I Drive Safely Online 5-Hour Course Review

What $39 gets you

I Drive Safely charges $39 for its New York course, the lowest price in our ranking. The company is based in Austin, Texas, and it is one of the providers on the DMV’s list of online pre-licensing course providers. The course is in English.

It is self-paced, which means no class date and no fixed evening. You register, then work through it on your own schedule within 30 days. If your hours change from week to week, that is the main reason to choose this format.

Who can use it

The DMV limits the online program to adults. You must be 18 or older and hold a valid New York photo learner permit. Applicants for a junior license (class DJ or MJ) are not eligible, so a 17-year-old with a junior permit needs a live class instead.

That live class can be at home. Our comparison of Zoom, classroom and self-paced courses explains how the formats differ, and Coreway is one live Zoom option that accepts learners from age 16, junior permits included.

Before you register, confirm four things:

• you are 18 or older;
• you hold a valid New York photo learner permit;
• you are comfortable taking the course in English;
• you do not need a paper MV-278, because the online route does not produce one.

What you give up compared with a Zoom class

Self-paced does not mean easier. The DMV requires identity checks throughout the course and content questions in each section or chapter, and its rules on course length mean you cannot hurry through. There is no live instructor to ask, and nobody to meet on a fixed date.

The certificate is the other big difference. You do not get a paper MV-278. The company reports your completion to the DMV, which says it usually shows on your record within 24 to 48 hours. A live Zoom class ends with a paper MV-278 instead. If you like having a document in your hand, that matters.

What you gain is flexibility. There is no class date to build your week around, no link to join and no evening to set aside for five hours in front of a camera. If your schedule changes from one week to the next, or you simply prefer to read and answer questions at your own pace, that trade can be worth the loss of the live instructor. Just remember that the 30 days are a deadline, so start early.

After you finish

Wait until the completion appears on your record, then schedule the road test on the DMV’s site or by phone at 1-518-402-2100. The DMV’s road test page lists what to bring, and slots are usually 3 to 5 weeks out, longer in busy periods, so book as soon as you can.

In order, the steps look like this:

1. Finish the last section of the course.
2. Wait 24 to 48 hours for the completion to post to your DMV record.
3. Book the road test online or by phone.
4. On test day, bring your permit, a vehicle with valid registration, insurance and inspection, and a licensed accompanying driver.

Why it is thirteenth in our ranking

I Drive Safely is thirteenth in our ranking, and the position follows from our criteria rather than from any problem with the course. We give the most weight to live online classes and how often they run, and we also credit Spanish, certificate handling and road test help. A self-paced, English-only course with no paper certificate scores lower on those points, even with the lowest price. It can still be the right pick for an adult who is comfortable in English, wants to finish on their own timetable, and has a plastic photo permit.

If Spanish matters to you, compare NTSI, which offers both languages. The weights are laid out in how we rate.