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Arizona
Defensive Driving - Arizona Defensive Driving State Rules
I’m not responsible
for the violation the officer gave me. Can I have a hearing in court
and then go to defensive driving class later if I lose?
No. One of the purposes of the defensive driving program is to help
reduce court caseloads. You must decide and attend before a
hearing is scheduled and usually before your first court date whether
or not you wish to attend.
I received a "Waste of
Finite Resource" ticket.
No. Waste of Finite Resource violations (violation code §
28-702.01A),carry no points and have a maximum fine under
$30. This violation is not eligible for the Defensive
Driving Program.
The school listed on the
bond card does not hold classes in my area. A different school holds a
local class. May I attend the local class instead?
The law provides that a judge must allow you to attend a different
school if the judge finds it is a hardship for you to attend the listed
school’s class. It is up to the judge to determine what a "hardship"
is. If there is an Arizona Supreme Court-certified defensive driving
school in your community and the other (listed) school is an hour or
more away, you might ask the judge to allow you to attend the closer
class. Call the court to find out how to do this.
What if I can’t attend
during the time allowed by the court? (For most courts, this is
the initial court date or a few days before the initial court date.)
You may ask the court for an extension or continuance in order to allow
you the extra time you need to attend. It is not obligatory for the
court to grant this extra time, but it is permissible at the judge’s
discretion. Under court rules, ONE continuance for up to 60 days can be
granted.
I received an Arizona
ticket, but I live in a different state. May I attend a defensive
driving class?
You may return to Arizona to take an Arizona certified class in
accordance with program rules. Or, if you wish to attend a class in
your home state, this can usually be coordinated by the certified
Arizona school -- the school will handle the details and explain the
requirements (do not do this on your own , your attendance out-of-state
MUST be processed by one of our certified schools). If the court
allows, you can take an online course, which can be taken anywhere you
have access to the internet.
What if I got a ticket in
another state, but I live here in Arizona?
Most other states also have some form of defensive driving program. You
should contact the court of jurisdiction in that state to see what they
allow or require. If they authorize you to attend a class in Arizona,
it will be up to you to handle the paperwork and notification to the
court as they require (the Arizona school will not participate in the
process as they would for an Arizona ticket). Out of state tickets do
not count against your eligibility to attend our program for an Arizona
citation, but the State Fee ($20) and a school fee (typically $25-$30)
are charged to take the class.
I’ve been ordered by the
Motor Vehicle Division to attend a "traffic survival school" or they
will suspend my license. Is this the same as a defensive driving class?
No. Arizona has two state-sponsored traffic school programs. The
Traffic Survival School (TSS) Program is administered by the Arizona
Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division and is required
for people who accumulate too many points on their driving records, and
for some other driving violations (DUI, for example). If you’ve
been ordered to attend TSS, you should call one of the schools that
provide this program or call the Motor Vehicle Division for more
information.
The Defensive Driving Program, is administered by the Arizona Supreme
Court and is for eligible people who want to have one citation
dismissed through voluntary attendance at a defensive driving class. In
some smaller Arizona communities, the same school sometimes offers both
programs and they may be conducted jointly. This is permitted only in
cases where the number of students for each program does not constitute
a large enough population to allow separate classes, and no other
school conducts Defensive Driving Program classes in the area.
I went to class, but the
citation is still on my record! What should I do?
First, you need to make sure it IS the same citation number and
violation for which you went to class. Most of the time, we find
out the citation on the person's record is a different one that they
have forgotten about. It is important to keep the
completion certificate you are given at the end of your class, which
will list the citation for which you attended. You'll need to
obtain a copy of your motor vehicle operator's record from MVD and
compare the number of the citation on your record with the class
completion certificate. If the citation numbers are the same,
call the court of jurisdiction and ask them to correct the problem by
notifying the Motor Vehicle Division of the error. If you are
unable to get the problem corrected in this way, call the Defensive
Driving Program staff (602-364-0388) or use the email link on the main
page of this site to contact us and we will investigate the facts and
obtain a solution.
I require an accommodation
under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Are there provisions for me
to attend a defensive driving class?
Yes. The certified defensive driving schools of Arizona are required to
make reasonable accommodation for those citizens who are protected by
the Americans with Disabilities Act. One such accommodation is a signed
or closed-captioned video tape of a defensive driving class. This class
can be viewed while attending a scheduled class, when prior
arrangements have been made with the school (all Arizona defensive
driving schools have the taped program). An instructor is present to
answer any questions that may arise, and the taped program is
accompanied by a workbook.
Can I attend a class via
correspondence or the Internet?
Possibly, many Arizona courts now permit online attendance. If
so, you must still attend a certified Arizona school. Check the printed
materials included with your citation for instructions. No other
types of alternative courses have been certified for use for Arizona
courts.
I hold a CDL, am I
eligible for the Defensive Driving Diversion Program?
No, per A.R.S. 28-3392(C)(2), commercial drivers license holders are
not eligible for the Defensive Driving Diversion Program, regardless of
whether they are driving commercially at the time of the
violation. Even if the court requires you to take a defensive
driving class for your violation, the attendance will not prevent the
violation from showing on your driving (MVD) record. For purposes
of the Defensive Driving Program, this rule applies to those who had a
CDL at the time of the violation, or anyone who has obtained a CDL
license after the violation, but before attending class.
The Arizona Supreme Court, Administrative Office of
the Courts has a TDD telephone line. You may contact us on this line by
calling (602) 452-3545. If you call, ask to speak with a representative
of the Defensive Driving Program in the Certification and Licensing
Division. The TDD line is in a separate department in the State Courts
Building. It will take a few minutes for them to contact us and for us
to get to that location, so please be patient. Instead, you might wish
to have them forward a message to us to return your call using the TDD
line.
(source: Arizona
Supreme Court Defensive Driving Section)
For almost all Arizona courts, the
traffic school certificate of completion is sent directly to the court
for you upon completion
Arizona
Defensive
Driving benefits include:
- Arizona court approval
- Log on and
off at anytime
- Interesting
graphics
- Virtual
animations
- 24 hour
tech support
- Rush
certificate delivery
- 21st
century- no need for instructors
- No essay
questions or boring classroom
Don't delay,
register today! This Arizona
Defensive Driving school course is easy, fast and cheap!
Arizona Defensive Driving Course Policies
(state
rules)
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