FAQs
Helpful Information
Teen Driver Training FAQs
Online
Yes. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation has approved this course for SafeWay Driving only.
The Online Course is compatible with Internet Explorer 8 or 9, Mozila 3.6 x, Safari 5 or any browser that provides equivalent functionality. The curriculum also requires the latest versions of Acrobat Reader 6.0 and Flash Player plug-in 8.0. Additionally you must have speakers as sound is required for the course. Currently the course must be accessed on a desktop or laptop.
Taking the course online allows you to learn at your own pace without the distractions of your classmates while still having access to a top-trained instructor, just as you would in a classroom. The online course can also be accessed 24/7/365, allowing it to fit into your busy schedule.
Yes. This online course is comprised of the same comprehensive, proven curriculum we previously taught in our classrooms for over 44 years.
Yes. All of our online packages include driving instruction and observation with one of our top-trained SafeWay Driving instructors.
Yes. In fact, we strongly encourage students to spend more time in our cars with our top-trained instructors to better prepare for today’s Texas roadways.
Yes. We understand that students are involved in a variety of organizations and have numerous time commitments. The advantage of our online course is that it can be accessed 24/7/365, allowing it to fit into your busy schedule.
You can email elearning@safewaydriving.com for help.
You can email elearning@safewaydriving.com for help.
The State of Texas mandates that you may only receive 2 hours of instruction a day.
You could complete this course as quickly as 20 days if you elect to work daily and book your drives as soon as you have received your learner’s permit. You will have 90 days to complete 32 hours of online instruction and 180 days to complete 14 hours of in-car instruction (7 hours driving / 7 hours observation). The State enforces a 2 hour maximum of instruction per day. Completion of the course is dependent on your learning pace and when you schedule your drives.
The session will need to be repeated and the end of session test re-taken. You cannot advance to the next session until you have earned a passing grade. If you do not pass the final test in Session 16, you must repeat the session until you can successfully pass the test.
You will take your permit test online after completing Session 3. Upon passing this exam your certificate will be sent to you via email.
You will be emailed the permit portion of your DE-964. You will take this certificate to the DPS (please refer to the Permit Checklist to see what other documents DPS will require you to present) to get your permit as long as you are at least 15 years old. Otherwise, you will have to wait until your 15th birthday.
The 90 day online deadline must be enforced. You may extend a deadline for 30 days for $50 if you do so before the deadline date.
Yes. Any student that resides in the State of Texas is eligible to take our course. Choose the SafeWay Drive Site nearest you and if there is not one close by, you will need to request a transfer to take your required drives elsewhere.
In-Car
You may begin scheduling your in-car driving lessons as soon as you obtain your learner’s permit from the DPS and enter the permit number in your online SafeWay Driver Dashboard profile page.
Scheduling Behind-the-Wheel times is done by you online at https://drivecenter.safewaydriving.com. This service provides around-the-clock access for viewing your student record and scheduling, canceling and rescheduling Behind-the-Wheel appointments.
Due to scheduling complexities the only drivers able to select their instructors are those who are enrolled in one of our Advanced packages. All other drivers will be able to book available drive slots and will drive with the instructor assigned to that specific slot.
We recommend you to leave at least one day between driving lessons in order to practice the skills you learned in your previous driving lesson. Practice is important.
Two students are normally assigned to a car (one is driving and the other is observing). Sometimes there will be only one, and occasionally there will be three, but the third will be observing only.
You must bring a valid learner’s permit and wear your contacts or glasses (if you have been prescribed them).
Dress like you are going to school. We do allow shorts but no tank tops and absolutely no flipflop sandals or other shoes we determine could be a hazard to your driving safety. Athletes, please shower if you are coming straight from practice.
It is illegal for you to drive without a valid learner’s permit. Showing up to your scheduled driving appointment without a valid learner’s permit will result in a $75 no-show fee. To avoid this fee,you may observe for the first hour (if there is another student scheduled to drive) and drive for the second hour if someone can bring your valid permit to the location from which your drive originated before the second hour of the driving appointment.
You are responsible for canceling your driving appointments online in your driver portal at least 24 hours before the scheduled driving appointment. Failure to cancel 24 hours prior to a scheduled drive time will result in a $75 late cancellation fee. Emails, phone calls and messages will not be accepted as a valid Behind the Wheel appointment cancellation. Sorry, but there are no exceptions.
$75 per lesson. You must pay the fee prior to booking any additional lessons.
The simplest form of payment is by credit/debit card on our convenient online system but you can also pay by phone at 844.DRIVE SAFE. or by calling your local drive site.
Not all students progress at the same rate. Seven hours behind the wheel driving is the absolute minimum required by the State and many students require more time than this to build their skills and confidence. If you purchase the State Minimum package, know that we may require you to take extra lessons in order to pass our course. We will not pass you until we believe you are ready for today’s roads.
An extra lesson is $100 for two hours (driving / observation).
Yes, we will drive in the rain and other inclimate weather as we feel this is good practice for the students. If the weather has advanced to a level that we feel is unsafe to drive, we will notify you that we are canceling any drives. This is our right of decision and notification. If you make the decision you are not going to drive but we are driving that day, you will be charged a no-show fee. There are no exceptions.
The 180 day initial seven hour in-car deadline must be enforced. You may extend a deadline for 30 days for $50 if you do so before the deadline date.
You will be emailed your certificate of completion (DE-964) once all course requirements have been met successfully (online and in-car). If you have to make changes to your DE-964, a duplicate can be issued to you for $25.
The State of Texas requires all teens, in addition to completing an approved driver training course, to log at least 30 hours of practice (at least ten of which must be at night) with their parent, guardian, or licensed instructor. The Instruction Log lists all of the lesson points that must be practiced. You can find the Instruction Log at 30-hour BTW Instruction Log.pdf. SafeWay Driving offers advanced packages whereby you may purchase 10, 20 or 30 additional (loggable) hours of advanced driving that satisfy the State requirements and provide you with additional practice with a professional instructor.
Yes. SafeWay Driving offers four advanced driving packages. The SafeWay Basic completes 3 hours of the Additional Instruction Log requirements, the SafeWay Advanced Package completes 10 of the Additional Instruction Log requirements and the Advanced Plus Package completes 20 of the Additional Instruction Log requirements. The SafeWay Advanced Pro fulfills the full 30 hours of the Additional Instruction Log requirements as well as declaring you a SAFE Certified Driver.
You may request a transfer if you need to complete your drives at another school.
All transfer requests must be made in writing and sent to SafeWay Driving Administration at 8588 Katy Freeway Suite 105 Houston, TX 77024.
Please see Refund Policy on your contract or in our Terms and Conditions to understand the details.
Yes, but only through our Transfer Package. We have witnessed that there is a significant difference between the driving abilities and knowledge of drivers from other driving schools and SafeWay Driving professionally instructed drivers. Our Transfer Package will induct a new driver into the SafeWay Driving System prior to beginning the package of their choice.
SafeWay Driving offers Valet Packages only to our Basic, Advanced, Advanced Plus and Advanced Pro drivers, as long as you live within 5 miles of a SafeWay Drive Site. Our Valet Service provides for pick-up and drop-off at your home upon parental approval and payment of the service. It must be purchased for the entire package and is not available on a single driving lesson basis.
Insurance
You generally will not be put on their insurance until you have received your license, but you will need to contact your specific insurance company for verification.
State Laws
You must be within two months of your 15th birthday.
You must hold your permit for at least six months, be 16, and have passed an approved driver training course before you are eligible to obtain your driver’s license.
Yes. The Graduated Driver License Program has two phases of driving requirements for minors. For more information on these restrictions, visit http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/DriverLicense/gdl.htm.
DPS
You'll need to turn 16 and have held your permit for at least 6 months before you will be eligible for your license. Additionally you will need complete the 30 Hour "No Tears...More Years™” Act and the two hour IMPACT course. The IMPACT Teen Two Hour Course must be completed by all teens before they will be eligible for their license. The course is available online at https://impacttexasdrivers.dps.texas.gov/ITTD/. Refer to your Permit DEE-964 Certificate for the proper TDLR school code.
Not anymore! Now you can avoid the extremely long waits and hassle of taking your driving test at the DPS office. SafeWay Driving is now certified to offer the official Road Test at our convenient Drive Sites. Get your license in familiar surroundings!
Refer to our Teen Driving Checklist or visit http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/DriverLicense/teenDriver.htm for a list of documents required by DPS.
We can issue you a duplicate certificate of completion (DE-964) for $25. You must call our offices to request a copy of your DE-964.
The State of Texas requires all teens, in addition to completing an approved driver training course, to log at least 30 hours of practice (at least ten of which must be at night) with their parent, guardian, or licensed instructor. The Instruction Log lists all of the lesson points that must be practiced. You can find the Instruction Log at 30-hour BTW Instruction Log.pdf. SafeWay Driving offers advanced packages whereby you may purchase 10, 20 or 30 additional (loggable) hours of advanced driving that satisfy the State requirements and provide you with additional practice with a professional instructor.
Visit http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/ for DPS locations and hours of operation.