IN Defensive Driving and Traffic School

For those who have just gotten a traffic ticket, those who may get their license suspended, or those who want to lower their car insurance rates, you might consider an IN defensive driving course.

You may have also heard these classes be called driver safety programs or traffic school courses. They have been approved by the IN BMV.

No matter what reason you choose for enrolling in a defensive driving course, you'll ultimately receive information on how to become a better driver that can help you avoid accidents and tickets later on.

Here you will find details about the cases that might require or warrant a traffic school course along with what options you have for completion.

Reasons to Take an Indiana Defensive Driving Course

It depends on your specific situation, but some of the most common reasons for taking a defensive driving course include the following:

  • Satisfying an IN BMV or court obligation.
  • To erase points from your driving record.
  • To avoid having your license suspended.
  • To achieve a discount on your car insurance.

Your ability to enroll in a defensive driving course will depend on past driving offenses and the severity of your offense.

Your options for completing the course include completion in your own home online or with a DVD course as well as classroom options. Usually, it depends on what you personally prefer for completing the course, but there are cases where you will only be allowed to complete the course in person. Many people enjoy taking their defensive driving course at home either online or by DVD since they can finish it at their own pace. This is a great option for those with busy schedules.

To see the entire list of accredited traffic schools and driver safety programs, refer to the following sections on the Indiana BMV website:

  • Online defensive driving courses
  • Traffic school in classroom
  • Home study video and DVD courses

NOTE: For those who need to finish traffic school in order to satisfy a court requirement, talk to your court official to ensure it is approved.

Required IN Traffic School

Sometimes you may be required by the IN BMV to finish a defensive driving course. Some reasons include:

  • You have been convicted of two or more traffic violations in the past 12 months.
  • OR
  • You're 18 or older and have any combination of two traffic offenses or accidents in the past 12 months.

If this sounds like you, the course will need to be finished within 90 days.

NOTE: For those who haven't finished a defensive driving course in the past three years, you will have four points erased from your driving record.

For further details, talk to your local IN BMV.

Reducing Points with Traffic School in Indiana

Once every three years, you can elect to take a defensive driving course to have four points taken off of your license. Usually, it takes 10 business days for the BMV to receive confirmation of your course completion.

A big benefit of one of these courses is that you can protect your license from suspension due to too many points.

Auto Insurance Discounts

When you voluntarily finish a defensive driving course, you may be eligible for a safe driver discount from your auto insurance agency.

Check with your car insurance company to discover your eligibility and the requirements for it.

For those who are not eligible, you may lower your car insurance rates by finding a cheaper option or a company that will give you a discount. Often times, a car insurance company will offer whatever they can to get you to switch from your current provider.

Information Regarding Defensive Driving Courses

Regardless of the method you wish to use to complete your defensive driving course, you will learn about the following things:

  • Defensive driving skills.
  • How to drive safely.
  • The traffic laws of Indiana.
  • How to share the road with others.

Your defensive driving course usually lasts around four hours and has a cost of up to $55.

To get your completion certificate, you can expect to have to successfully pass a final exam. Often times, you may get more than one attempt to pass.

After passing the exam, you may get a printable certificate that you must submit yourself, or the course provider may send the information to the IN BMV.

After your completion has been submitted, you can expect it to take up to 10 days for the BMV to change your record.