
Metro Traffic School Dade County
305-704-0200
305-513-0063
Serving: DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota Co.Manatee Community College Traffic Safety Institute941-752-5284
Serving: Flagler Co.Flagler County School District's Driver Improvement
Sunshine Safety Council, Inc.
386-453-7573
386-258-2132
Serving: Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Wakulla, Madison, and Taylor Co.North Florida Safety Council, Inc.850-877-5193
Serving: Charlotte, Glades, Hendry and Lee Co.Southwest Florida Safety Council, Inc.239-332-3008
Serving: Monroe Co.Pride Integrated Services, Inc. of Monroe County305-294-9710
Serving: Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie Co.C.O.R.E. Program Inc.772-286-7333
Serving: Okaloosa and Walton Co.Bridgeway Center, Inc.850-833-7474
Serving: Hillsborough Co.DUI Counterattack Hillsborough, Inc.813-875-6201
Serving: Orange, Osceola, and Seminole Co.Florida Safety Council(Orange County)
Florida Safety Council (Osceola County)
Florida Safety Council (Seminole County)
407-896-1894
407-846-2555
407-831-7200
Serving: Escambia and Santa Rosa Co.Lakeview Center, Inc.850-595-1345
Serving: Palm Beach Co.Metro Traffic School Palm Beach
Pride Integrated Services, Inc. of Palm Beach County
561-963-7555
561-615-0767
Serving: Pinellas Co.Suncoast Safety Council, Inc.727-442-0233
Serving: Pasco Co.Pride Integrated Services, Inc. of Pasco County727-847-3411
Serving: Hardee, Highands, and Polk Co.Tri-County Human Services727-701-1919
Serving: Putnam and Volusia Co.Sunshine Safety Council, Inc.386-253-6400
Serving: Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Marion and Sumter Co.West Central Florida Driver Improvement, Inc.352-622-6991

Mature Driver/Insurance Discount Courses

Courses approved for the purpose of section 627.0652, Florida Statutes senior citizens discount insurance courses.

AAA-Safe Driving for Mature OperatorsConsult your local phone book
AARP 55 AliveConsult your local phone book
American Safety Council - MatureDriverClass.com800-771-2255
American Safety Institute - Senior Driving Course Internet800-800-7121
American Safety Institute - Senior Driving Course800-800-7121
Florida Educational Driving School - FEDS Senior Driving Course954-345-5155
I DRIVE SAFELY - Online Mature Driver Course800-723-1955
National Safety Council - Coaching the Mature Driver800-237-0676
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