Best Online Permit Classes
Getting a learner’s permit is an exciting time for a young driver, but the stress and anxiety that builds up around taking courses and passing tests can be a huge bummer. Online driver’s education and online permit courses are a good way to get around those things if you live in a state where they’re accepted, so it’s worth the time and research to find out what will work for you. We’ve gathered intel on the best online permit courses out there so you don’t have to.
Let’s get rolling.
Best Online Permit Class
First Place
DriversEd.com is one of the largest and most recognizable online permit course providers. It has garnered thousands of reviews, most of which are positive, and offers several options for new and experienced drivers alike. For teens, the site offers a variety of lessons, instruction, and practice tests, and will let drivers in select states take the tests online.
Users love the site’s video and picture functions, and state that the additional tools help the learning process. Some report a confusing experience and disappointment with the organization of some course material, but the majority of users are satisfied with the experience.
See Car Talk’s full review of DriversEd.com here.
Second Place
Aceable has earned almost 34,000 reviews on Trustpilot and a stellar 4.9-star rating overall. The site can be accessed on almost any device and frequently runs promotional rates with steep discounts on education courses. The one downside here is that the paid courses and full-on instructor-taught education programs appear to only be available for drivers in Texas. There are other options in other online options for other states available. The site does, however, offer free permit prep courses to drivers in 12 other states:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- California
- Georgia
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- New york
- North Carolina
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
The good news is that for drivers able to take the Aceable courses, they appear to be well regarded and fun to take. Reviewers are generally happy with the layout, pacing, and accessibility of the courses, and praise Aceable for its clarity and ability to help them pass the course the first time.
See Car Talk’s full review of Aceable here.
Third Place
iDriveSafely, like DriversEd.com, is a popular and widely used online option for permit courses, adult driver’s ed, alcohol and drug education, and more. The site has almost 18,000 reviews on Trustpilot with a 4.8-star overall rating. Yelp reviewers weren’t so kind to the site, but reviewers on Trustpilot have other opinions. The overwhelming majority report a positive experience, and state that there are options for drivers of all skill and age levels.
One of the most promising aspects of iDriveSafely’s reviews is the fact that users experiencing issues appear to have received help in a timely manner. The site’s administrators responded to several reviews, asking if there was any room for improvement.
**See Car Talk’s full review of iDriveSafely here.**
Fourth Place
Myimprov offers driver’s ed and permit courses in most states and has gathered over 160,000 reviews with a 4.7-star rating. The site has an A+ rating with the BBB and is recognized by many top insurance companies, so if you live in a state where the site is accepted and your insurer hands out discounts for defensive driving courses or other education programs, you may be in luck.
Most users report a decent experience with Myimprov, though some state that there are technical hiccups along the way. The site’s live chat function appears to be hit-or-miss, with some users receiving help right away, while others wait for long periods of time with no response. The Myimprov courses do use a timer system in some cases, which users report to be annoying and challenging to use, especially for people who work quickly or need more time to carefully read through materials.
What to Consider When Deciding on Online Permit Class?
There are a few major factors that you should keep in mind when selecting an online course.
Course Offering and Layout
If you or your teen driver need extra time or attention when studying for a test, it’s important that you research the course offerings at various sites to make sure that you or they will be able to complete the course in the allotted time. It’s also important to check out the way the courses are set up, and whether or not there are video options available. This is especially important for people who are more visual learners, as video can help illustrate an otherwise complicated concept.
Price
While many online permit course providers offer discounts and promotional pricing, the dollar amount shouldn’t be the driving factor for whether or not you choose to move forward with them. Choose the course provider that works best for your needs, educational situation, and timeline, and then work to figure out payment options.
Where You Live
Not all providers offer courses in all states, and some only offer part of their course catalogs in certain states. Be sure that the site or provider you choose offers the course you need in the state where you live. Even more importantly, make sure that your state will honor the course that you just paid to take.
What is the Cost of Online Permit Classes?
Depending on where you live and on the course you select, you could pay as little as $20 or as much as $100 or more. Many online permit classes come with the option for add-ons, such as in-person instruction or additional course options. Keep in mind that higher price does not indicate higher quality and it does not indicate whether or not you’ll be able to rely on your state to accept that course as legitimate driver’s education.
For more on this topic, check out our 5 Best Online Drivers Ed Courses article.
Car Talk's Top Picks for Best Online Driver's Ed in the Industry
IMPROVLearning is a great program geared towards keeping the student engaged in the materials. Classes are a mixture of text, audio and video and hold the attention of the user using comedy whenever possible. The site is user-friendly and engaging.
Safe2Drive is a highly rated program featuring nationwide course offerings. The company maintains excellent reviews and ratings and is known for very responsive, 24 hour customer service.
Aceable is not only an excellent program in terms of content, it is incredibly user-friendly and engaging. Classes are available on any device, have accessible audio and video and manage to make the subject matter interesting and fun. The site itself is easy to use and intuitive.
This solid program is less flashy than others in the industry, but is a good choice in terms of content. The site is easy to use and self explanatory. The program tracks your progress and helps you along with prompt questions throughout.
This program is filled with all the information you need to pass the tests. The site is a little slow and simple compared to others in the industry. This content is timed, and users are expected to get through the material at a set pace. An audio option is available for a price.
This program is the basic offering in terms of frills. IDriveSafely has all the information you need, and no extras or distractions. The user-experience is very basic, but the content is complete.
