Teen Courses
General Info: A student must be 15 years old by the first day of the classroom session. No exceptions. Students are not allowed to enroll in the course after the start of the third class period. A minimum $250.00 deposit is required to hold a seat in a class; the balance must be paid within 7 days of the start of class. The Behind-the-Wheel training section of the course is scheduled separately from the classroom sessions and can extend beyond the classroom sessions. All course requirements must be completed within three months. Any student with more than three classroom absences, or who does not complete the course (classroom and Behind-the-Wheel) within three months, will be marked as incomplete and must re-enroll in a new session to complete the course. Any student with more than three absences will automatically be dropped from the course with no refund. Any student who is dropped from the course and chooses to retake it with us will be charged a fee of $225.00. To better understand the licensing process for your teen, please see the Department of Licensing for teens.
Instruction Permit: The ‘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.
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.
Classroom Sessions: In order to meet the state requirements, students need to complete 30 hours of classroom sessions. Students are held responsible for their conduct and for their attendance. Students who miss more than three classes, fail multiple tests and exams without scheduled retakes, or who exhibit disruptive behavior, will be dropped from the program and will not be eligible for a refund. Students must make up missed classes by making arrangements with their instructor within three months of their start date. The first make-up class is free; there will be a $40.00 fee for any additional missed classes. Any student who does not pay in full by the end of the third class period will be charged an additional $40 late fee and/or dropped from the class. All absences must be made-up and all failed tests retaken. Cell phones, texting, Mp3 players, food and drinks are not allowed in class with exception of drinking water in a closed container.
Safety First Driving School reserves the right to cancel any class due to low enrollment.
Parents are expected to attend “Parent’s Night”, an informational session, during the 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.
Behind-the-Wheel Lessons: Students have to complete six hours of Behind-the-Wheel driving training and must observe other students during Behind-the-Wheel sessions to fulfill or exceed their one hour observation requirement. Behind-the-Wheel lessons are scheduled by logging into our secure website. If a student needs to reschedule or cancel a Behind-the-Wheel lesson, the student must login or contact our office at least 24 hours in advance. Sundays and Holidays are not considered a business day for the purposes of 24 hours notification. A permit is required at all Behind-the-Wheel 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 $40.00 and required to reschedule that lesson. If a student chooses to pay for additional Behind-the-Wheel lessons, they will be charged $60.00 per hour.
Completion of the Course: 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.
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
Refunds: If a student withdraws three (3) days before the start of the first class a 50% refund will be given minus the non-refundable $40.00 administrative fee. No refund will be made after the second day of class. The student must login to cancel the class; we can only refund if the cancellation was made at least three 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.
There is a $40.00 fee for any returned checks as well as disputed or denied credit card charges.
Adult Driving Lessons
General Information: Adult students must always carry a valid permit or license. Lessons must be cancelled or rescheduled 24 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 three 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.
Pick-Up and Drop-Off Service: We offer a pick-up and drop-off service for those within fifteen minutes of Safety First Driving School office location. If additional travel time is necessary, it may be deducted from your lesson time.
Downtown Pick-Up Service: We offer a pick-up service in Downtown Seattle on the Corner of 4th and Pine streets (in front of Buffalo Wild Wings). 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 $40.00 handling fee; there is also a $40.00 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. There is no refund after the first lesson.
If a student needs to reschedule or cancel a Behind-the-Wheel lesson, the student must login or contact our office at least 24 hours in advance. Sundays and Holidays are not considered a business day for the purposes of 24 hours notification. If the lesson is not cancelled within 24 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 a Department of Licensing 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 WA Confirmation ID code and must have either a valid photo identification or an international driver’s licence. Click here to find the nearest Department of Licensing office and their hours.
Knowledge Test: The 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.
Skills Test: You must prove your ability to drive legally and safely during the Skills test. The 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: 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 $40.00 fee for any returned checks as well as disputed or denied credit card charges.
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 24 hours in advance. Sundays and Holidays are not considered a business day for the purposes of 24 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. State law requires that testing must be done at the Department of Licensing. 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.