Delaware Defensive Driving

Courses for Defensive Driving in Delaware

Are you looking to earn a discount on your car insurance or deal with negative points on your Delaware DMV driving record? Defensive driving Delaware courses may be the perfect solution for you.

Programs approved by the Delaware Department of Insurance (DMV) are available for you to voluntarily take in order to improve your driving skill.

Drivers who have been convicted of multiple traffic violations, or who are considered an aggressive driver by the state may be required to complete driving courses to help improve behavior and awareness while driving. The driver improvement course must be approved by the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

In an effort to prevent future accidents and traffic violations, traffic school (or defensive driving in Delaware) is designed to provide drivers with safety rules and instill good driving habits.

Car Insurance Discount

Delaware is one of few states in the country which has a mandate for auto insurance companies.

Drivers wanting to earn a discount on their car insurance may find our Delaware defensive driving traffic school to be the best way to easily do so.

Did you know that just by taking a course you will earn a 10% discount for the next three years? For this discount to apply, you will need to ensure all drivers for your vehicle complete the defensive driving course in Delaware.

If all drivers take a course to refresh their habits at least 90 days before the original three years are up, the next discount will be 15%. To maintain that 15% reduction, a refresher course must be completed every three years before the expiration date of the prior reduction.

To learn more about the Defensive Driving Course Discount as it applies to your situation, be sure to ask your insurance agent.

The Delaware Department of Insurance provides a list of traffic schools with approved defensive driving Delaware courses on their website.

Details for Defensive Driving Delaware Courses

By the completion of the traffic school course, you will have learned about:

• Safer driving habits
• Good attitudes and behaviors for drivers
• Driving violations and traffic laws in Delaware
• How to reduce aggressive driving
• Controlled substance abuse, alcohol violations and substance awareness

Course times are dependant on the class:

• Improves Defensive Driving Three Year Refresher Course: 3 Hours
• Delaware Insurance Discount Basic Defensive Driving Course: 6 Hours

To pass the course and receive your certificate of completion, you will also need to pass a final exam.

Contact the Delaware DMV or your insurance provider for more information about your eligibility to credit points on your driving record or eligibility for taking courses to receive an insurance discount.

Certificate Delivery

What certificate delivery options do I have?

Our Delaware Driver Safety course includes a free certificate download so that students can print their own certificate within 30 minutes of completing the course!

How long does it take for my certificate to be delivered?

Within 30 minutes of completing the course! Students can simply log back into their account at least 30 minutes after completing the course, and click on the button labeled: Print Certificate.

My certificate is due today. Can I still take your course?

Yes! Since our course is provided entirely online, if you complete your course before midnight (PST) tonight, your completion date will be reflect today’s date. Since we report to the Delaware DMV electronically on your behalf, there is no need to turn in a certificate to the Division of Motor Vehicles.

Do you report my completion directly to the DMV? Do I have to do anything with my certificate of completion?

Yes, we report your completion directly to the Delaware DMV electronically on your behalf, but you are responsible for reporting your completion to your insurance company.

The certificate of completion contains both an ‘Insurance Copy’ and a ‘Student Copy.'

• Insurance Copy: Students should submit this copy to their insurance company in order to receive the 10% (6-hour basic course) or 15% (3-hour refresher course) Defensive Driving Course Discount.
• Student Copy: Students should retain this copy for their own records.

Traffic Tickets in Delaware

The financial and driving record damage from traffic tickets in Delaware can be minimized by knowing about your options and taking prudent action. There may be unpleasant ramifications to your Delaware traffic tickets but taking care of them appropriately can help reduce their negative effects.

What to Do If You Get a Traffic Ticket in Delaware

You should respond quickly when getting a traffic ticket in Delaware. Your citation will state what violation you are charged with, and where you may pay your fine and by what deadline. Generally you have thirty days to respond in Delaware but this could vary by court. You are best served by carefully reading your traffic ticket.

Delaware offers an opportunity for you to pay your ticket called a “voluntary assessment.” You may also decide to contest your traffic ticket by pleading not guilty. Delaware has three types of courts. There are Alderman’s Courts, Courts of Common Pleas, and Justice of the Peace Courts. Where you were cited will determine which court is handling your case, and this should be on your ticket. A Voluntary Assessment Center is set up in Delaware to assist with questions, and they may be contacted at (302) 739-6911.

if you fail or forget to take action regarding your traffic ticket your license will be suspended and you will likely face an arrest warrant. It is not a good idea to ignore your Delaware traffic ticket.

Is a Court Appearance Required?

There are two situations where you MUST appear in court in the state of Delaware. The first is if the driver cited is under the age of 18, and the second is if it is noted as such on your traffic ticket.

Of course if your intention is to enter an innocent plea and contest the citation you will also be required to appear in court to defend yourself.

Delaware, like many states uses a point system. Negative points are assigned to drivers in a range from 2 to 8 points per violation with suspensions starting at the accumulation of 14 points. Additional point accumulation will result in longer suspensions with 22 points resulting in a one year suspension.

Delaware drivers can lose their licenses for a variety of offenses including DUI, reckless driving, street racing, using a vehicle in the commission of a crime. Failure to show up in court for a violation that requires a court appearance will likely lead to additional charges, along with a license suspension.

Your Options

There are options in proceeding with your traffic tickets in Delaware. They are:

Option 1 - Pay Your Ticket

In Delaware this is called a “voluntary assessment” as opposed to most states who call it not guilty or no-contest. If you know you were in the wrong, simply paying your fine may be your best choice. If you select a voluntary assessment and your citation was given to you because of speeding up to 14 miles above the speed limit, you will not get any points assessed to you driver’s license. You will however, have to pay a fine.

While you cannot have a ticket dismissed in Delaware by taking a traffic safety course, you may receive a three-point credit on your driving record by completing one. This is an option very much worth considering.

Option 2 – Plead Not Guilty

By entering a plea of not guilty in the appropriate court, a court date will be assigned to you. This will allow you, and presumably your attorney, time to prepare your case.

In preparing your case, you’ll want to consider what witnesses, evidence and testimony may help your case. If you succeed in pursuing a not guilty verdict, the fine and points will be dismissed. However a guilty verdict will result in a fine, points added to your driving record and a potential increase in your auto insurance premiums.

Option 3 – Appeal Your Case

If your case results in a guilty verdict, you may still appeal should you believe there were mistakes made that lead to your guilty verdict. An appeal will certainly add to your expenses, but may be worthwhile if you feel an appeal will be fruitful.

Taking on Online Driving Course

The Delaware approved defensive driving course not only provides an insurance discount, but also grants a three-point credit on your driving record. This credit is used by the DMV when calculating driver penalties. The credit does not decrease point values when the calculation is for employment or insurance premiums. The three-point credit can only be applied to future violations. There is no point reduction or removal for existing points on your Delaware driving record. This can be a valuable tool in avoiding a potential suspension however, and in saving money on your auto insurance premiums.