Teen Courses

General Contract Info: You accept that this agreement will be in effect for only four months from the start of the course. If your daughter/son fails to complete this instruction in this time period, all payments are forfeited with no refunds given. Every effort will be taken to insure all instruction will be offered during this time period. It is the responsibility of the student to obtain a learner's permit from the DOL during this time and thus no extension of this contract will be given for this reason.

Refunds: If a student withdraws five (5) days before the start of the first class a 50% refund will be given minus the non-refundable $50.00 administrative fee. No refund will be made after the second day of class. The student must login to the scheduling system to cancel the class; we can only refund if the cancellation was made at least five days before the beginning of the class, or for any student who failed to attend due to a legitimate reason, if that reason is presented within 10 working days. In order to get a refund:

1) The check or credit card payment must have cleared or was approved and credited to our account.

2) Any materials provided have been returned.

No refund will be made after the first day of class.

Course Enrollment Criteria: A student must be at least 15 years old by the first day of the classroom session. No exceptions. No one may enroll in the course after the completion of the third class.

Course Fee: The price of our regular teen course is $599. For groups of (2) two or more, Safety First Driving School offers a special price of $580 each. The "Complete Teen Course" which includes the DOL approved Knowledge and Skills Exams is $680 per individual, or $660 if purchased for a group of two or more. The "Teen Complete W/Extra Behind-The-Wheel Lessons Course" is $940. All students enrolled in the course must pay a $300.00 deposit before attending the first day of class. The remaining balance must be paid by the first day of the course; failure to pay the remaining balance will result in a $50.00 fine and/or expulsion from the course. There will be a $50 fee for all returned checks. Students are not allowed to enroll in the course after the completion of the third class period. If a student does not pass their class-related drive test within their provided five drives, they will need to purchase an additional drive(s) at $70 per hour.

The Behind-the-Wheel (BTW) training section of the course is scheduled separately from the classroom sessions and can extend beyond the classroom sessions.

To avoid the convenience fee, pay by cash in our Shoreline office.

Attendance Policy: All classroom course requirements must be completed within four months. Students are held responsible for their conduct and for their attendance. Any student who misses more than three (3) classes will be dropped from the course and no refund given. There are make-up days scheduled for missed classes. The first make-up class is free but any additional missed classes will incur a $45 fee to schedule and attend. Students may not schedule their drives with a balance due; all fees must be paid immediately. Students that do not complete the course (classroom and BTW) within twelve months will be marked as incomplete, dropped from the class and will not be eligible for a refund. Any student who is dropped from the course and chooses to retake it with us will be charged a fee of $300. Students may be dropped from the class for not making up missed classes; failing multiple tests/exams or displaying disruptive behavior that hinders our creating a successful learning environment. Cell phones, texting, Mp3 players, food and drinks are not allowed in class with the exception of drinking water in a closed container. Missed BTW driving lessons due to personal reasons such as forgetting the appointment, late cancellations, not having a permit, illness, etc., will be charged the $40 make-up fee.

Make-Up Policy: Multiple make-up classes will be scheduled during the course. Students will have several opportunities to make up classes and retest. Once scheduled, if a student does not attend their make-up class or testing session, there will be a $25 fee assessed on their account for the missed make-up classes or retesting sessions. All missed classroom sessions or BTW sessions must be completed within twelve months from the beginning of class.

Drive Schedule Policy: Students have to complete (5) five hours of BTW training and (1) one hour of BTW observation. Students will observe other students during the BTW sessions to fulfill or exceed the one hour requirement (for observation) by the State of Washington. BTW lessons are scheduled by logging into our secure website. If a student needs to reschedule or cancel a BTW lesson, the student must login or contact our office at least 36 hours in advance. Sundays and Holidays are not considered a business day for the purposes of 36 hours notification. A permit is required for all BTW sessions. If a student has a late cancellation, does not show up for lesson, or does not bring a valid permit to a lesson, they will be charged $45.00 and required to reschedule that lesson. If a student chooses to pay for additional BTW lessons, they will be charged $70.00 per hour. If a student does not pass the class-related driving test within their five drives, they will need to purchase an additional drive(s) at $70.00 per hour.

Structure of Classroom Sessions: In order to meet the state requirements, students need to complete (34) thirty hours of classroom sessions in no less than 30 days. Safety First Driving School will accomplish this by having (3) three two-hour classroom sessions per week for five weeks plus two additional sessions of two hours for two days for video review . Safety First Driving School reserves the right to cancel any class due to low enrollment.

Parent's Night: Parents are expected to attend “Parent’s Night”, an informational session, during either the first or second week of class where they will learn of the Washington State organ donation program and the revised Intermediate Driving licensing requirements. Parent involvement is essential for setting up their student for success.

Length of Course: The anticipated completion of the course is about 5-6 weeks; however, this may change due to inclement weather or any other emergency.

Completion of Course: To complete the course, students must successfully pass their class-related drive test with a score of 80% or better within their provided five drives or they will need to purchase additional drive(s) at $70.00 per hour. Students must also pass all classroom work and tests with a grade of 80% or better. Upon successful completion of the course, the Department of Licensing will be electronically notified that said student has passed the course. On request, we will provide a record of attendance and course completion for insurance purposes.

Instruction Permit: This ‘permit’ allows you to operate a motor vehicle within Washington State while you are being supervised by a licensed driver with at least 5 years of legal driving experience. The licensed driver must sit in the right-front passenger seat. A Washington instruction permit might not be valid in another state. It is preferred you have your permit before you begin class; however, you must have your permit before the second week of class. Read about the Intermediate Driver Licensing program at the Department of Licensing for teens and follow the steps to pre-apply using the Department of Licensing License Express to obtain your permit and to enroll in class. To participate in Behind-the-Wheel and Observation drives with Safety First Driving School, you will be required to have a valid permit on your person.

Intermediate Driver License Rules: An intermediate driver’s license comes with these driving restrictions:

• You cannot drive between 1 am and 5 am unless you are with a parent, a guardian, or a licensed driver who is at least 25 years old
• For the first six months, no passenger under the age of 20 may be with you while you drive unless that person is a member of your immediate family
• For the remaining time, no more than three passengers under the age of 20 may be with you while you drive unless they are members of your immediate family
Penalties for violating these rules are:
• Conviction of First Traffic Offense or IDL Violation: Court fine and Warning Letter sent to parent or guardian
• Conviction of Second Traffic Offense or IDL Violation: Court fine and for six months suspension or until age 18,Notice of Suspension sent to parent or guardian
• Conviction of Third Traffic Offense or IDL Violation: Court fine and suspension until 18, Notice of suspension sent to parent or guardian
To better understand the licensing process for your teen, please see the Department of Licensing for teens.

Adult Driving Lessons

General Information: Adult students must always carry a valid permit or license. Lessons must be cancelled or rescheduled 36 hours in advance by logging into the student login; a no-show, not having a valid permit or license, or a late cancellation will be charged full price. All drive packages must be completed within four months of the signed start date, or all funds are forfeited. Please be on time, arriving late will result in time deducted from that lesson or lesson cancellation if a still no-show after 15 minutes.

Downtown Pick-Up Service: We offer a pick-up service in Downtown Seattle on the Corner of 4^th and Pine streets. There is no Safety First Driving School office at this location; this is for pick-up and drop-off only. In case of an event going on in that area, we will let you know in advance of an alternative pick-up location.

Refunds: Refunds are subject to a $50.00 handling fee; there is also a $50.00 fee for any returned checks, and disputed or denied credit card charges. There will be no refund for unused or expired lessons. In order to get a refund the check or credit card payment must have cleared or was approved and credited to our account. Once lessons have begun there are no refunds.

To avoid the convenience fee, pay by cash in our Shoreline office.

If a student needs to reschedule or cancel a Behind-the-Wheel lesson, the student must login or contact our office at least 36 hours in advance. Sundays and Holidays are not considered a business day for the purposes of 36 hours notification. If the lesson is not cancelled within 36 hours notice, the student loses the lesson and will be required to purchase an additional lesson at package price.

Policy Changes: Safety First Driving School may modify these terms and conditions at any time. If changes are made, the revised terms will be posted immediately.

Driver License Testing

General Information: To get a Washington State driver license, applicants are required to take and pass an Department of Licensing approved Knowledge and Skills test. Safety First Driving School is authorized by the Department of Licensing to administer both tests. To test with our school, applicants must first pre-apply on-line with License Express at the Department of Licensing to obtain a permit. If you already have a WA state ID you do not need to pre-apply. Anyone under the age of 18 must also complete a Driver’s Education Course within the state of Washington before they can get a license. For either test, applicants need to provide a valid WDL# and must have either a valid photo identification or foreign driver’s license. Click here to find the nearest Department of Licensing office and their hours.

DOL Approved Knowledge Test: The DOL approved Knowledge test is 40 questions, you must get 32 correct answers to pass (80%) and the test takes approximately 45 minutes to complete. Those arriving late for their test will not be allowed to test and will need to repurchase and reschedule another test. Prepare for the test by going to the Department of Licensing Practice Test, and take the sample test as many times as you want.

We offer the knowledge test in: English, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Vietnamese, Korean, and now Amharic with a translator.

DOL Approved Skills Test: You must prove your ability to drive legally and safely during this test. The DOL approved Skills test takes approximately 30 minutes and a score of 80 out of a 100 is a passing grade. Applicants who arrive late will not be allowed to test and must reschedule and purchase another test.

Applicants may provide their own vehicle or use one of our vehicles during the driving test. Our vehicles are automatic mid-size to small vehicles with dual brakes and full mirrors. If you use your own vehicle, it must be in proper working order with a valid insurance card and registration documents presented at the time of testing. No guests or guardians will be allowed in the vehicle during the testing process. To find out more about what the driving test entails, please see the Department of Licensing testing page at the Department of Licensing Skills test.

Scores for the driving test will be electronically reported to the Department of Licensing within 24 hours.

Refunds: Refunds are subject to a $50.00 handling fee; there is also a $50.00 fee for any returned checks, and disputed or denied credit card charges. In order to get a refund the check or credit card payment must have cleared or was approved and credited to our account.Test scores will be reported to the Department of Licensing within 24 hours of completion of test. All fees are due in full before the beginning of any examination and there are no refunds once testing begins. Tests and/or retests must be taken within three (3) months of payment or all funds are forfeited. There is a $50.00 fee for any returned checks as well as disputed or denied credit card charges.

To avoid the convenience fee, pay by cash in our Shoreline office.

In the event that Safety First Driving School must cancel a scheduled test, applicant will be given every opportunity to reschedule the test or obtain a full refund.

To cancel or reschedule a test, one must login to our secure website or contact our office at least 36 hours in advance. Sundays and Holidays are not considered a business day for the purposes of 36 hours notification. Late cancellations or a no-show will result in being charged full price with the student required to purchase an additional test. Please arrive on time; any late arrivals forfeit their testing time.

NEED TO KNOW: Passing the Knowledge and Skills exams does not guarantee that an applicant will be issued a driver license. The Department of Licensing will determine if an applicant has met all licensing requirements and reserves the right to conduct random re-examinations. An Applicants license may be revoked if they refuse to take a re-examination.

Safety First Driving School is not authorized to give exams to those who are physically disabled, even temporarily. If you have any mental or physical condition that may impair your ability to drive, then you need to test at a DOL licensing office which is required by state law. We strongly encourage those wishing to test to call to confirm eligibility before registering for testing.

Any complaints or concerns about a driving test must be submitted in writing with a carbon copy of the test to: Safety First Driving School, 14741 Aurora Ave N, #101, Shoreline, WA 98133.