Driver Ed is a required course for 15/16-year-olds. It is an option for any age driver who is seeking to get their license and needs help with passing the SC Road Test. The course will also provide the student of any age an insurance discount upon completion (Check with your agent for applicable discounts). Simply put, if you only have a permit, this is the course you need to obtain your license. Defensive Driving/Points Reduction is ONLY for those with a driver's license & seeking an insurance discount. If interested in defensive driving, click on that tab for more information. If you’re 15 or 16 years old then Driver Ed is REQUIRED. In SC, for those under 17, you must complete driver ed, be enrolled in school, & have 40 hours with a licensed driver 21 or older (typically parents). These 40 hours are not a part of driver ed. These three things must be completed or checked off before the driver is eligible to take the SC Road Test. Also, every NEW driver regardless of age must also wait 180 days from the date their permit was issued before being eligible to take the road test but DO NOT wait 180 days before you start thinking about registering. If you have, not the end of the world, but we encourage customers to plan ahead and stay ahead of that 180 so if they’re ready to test when eligible then driver ed is not holding them up. There are many factors that go into when your student would or could finish the course. The student’s availability to drive, ADS’s availability, & most importantly the student’s readiness to test. There is no rush or end date to finish. Students may schedule their driving sessions when they’re available to either finish sooner (based on ADS & student availability) or spread them out to allow for more practice between sessions. ADS requires its students to have at least 20 of those 40 hours (basically driving the road, not parking lots or neighborhood streets) completed before beginning the driving portion, but NOT to enroll in the class, so do not wait to enroll just because the student has not had a lot of practice. Enrolling and completing the class gets you into the system & we can begin to schedule your driving sessions in the order we receive your registration. Waiting to take the class only delays when you’ll be able to drive. Wait to register….Wait to drive. Basically, get your permit and contact ADS so we can work on a plan that meets your needs to finish and get your teen driving!

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Once you’ve completed the 1-day classroom and your 3 behind the wheel driving sessions, you’re ready to test if all the elements of testing have been met (explained above). Your SC Road Test is included in your tuition, so when you take driver ed here at ADS, you will do the one-day classroom at ADS headquarters, then we pick the student up for the 3 driving sessions (scheduled in the order we receive your registration based on the class date you select), and then the parent brings the student to the ADS office to test. On test day, you’ll come to our ADS office, test, and depart with all the required paperwork needed to go to the DMV to obtain your license. Please note that if you’re 18 yoa or older a parent is not required on test day at the ADS office.

AGAIN, WE DO NOT PICK UP ON TEST DAY…TESTS ARE ADMINISTERED AT THE ADS OFFICE.

 

Cost / Fees
Driver Ed – $400 (Includes SC Road Test)
Road Test – $75 – Included in your driver ed tuition.
Re-Test – $75 – skills review included prior to testing on a re-test only (if student requests).

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Reminders Before Enrolling
1. You do not need a permit to enroll, but will need it to drive
2. Driving sessions are scheduled after the student completes the classroom session
3. Students must have their permit 180 days before being eligible to take the road test, but you do NOT have to wait 180 days to enroll in the course.
4. ADS recommends you register for a class date around the 60-90 day mark of the 180 waiting period. This gives you time to practice and if you want to test when eligible you have plenty of time to finish the course. The busier the student is with life, the sooner you need to register as their availability is more limited and a lot of open driving slots can get passed over due to the student's schedule.

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Testing / DMV Process (VERY IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ)
ADS has been a licensed Third-Party Testing location since 2012 and will administer your student’s SC Road Test (Skills Test) for a $75 fee which is included in your driver ed tuition. After passing the SC Road Test the student has 30 days to go to the DMV to get their license issued (ADS does not issue licenses). Every student testing outside the DMV is subject to being retested when presenting your test documents to the DMV. This legal process is called a “Random Recall.” A parent/guardian must accompany students under the age of 18 on test day. Students 15/16 will be provided a form (PDLA) which must be signed by ADS, the student’s school, & a parent/guardian before going to the DMV. This form is given to the student on their final driving session. ADS doesn’t need it completed to test, but the Examiner will likely ask for it to ensure ADS’s portion is properly filled out. This form is required at the DMV with the test results to obtain their license. Students 17 or older are not required to produce the PDLA, only 15/16-year-old drivers.

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READY TO REGISTER…..CLICK SIGN UP!

Thank you for choosing ADS!