•    Alabama Defensive driving, often referred to as Alabama traffic school (depending on your state), is the common term for an online driving course aimed at helping drivers reduce the risk of driving in dangerous conditions.  A defensive driving course may also assist drivers who have received a traffic violation and would like to reduce the penalties associated with receiving a traffic ticket.  A defensive driving class teaches specific driving techniques and is great for drivers of all ages.  

•    Successful completion of an approved online defensive driving course in Alabama will often either completely remove or significantly reduce the points on your license or insurance increases that result from getting a traffic ticket or moving violation. Additionally, you will often be eligible for a fine reduction, no points on your record for the current violation, no insurance rate increases as long as there was no accident, and you will maintain your status as a safe driver.  

•    Yes.  Virtually every state offers some form of online defensive driving course, including Alabama.  It is important

•    The most common form of defensive driving (or defensive driving) is a course designed to help Alabama drivers reduce the risk of driving in dangerous conditions.  However, an approved Alabama defensive driving course can also reduce penalties, fines, increases in insurance, and points on your license after you have received a traffic ticket or citation.  There are additional forms of defensive driving courses for a variety of different causes.  The most common alternate forms of defensive driving include, but are not limited to, the following:

i.    AL Traffic School Course – designed to help you reduce points on your license, lower fines for citations, prevent insurance increases, and maintain your safe-driver status.
ii.    AL Driver Education Course – designed to teach you the basics of driving, and is usually reserved for younger or first-time drivers.
iii.    AL Insurance & Point Reduction Course – designed to help reduce the amount of your car insurance premium or the total number of points on your license.
iv.    AL Mature Driver Course – designed to give drivers over the age of 55 a reduction in the amount of their car insurance premium.
v.    AL Suspended License Course – designed for drivers who have a suspended license and need to complete driver training to have a driver’s license reinstated.

•    Generally speaking, when you register for an online defensive driving course, the program you are signing up for will tell you if the online defensive driving has been approved in Alabama.  It is important to check with your local Alabama courthouse whether an online defensive driving class will be accepted to decrease the amount of your fine and reduce the number of points on your license.  However, even if an online defensive driving is not accepted in Alabama, you can often ask the court for permission to take a defensive driving class on the Internet in order to help reduce fines and penalties associated with a traffic ticket or citation.

•    Generally, states limit the number of times you may take advantage of these types of courses.  For example, some online defensive driving courses can not be taken more than once in any 12-month period, and may not be taken more than 5 times over the course of your life. It is important to check with your local Alabama courthouse to determine how many times you are permitted to take a defensive driving course in Alabama.

•    The easiest way to sign up for an online defensive driving course is to simply choose one of the recommended online defensive driving courses from our site.  We have provided links to defensive driving programs in Alabama.

•    The cost of an online defensive driving course in Alabama is usually anywhere from $19.95 to $40.  It is important to understand that even if a certain defensive driving course advertises itself as being the lowest price, there will generally be a certificate processing fee, as well as some state assessment fees, which will make the total price of the course no different than any other online defensive driving course.  Additionally, depending on your state, there may additional fees that will have to be paid at your local courthouse.

•    While defensive driving requirements are different for each state, an online defensive driving class or defensive driving course in Alabama generally involves a 4 to 8 hour online course in which you are required to learn about defensive driving techniques, traffic safety, and other rules of the road, and then answer a series of related questions.

•    The time allowed to complete an online defensive driving class is different for each course and for each state. However, it is important to remember that you are generally required to elect to take a defensive driving course online prior to 30 days after receiving your Alabama ticket or citation.  Once you have paid the reduced fine and elected to take an online defensive driving, you will need to confirm with the course that you choose how much time you will have to complete the course.

•    While topics covered in an online defensive driving course often vary depending on the course, classes often contain around 12 chapters, each of which outline a different aspect of driving safety.  The general topics you will learn about while taking an online traffic course include, but are not limited to, the following:

i.    Alabama Defensive driving techniques
ii.    Alabama traffic signals, signs, and roadway markings
iii.    Alabama safe driving practices
iv.    Alabama basic driving info
v.    Specific driving laws and rules and regulations, including state speed limits and DUI/DWI laws for Alabama
vi.    Alabama traffic fatality statistics and information
vii.    Responsibility of driving safely in Alabama
viii.    Alabama defensive driving techniques for driving in the city, on the freeway, and in other various environments
ix.    The challenges of driving in different weather conditions in Alabama
x.    The dangers of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
xi.    Alabama vehicle safety and maintenance.  

•    As stated above, online defensive driving is generally separated into 10-12 different categories, modules, or sections.  At the end of each module (or section), you will be required to take a practice test of about seven or eight questions.  You will be required to get all of the practice questions right in order to move on to the next section.  While the questions generally related to the specific subject matter of the section, they are usually easy enough to answer from just one read of the content for that section.  Additionally, at the end of all sections, you will likely be required to take and pass a final exam.  The exam usually consists of 25-40 questions, and based on our review, you will be required to score an 80% or higher on the final exam to successfully complete the course.

•    Yes.  You will receive your “certificate of completion” once you have achieved a passing score of at least 80% on the final defensive driving exam.

•    After you complete an online defensive driving course, you will have several options on how you choose to receive your “certificate of completion”.  Generally speaking, the cost of the course includes standing mailing of your certificate.  However, most courses offer expedited certificate delivery services depending on your specific needs.  You can usually get two-day certificate delivery or even overnight delivery (morning or afternoon) of your certificate for additional cost.  Some programs even give you the option of receiving your “certificate of completion” instantly for an additional fee.  

•    Each state and each court has specific requirements for the processing of certificates. In most cases, the online defensive driving course will mail the “certificate of completion” directly to the individual taking the class.  However, you may have the option of having the certificate of completion mailed directly to the courthouse on your behalf.  Make sure that you check with the online defensive driving course you are signing up for to see if this service is available. Also, make sure you follow the requirements of Alabama or your local courthouse for how to properly present the “certificate of completion” to receive credit.

•    Many states, including Alabama, offer the ability to obtain a reduction in your car insurance premium or a reduction in the number of points in your license simply by taking an online defensive driving course.  This is true even if the defensive driving course is not approved by Alabama to reduce traffic ticket fines and/or penalties.  It is important to check with your car insurance company to confirm whether or not you will be given an insurance reduction for completing a defensive driving course. You can also view our insurance reduction section now to see if your state offers an insurance reduction course.

•    If you have more questions about taking an online Alabama defensive driving course, please feel free to contact us at contact@godmv.com.