Drivers Ed Frequently Asked Questions
We know navigating the rules and regulations of getting your drivers license can be daunting but Joyce’s Driving School is here to help you easily and safely get your drivers education completed
Any teen wishing to learn how to drive can start in our program when they turn 15 by the last day of a scheduled class.
There is a deposit when registering your teen, we ask that at least $200 is paid before class begins with the full balance paid by the first day.
Your teen will NOT receive a permit application/proof of drivers education enrollment unless their account is paid in full.
While we do not have an official payment plan, we are willing to work with you based on your needs. However, we will not issue your teen a permit application until their balance is paid in full. Please call us for details.
We currently accept check, cash, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover. You will have the option to pay during registration or send a payment to us after registration. Future online payment of a balance due would be done in the student portal. Please note that there is a 3% convenience fee added to all credit card transactions. To avoid this fee, checks and cash are always welcome.
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We take every precaution to ensure that your personal data, including credit card information, is as secure as it can be. Our site utilizes Secure Socket Layer technology on all pages where personal information is requested. This encryption technology prevents anyone from using your personal data if intercepted. For the highest level of safety, your credit card information is not stored after the transaction is complete.
Yes! We love siblings! If you already had a student take a class with us and now your younger one is enrolled, we will give him/her a $25 discount. If you are paying during registration, please just manually subtract this amount and let the office know you are requesting a sibling discount.
Go to the RESOURCES tab by clicking here.
- Then click on your state to see the REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
- or simply click on the following to be directed to the Illinois Resource Links:
One of the following is required:
- Driver Education Approval Form
- Most common form for students to fill out and have a school administration sign.
- Home Schooled Parental Approval Form
- For students who do not attend a traditional high school.
- Students taking high school classes remotely would still use the Driver Education Approval Form above.
- Driver Education Waiver Form
- For students not currently enrolled in high school.
All deposit payments to our school are non-refundable, 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. NOTE: Student credit balances cannot be transferred to another student.
Students must be 15 years old to take the permit test at the Illinois Secretary of State’s office to get a learner’s permit. All students MUST have a permit application from us before going to take the written test at the Illinois Secretary of State’s office.
When your teen:
- is enrolled in a course with us
- has a $0 balance
- has turned in the required forms to us Click here to see required documents.
- is 15 years old
- has received their permit application from us (see the next questions for details on obtaining a permit application from us)
- has studied and prepared for the “IL Rules of the Road” written exam
- Once all these items are satisfied, the student may take their written permit test at an Illinois Secretary of State facility (ILSOS).
- As of 4/2022 you need to make an appointment at most ILSOS offices to take the written test.
- If they pass this written test and an eye test, they will be issued a driving permit.
- Students may not drive until they have their permit in hand.
To get a permit, you MUST review the Illinois Secretary of State’s acceptable identification documents chart. To view this chart, go to the RESOURCES tab by clicking here.
Click here to be directed to the Illinois Secretary of State website for hours and appointments.
As soon as he/she gets the learners’ permit!
Your teen can drive with anyone 21 years old or older who has a valid driver’s license. The Behind-the-Wheel training with Joyce’s Driving School can start being scheduled as soon as a permit is acquired.
Teens DO NOT need to finish the classroom portion in order to start driving with us.
The driving lessons go hand-in-hand with the driving hours that the parents are required to do with the student. We are available for extra hours of driving for parents that are not ready to drive with their teens in their own vehicles. Please call 847-977-7193 for more info.
The permit# is listed on the learners permit as the DL#. It is the twelve (12) digit number that starts with the first letter of your last name.
The FAC number is on the back side of the permit – that info needs to be entered as well on the student portal.
See the ROAD MAP TO SUCCESS document for visual reference as to where these items are located on the permit. This was emailed to you when you completed your initial registration with us.
When your teen completes all the requirements for driver’s education:
- Completed and passed all 30 hours of classroom
- Finished all their required Behind the Wheel Lessons.
- Paid all fees due to Joyce’s Driving School.
Then we will send the appropriate documentation to the state.
- Approximately 2-4 weeks after that send date, your teen will receive a CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION via USPS from the Secretary of State of Illinois.
- IF YOU HAVE MOVED while holding your permit, you must update your address on the SOS website before finishing your BTW's or you will not receive this letter.
When you have fulfilled all your requirements here at Joyce’s Driving School, we send in your paperwork to the Illinois Secretary of State’s office. They in turn send you a letter to the address listed on the permit.
That letter is the CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION. Make a COPY that letter and take it to the administration office of your high school to prove you have completed a driver’s education course.
Keep the original CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION on file in your home until your teen graduates from high school.
Illinois requires students to complete 30 hours of classroom instruction. We offer our courses in 15 x 2 hour lessons. Dates and times for each scheduled class can be found on your student portal.
If you have missed a class, you need to schedule a make-up class within your student portal. Find the class you are marked ABSENT from, click on it, then choose a different date and time to attend the lesson you missed.
No, you do not need to call us if your student is going to miss a class. Your only responsibility is to make sure you do not miss more than FOUR of the originally scheduled classes. If you miss a make-up date, that is not counted as an additional miss, only the first time you missed the class within your original schedule is counted as a missed class.
Per Illinois Rules, students can only miss up to FOUR of their original scheduled classes. Any more than FOUR misses of the original schedule and they will be required to start the class again. There is a $200 for enrollment in another classroom selection.
NOTE: All make-up classes need to be completed within 8 months of your first day of class per our student contract.
BTW = Behind the Wheel
These in-car lessons apply the theory learned by the student during the classroom lessons to on-the-road experiences.
ALL BTW lessons MUST be completed within 8 months of the FIRST day of class. The 8-month clock starts ticking the first day of class, NOT the day the teen gets their permit.
Illinois requires at least 50 hours of driving with parents in addition to the hours spent with the driving school. 40 hours should be in the day time and 10 should be after dusk. These are the MINIMUM requirements.
Our BTW driving lessons go hand-in-hand with the driving hours that the parents are required to do with the student. We are available to provide extra hours to parents who are not ready to drive with their teens in their own vehicles. Please call 847-977-7193 for more info.
Your teen may sign up for a BTW with us as soon as they have their learners permit. While we appreciate students coming to us with a couple of driving hours under their belt, it is not required. At a minimum, we ask that the student can adjust their seat and mirrors, identify the major components such as the accelerator, brake and turn signals. The abilities to accelerate, brake and turn are also useful, but not required, before the first drive.
Our BTW driving lessons go hand-in-hand with the driving hours that the parents are required to do with the student. We are available to provide extra hours to parents who are not ready to drive with their teens in their own vehicles. Please call 847-977-7193 for more info.
All of our students have 8 months from the first day of class to complete all of their requirements with us to avoid having to take the entire course again.
Those requirements are:
- complete all 30-hours of classroom instruction, which includes all make-up classes if any were missed.
- complete all of the drives a student signed up for.
Any drives that are still left to be done after the 8-month contract date has expired will be charged the current rate to finish them up.
Log in to your Student Portal – basic rules for booking a BTW are explained in the YELLOW BANNER on the top of your student portal.
Click on the BLUE BOX that says TEEN IN-CAR SCHEDULING to see available dates for a BTW. Make sure you have entered your permit information into the profile section of your student portal or you will not see any available dates on the calendars.
We encourage all teens to make time for at least one BTW per month if they are in class with us or have already completed a class. During the school year, we offer many weekend and holiday BTW’s, which get booked very quickly.
BTW’s cannot be booked on a day teens are attending a class.
To book a HOME pick-up, students need to have purchased the HOME option. Go to MY ACCOUNT, then ENROLLMENT/BILLING on the left tool bar in the student portal to purchase the HOME Option.
You can book up to two drives each week IF THEY ARE AVAILABLE!
It is state law that you cannot complete all 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. Each time you complete a BTW, you should practice those skills for at least 3-6 hours of driving with your parents.
Log in to your account and click on the BEHIND-THE-WHEEL (BTW) LESSONS box in the Quick Links.
We require a 72-hour notice for all BTW cancellations, per our contract, to avoid a $50 late cancellation fee.
Use the student portal to cancel BTW drives. We DO NOT accept BTW cancellations via voicemail or email.
The permit is your teens legal document that gives them permission to drive on our roadways. Just like your license, it is required to be in hand whenever a car is being operated.
In our vehicles, we check every drive to see if they have their permit and that it is not expired.
For safekeeping, we suggest that students tuck their permits into the sleeve provided by the state, then slip it into their wallet or cell phone case. They CANNOT carry a copy of their permit. They must have the original permit on their person when driving with us or with parents.
The driving log is a written list of the hours the teen is driving outside of the driving school hours.
A 50-hour driving log is available here.
Please print this and fill it out as you practice with your teen. It is required when your teen goes to get a license that this log is complete.
You can now take a Road Test with us at a few of our locations. All the requirements below must be met:
- You have completed a Drivers Ed Course with a final grade of 80% or higher and have proof to show us. We need to see a report card, with a grade of an A or B, if you did not attend Joyce’s Driving School.
- You have had a permit for at least 8 months. (NOTE: We CAN test teens before they are 16 years old, but they CANNOT get their licenses until they are 16 years old AND have had a permit for a minimum of 9 months.)
- You have a complete 50-hour driving log documenting 50 hours of driving in the past nine months (10 driving hours need to be at night).
You can sign up for a road test on our website. If you pass our test, which is certified by the state, you will receive an email from the DMV confirming your test results. You will need an appointment with them – scheduled on line at https://www.ilsos.gov/. Get your picture taken, get your vision checked, and then get a license.
You will need to bring your 50-hour log and all your other supporting documents to get your license. You CANNOT go to the DMV office for a license until you are 16.
The State reserves the right to spot check any student with a PASSED road test from any school. There is a 5% chance that you will randomly be chosen to take another Road Test at the DMV.
You can go to the Secretary of State’s office when ALL the requirements below are met:
- You are 16 years old
- You have had a permit for at least 9 months
- He/she has a Certificate of Completion from the Illinois Secretary of State’s office – this will be a letter from Springfield which is sent directly to the address listed on the teens permit. Teens will get this certificate once they have completed all the requirements with our organization and we have filed their paperwork with the state. Go to: Driver’s Ed Completion Check to see if you are eligible to go in for your road test.
- 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).
What vehicle do we use for the road test?
- If you choose to take a Road Test with our company, you will use our vehicle.
- If you go to the Secretary of State’s office, the road test is usually taken in your personal vehicle. Your vehicle must have:
- A license plate on the front and the back.
- All turn signals and brake lights in working condition
- A working horn
- Have safety belts for all occupants
- Have proof of insurance for said vehicle
What documents do I need to the DMV to get my license?
- Click here to see required documents (chart).
ANY QUESTIONS? PLEASE CALL (847) 977-7193
UTAH REQUIRED DRIVER EDUCATION HOURS:
- 30 hours of Utah approved online/home study course or 27 hours of high school classroom instruction, or 18 hours of commercial/private school classroom
- 6 hours of Behind-the-Wheel (BTW) instruction
Skill building is for teens who have completed a drivers education program elsewhere but still need some practice with an instructor to hone their driving skills.
If you cannot comfortably sit next to your student, give them an address of where to go, then sit quietly next to them as they navigate their way there, without any prompts from you, they are not ready to be in the car alone and may need some extra help from our instructors.
We have many Skill Building options to suit everyone’s needs.
After registering, log into the STUDENT PORTAL with the credentials we provided to you when we activated your student account. Form there, you should see a calendar. Click on any of the “green days” to see available time slots on that particular day.
In order to keep times open for all of our students, we limit the number of drives any one student can book in the future. You can always have two drives scheduled in the future. This also gives you time to practice what we are teaching you in your lessons. PRACTICE EVERYTHING WE ARE TEACHING YOU as you will see it all again for your Road Skills Test.
Learn at your own pace!
Course Includes all Utah Drivers Education Requirements
- 6 Hours of In-Car Training self-scheduled on your student portal and completed with a certified instructor
- Lessons are 4 x 1.5 hour time slots for the majority of our UTAH students
- The Online IMPROV S.P.I.D.E.R. Course with essential lessons will be provided to students upon registration
- To start the program, log into your student portal and find the access to the on-line program there.
- Passing grade is 80% or higher on the course Final Exam, which needs to be scheduled in the training vehicle, once the on-line portion has been completed in full.
***Before enrolling in this course please be sure you have completed the necessary test and have obtained your state issued learner’s permit. You will be asked to input info from your learner permit while registering.
Call us at 435-215-1745 to book your lessons. Depending on what you purchased, we can drive you 2 hours per lesson.
Adults are only scheduled on weekdays, between the hours of 9am – 2pm.
You can complete an approved driver education course and apply for your Utah driver license immediately following completion.
Driver Education Course = Online IMPROV S.P.I.D.E.R.+behind-the-wheel training for 6 hours.
Benefits include:
- You may obtain your license much quicker. Those who take driver education do not have to hold a learners permit for 3 months before applying for a Utah driver license.
- Safety First! Completing Joyce’s Driving School driver education course includes much more than the minimum information you need to pass the state written and road exams. Joyce’s emphasis on defensive driving skills will add safety as a priority to students driving habits.
Obtain and hold a learners permit for three months and complete 40 hours of driving prior to being allowed to apply for a Utah driver license (10 of these hours must be completed after sunset).
Although Joyce’s Driving School recommends a complete driver education course, the choice is up to you.
If you choose option #2, we recommend a driving lesson package and/or a written exam preparation course.
- 2 Hours BTW training (One 2-hour session)
- 3 HOurs BTW training (Two 1.5-hour sessions)
- 4 Hours BTW training (Two 2-hour sessions)
- 6 Hours BTW training (Three 2-hour sessions OR Four 1.5-hour sessions)
- 8 Hours BTW training (Four 2-hour sessions)
and so on.
About Joyce's Driving School
Teenage driving classes are an important step to becoming a safe and responsible driver. Joyce’s Driving School, both an Illinois and Utah state certified driving school, offers teen driver education courses with online scheduling for classroom and behind the wheel training. Our flexible courses are taught by state certified driving instructors.
*Any pricing errors on the website will not be honored, the final price shown at checkout is the current price for our products