Driver Ed FAQ
Pre-Registration
How much will it cost?
The price of drivers ed varies by services needed. Please see the "SERVICES" page for a detailed description of services and prices.
How do I enroll my teen in a class at ADDS?
You must create a user login name and password. This keeps track of your teens class choice, your payments, any missed classes, and the BTW appointments in the future.
Or you can call us at 847-425-1640. (your teens spot will not be guaranteed until payment is recieved).
At what age may I enroll my teen in ADDS?
Any teen wishing to learn how to drive can enroll in ANY class in which he/she turns 15 by the last day of selected class. (ex. class starts october 5th and ends november 5th... your child must be 15 yrs old by november 5th. to be legally enrolled per illinois state law).
Registration
What happens if I need to cancel my student's registration?
All deposit payments to our school are nonrefundable, however they can be applied to another course if desired. If a situation arises in which you need to cancel your student's registration, please call our office and speak to a staff member for more information.
What forms of payment are accepted?
We currently accept Visa, Mastercard, and Discover. Your credit card will be charged when registration is completed.
Is there a sibling discount?
Absoutely! If you had a teen that has already taken the course with us and now your younger one is ready to learn how to drive, we will give him/her a $25 discount. Same discount applies to twins. Please call for more information.
What is the blue form?
There are academic requirements per state law to be enrolled in a drivers education class when you are 15 yrs old.
The BLUE FORM is proof of your teen passing junior high school or high school with 8 passing grades in the last two semesters.
Alternatively, they can use the PINK FORM if they have inadequate grades or the YELLOW FORM if they are home schooled.
All teens must have at least one of these forms on file in the office in order to complete a drivers education course.
When is payment due for the class?
A deposit of $100 is due when registering your teen to save his/her space in the class. The deposit is NON-REFUNDABLE, although it is transferable to another class time. The balance is due on the first day of class.
General
When is the Illinois Secretary of States Office open?
Different locations are open on different days. CLICK HERE to be directed to the facilities page.
How do I get an Illinois Temporary Visitors Drivers License?
Please click on the following link: http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publications/dsd_tvdl9.pdf
Do I have to insure my child when he/she gets a permit?
We always suggest that you contact your insurance agent.
How do I know that my child has completed the course?
When your child completes all of the requirements for drivers education:
- Turned in the BLUE FORM or grades.
- Completed and passed all 30 hours of classroom.
- Finished all of their required BTW's.
- Paid all fees due to American Defensive Driving School, Inc.
We will send the appropriate documentation to the state. Once the state has entered your teen's information into their system your teen will be eligible to receive his or her license (usually 2-4 days). You can verify your teen has been entered by going to Secretary of State website at cyberdriveillinois.com. Scroll down to Driver's Ed Course Completion Check and follow the instructions.
When can my teen start driving?
As soon as he/she gets the learners permit! Your teen can drive with anyone 21 years old or older who has a valid drivers license (valid for at least one year). The BTW's with American Defensive Driving School can start being scheduled as soon as we have a copy of the permit on file in the office. You DO NOT need to finish the classroom portion in order to start driving with us.
What documents do I need to get my permit?
To get a permit, you MUST have the following:
- A permit application from American Defensive Driving School,inc. signed by the instructor and stamped with the school name and address.
- An ORIGINAL birth certidicate or passport.
- A signed social security card for the applicant.
- Proof of residence - i.e. school report card, bank statement, medical bill or some other document mailed to the applicant at their address.
- $20 in cash or check - most SOS offices don not take debit or credit cards yet - this pays for the permit exam plus the road test.
- Parent/guardian.
How does my teen get his/her permit application?
When your teen is enrolled in a class and has attended a minimum of six (6) hours of class time, he/she will receive a permit application from American Defensive Driving School Inc. Upon receipt of this application, you can then go to the Illinois Secreatray of States Office (SOS), with all of the required documents, (CLICK HERE for a checklist) to have your teen sit for the written permit test. If they pass this written test and an eye exam, they will be issued a driving permit. YOUR CHILD CANNOT DRIVE UNTIL HE/SHE HAS A VALID DRIVING PERMIT!
What is the minimum age to get a learners permit?
Your teen must be 15 years old to take the permit test at the Secretary of States Office to get a learners permit.
What is the graduated drivers licensing program (GDL)?
It is a program that became effective January 1, 2008, regarding stricter rules for teens to obtain a license. It sets rules as to how many teens are allowed in the car the first year of licensing, cell phone usage, driving curfew, etc. For a more detailed look at this program, please visit www.cyberdriveillinois.com, the Illinois Secretary of States web site.... or CLICK HERE
How long is the classroom session?
The classroom portion of the course lasts for 3 weeks and 3 days (except weekend classes). Each session is 2 hours and the classes run Monday through Thursday. If your class falls on a holiday it will be rescheduled.
Behind The Wheel
How do I sign up for a BTW Session?
You must login to this web site with your user name and password, then you will be able to sign yourself up for any available spots with available instructors. You can also contact the office for assistance.
For information regarding Adult Services, please contact our office.
Why is there a $75 cancellation fee?
Each BTW is carefully scheduled with students so that they can both drive and be observed.
When your child does not show up for their scheduled lesson, you have taken the observation time away from the other student, thus, that student will have to reschedule that portion of their lesson as a result of your childs errors.
The students must have their permit with them during each driving lesson. If the students does not have their permit, a cancellation fee will be charged.
We also pay our instructors for all scheduled drive times, so if your teen cancels, we still have to pay the driver.
Lastly, we want to instill responsibility and consideration for driving in your child so that they will become the best driver that they can be!
How do I cancel a BTW appointment?
Cancellations will require you to log in to your account and cancel an appointment from there. We must have a 24 hour notice for all BTW cancellations, per our contract, to avoid a $75 late cancellation fee.
You will be prompted to pay the $75 fee if you are attempting to cancel a BTW appointment with less than a 24 hour notice.
How many BTW's can I schedule each week?
It is state law that you cannot complete all of your drives in less than 14 days, so the web site will not allow you to book them with less than three days in between each lesson.
This limit setting allows you to practice what we teach you in each BTW with your parents. Remember, we need to work as a team to learn good driving habits, not just rush through your BTW lessons to get them done.
What if there are no available drives on the website?
If there are no drives available on the website, there is an option to be notified via email if a student cancels (online waitlist). Select the date you are interested in, if that date/time is booked then click the box (See example below) to be notified.
There are no seats available.
You can also contact the office to see if we have any available dates that will be added. Our Instructors usually add additional drives to the schedule.
If you are nearing your 3 month deadline and you do not see available drives, contact the office to be placed on the office waitlist. You will be notified of any last minute add on drives. Please note it is not guaranteed a spot will become available in time before your deadline.
Once you start your Behind the Wheel package please provide the office with days of the week you are available, so we can get your drives scheduled in a timely manner.
What is BTW?
BTW = behind the wheel or in-car training.
This portion of the program can be completed during or after the classroom sessions, depending on instructor and teen availability.
Classroom
How do I make up a classroom session that I missed?
When you miss a class, you can look up the missed class on your account under class history or we can let you know which class you missed. You would make up the same class # that was missed (i.e. If you missed class #7, check the class calendar and attend the next scheduled class #7 of any other currently running session). Class Make Up Calendar
We do not require any advance notice for you to make up a class, just walk in and make sure to sign the make up attendance sheet (see instructor for sign in sheet).
Can my teen miss a class?
It is an Illinois state law that all teens must complete 30 hours of classroom time.
Each student can miss up to 4 class periods but MUST make up those periods in a future class session.
After missing more than four periods, we will have to cancel the teen from the current class session per state law. You will have to re-enroll your teen.
License Information
What documents do I need to bring for the Road Test?
See the checklist for a drivers license.
What vehicle do we use for the road test?
The road test is usually taken in your personal vehicle, if your teen is more comfortable in one of our cars, we can tke them for the test for a small fee.
Your vehicle must have:
- A license plate on the front and the back.
- All turn signals, head lights and brake lights in working condition.
- A working horn.
- Have safety belts for all occupants.
- Have proof of insurance for said vehicle.
When can my teen take the road test for his/her license?
You can go to the Secretary of States Office when ALL of the requirements below are met:
- Your teen is 16 years old.
- Your teen has held his/her permit for 9 months.
- The Secretary of State has received notification from ADDS of your driver education completion and the completion must appear on the driving record before a driver's license can be issued.
- Your teen has a complete 50-hour driving log documenting 50 hours of driving in the past nine months (10 driving hours need to be at night).