What Arizona's online traffic survival school is and how it works
Traffic Survival School in Arizona is a defensive driving course you can take online to reduce points on your driving record or lower your insurance rates. The state allows you to complete the entire course from home on your computer, phone, or tablet — you do not have to attend a classroom.
When you finish the course and pass the final test, the school sends a certificate of completion to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). That certificate is what removes points from your record or satisfies a court requirement. The course itself does not remove the points — the certificate does, and only after ADOT receives it.
Arizona law allows you to take this course once every 12 months. You can take it for a traffic violation you received, to lower your insurance premium, or because a court ordered you to. The course takes between four and six hours to complete, though you can spread it across multiple days.
Key Takeaways
- You must take the course from an Arizona-approved provider, not just any online defensive driving site, or the certificate will not count with ADOT or your insurance company.
- The course costs between $25 and $50 depending on the provider, and you pay directly to that provider — there is no state fee.
- You will need a valid Arizona driver's license number and the ticket number (if you received a ticket) to enroll.
- After you pass the final test, the provider sends your certificate to ADOT within one to three business days, though some providers offer when ready digital certificates you can read right away.
- You can take the course only once per 12 months, even if you received multiple tickets.
Finding an Arizona-approved traffic survival school provider
Arizona's Department of Transportation maintains a list of approved providers on its website. You can search by provider name or location, though since you are taking the course online, location does not matter. The list shows which providers are currently active and authorized to issue certificates that ADOT will recognize.
Common approved providers include Defensive Driving.com, iDriveSafely, and Aceable, though the full list changes as providers gain or lose approval. Before you pay, confirm the provider appears on ADOT's current list. If you take a course from a provider not on that list, ADOT will not process the certificate, and you will have wasted the money and time.
Some providers offer the course in English and Spanish. If you need the course in another language, call ADOT at 602-255-0072 to ask whether any approved providers offer it.
What you need before you start
Have your Arizona driver's license number ready before you begin. You will enter it when you enroll, and the provider uses it to verify you are a real person with a valid license.
If you are taking the course because of a specific traffic ticket, have the ticket number available. You will enter it during enrollment so the certificate gets linked to that violation. If you are taking the course to lower your insurance rate or just to improve your driving skills, you do not need a ticket number.
You will also need a working email address. The provider sends your certificate and course confirmation to that email, and you may need to read or print the certificate to show your insurance company or the court.
How to enroll and complete the course online
Go to the website of an approved provider and click the button to start a new course. You will create an account using your email address and a password. Enter your Arizona driver's license number and ticket number (if you have one). The provider will ask you to confirm your address and may ask basic questions about your driving history.
Once you are enrolled, you can log in and start the course material. The course is broken into sections — usually four to eight modules — and you can pause and resume at any time. You do not have to finish in one sitting. Some providers let you log out and come back days later; others require you to finish within a certain number of days (usually 30).
As you go through each section, you will watch videos, read text, and answer questions. At the end of the course, you take a final test. Most providers require you to score at least 70 percent to pass. If you fail, you can usually retake the test right away at no extra cost.
Getting your certificate after you pass
Once you pass the final test, the provider generates your certificate of completion. Some providers show it on screen when ready and let you read it as a PDF. Others email it to you within one to three business days. A few mail a physical copy, though this is less common for online courses.
The certificate includes your name, driver's license number, the course completion date, and the provider's name and authorization number. Keep a copy for your records. If you need to show it to your insurance company, you can email the PDF or print it. If a court ordered you to take the course, bring the certificate to your court date or mail it to the court address listed on your ticket.
The provider also sends an electronic copy directly to ADOT. This usually happens within one to three business days. You do not have to mail anything to ADOT yourself. However, if you need proof that ADOT received it, you can call ADOT at 602-255-0072 and ask them to confirm the certificate is in their system.
How the course affects your driving record and insurance
If you took the course because of a traffic ticket, ADOT will remove up to three points from your driving record once the certificate is processed. This usually takes one to two weeks after the provider sends the certificate. You can check your driving record on ADOT's website to see when the points are removed.
If you took the course to lower your insurance rate, you will need to contact your insurance company and give them a copy of the certificate. Insurance companies decide whether to offer a discount and how much the discount is — Arizona does not set a standard discount amount. Some companies offer 5 to 10 percent off your premium; others offer less. Call your insurance company before you take the course to ask what discount they offer for completing traffic survival school.
The course does not erase the ticket from your record. It only removes the points associated with it. The ticket itself stays on your driving record, but with zero points attached.
Cost and payment
Approved providers charge between $25 and $50 for the course. The exact price depends on which provider you choose. Some providers offer discounts if you sign up for multiple courses at once or if you are a member of certain organizations like AAA.
You pay the provider directly when you enroll, usually by credit card or debit card. There is no separate state fee or ADOT fee. The price you see on the provider's website is the total cost. Once you pay, you can log in and start the course when ready.
If you cannot afford the course, contact your local court. Some courts have fee waiver programs for people with low income, though this varies by county. Call the court listed on your ticket and ask whether a fee waiver is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take traffic survival school online if I live outside Arizona?
No. Arizona law requires you to be a resident with a valid Arizona driver's license to take the course. If you moved out of state or your license expired, you cannot take it online. If you still have a valid Arizona license but live elsewhere temporarily, you may be able to take it — call an approved provider to ask.
What happens if I fail the final test?
You can retake the test when ready at no extra cost. Most providers let you retake it as many times as you need until you pass. There is no penalty for failing, and the provider does not report failed attempts to ADOT.
How long does it take for ADOT to remove the points from my record?
ADOT usually processes the certificate and removes the points within one to two weeks after the provider sends it. The provider sends it within one to three business days of you passing the course. If more than three weeks have passed, call ADOT at 602-255-0072 to check whether the certificate arrived.
Can I take the course twice in one year if I got two tickets?
No. Arizona law allows you to take traffic survival school only once every 12 months, even if you received multiple tickets. If you have two tickets, the course will remove points from only one of them. You will have to wait 12 months from the date you completed the first course before you can take it again for the second ticket.
Do I need to print the certificate or can I just show the email?
Most insurance companies and courts accept a digital copy of the certificate — either the PDF you read or the email from the provider. However, it is safer to print a copy and keep it with your records. If you need to show it to a court, bring the printed version unless the court specifically says email is acceptable.