How to Find Defensive Driving Courses in Idaho
Take a defensive driving course if you’re looking to reduce points on your Idaho license or you want to earn a car insurance discount.
Written by Jessica Gibson
Reviewed by Pat Roache
A defensive driving course is a great option if you want to eliminate violation points from your Idaho license or you’re hoping for a discount on your
car insurance
. Find an approved course, complete the exam, and submit your certificate.Idaho assigns points to your driver’s license for every driving violation you get. Accumulating many driver violation points could affect your insurance rates—and not in a good way! The state of Idaho might even suspend your license if you get over 20 points. Keep reading to learn how to find a defensive driving course in Idaho to potentially knock a few points off your record.
Taking a defensive driving course in Idaho could…
…reduce points on your driver’s license
Idaho lets you reduce up to three points on your driving record by completing a defensive driving course approved by the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD). There’s no limit to the number of times you can take the course, but you can only use it to
clean your driving record
once every three years.It’s really important to point out that you must take the course before you're facing a license suspension—taking a defensive driving course won’t help to
reinstate an Idaho driver’s license
. Instead, the transportation department requires you to fill out a reinstatement application
and pay reinstatement fees (which range from $25 to $285).Here’s what you need to do to get points off your record with a defensive driving course:
- Sign up for a defensive driving course approved by the Idaho Transportation Department.
- Pass the course and get a certificate of completion (some programs will mail you a certificate while others will email it to you).
- Submit the certificate to the ITD.
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…earn you an insurance discount
So many insurance providers offer car insurance discounts as an incentive to become better drivers. Taking a defensive driving course is a fantastic way to refresh your driving knowledge while saving on insurance costs.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Reach out to your insurance company and ask about your eligibility.
- Search for a defensive driving course that your insurance provider approves of.
- Complete the course and submit your certificate of completion to your insurance company.
Before you sign up for a course and pay the fees, it’s super important to check that your insurance company approves it since they won’t accept every defensive driving course. For instance, if you take a course that says you’ll get a discount on
Farmer’s Insurance
, you must have a car insurance policy with Farmer’s to get the discount.Although the amount you’ll save varies, it’s usually about 10% off of your premium!
MORE: Good driving record discounts, explained
…improve your driving skills
We’ve covered most of the practical reasons for taking a defensive driving course, but there are other benefits. Defensive driving courses are great refreshers for local traffic laws while you learn valuable
safe driving tips
and practice defensive driving techniques. You’ll work in groups or get hands-on experience as part of an in-person course, or you’ll watch videos and take quizzes if your course is online.Either way, a defensive driving course can make you a better driver and reduce your risk of car accidents. It’s hard to put a price on the savings you’ll get from becoming a better driver!
MORE: The benefits of taking a defensive driving course
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You’ve certainly got options for finding a defensive driving course in Idaho!
The most important thing is locating a course approved by the ITD or your insurance provider. Check out the ITD’s
list of approved defensive driving courses
to get started.There are around four providers who offer in-person classes if you’re interested. Look at the list of approved courses to find in-person options at Boise, Spokane, Pocatello, and Twin Falls. Otherwise, you have over 25 online options!
Some online traffic school companies provide defensive driving courses, too. You might look into the popular
iDriveSafely®
and DriveSafe Online®
schools. Once you pick a provider and program, check with your insurance company to confirm that it qualifies for a safe driver discount.How much is a defensive driving course in Idaho?
Since there’s no mandatory defensive driving course, costs vary from provider to provider. Plan on spending between $15 and $60. Many courses offer coupons or discounts, so it pays to shop around.
How long is a defensive driving course in Idaho?
To get the points off of your license, the Idaho Transportation Department requires you to complete a six-hour course. You might see programs that are shorter than this or others that are closer to eight hours. Since most of these classes are online, the programs usually let you complete the course at your own pace.
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