Frequently Asked Questions – Alaska Defensive Driving
Course Information
- Is this course approved?
- Which defensive driving courses do you offer in Alaska?
- I'm not sure if I'm eligible to take Alaska defensive driving. How do I find out?
- Can CDL holders take the course?
- How long will this course take?
- What types of things will I study?
- Do I have to take a final exam?
- Why can't I take my final exam at home?
- What is the testing and grading policy?
- Is there any way I can fail the course?
- Why does this course have timers?
- Is there a time limit to complete this course?
Course Information
Yes! Our Alaska defensive driving courses are approved by the Alaska Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to meet all requirements for ticket dismissal and point reduction..
We offer 2 courses to meet the needs of every driver:
The Alaska Defensive Driving course – Court-Referred: For drivers who have received a court order to complete a defensive driving course.
The Alaska Defensive Driving course – Point Reduction: For drivers who have been granted permission from the court or DMV to earn a 2-point credit on their driving record.
Generally, you will be eligible to obtain a 2-point credit on your driving record if:
- You hold a valid, non-commercial Alaska driver’s license
- You have NOT taken a defensive driving course within the past 12 months
Judges may also grant ticket dismissal on a case-by-case basis, and the requirements will be based upon your particular circumstances and driving history.
We also have all of the eligibility requirements and steps to take for the Alaska defensive driving courses listed on our How It Works page.
Yes, our Alaska course is approved for drivers of commercial vehicles.
The Alaska defensive driving courses meet the state-required length of 8 hours. You may work through these hours all in one day, or spread them out over a longer period of time. So the amount of time you take to complete your course is entirely up to you!
Each course is broken down into 8 chapters that focus on a single topic pertaining to Alaska driving and traffic laws. These topics include:
- Highway safety
- Alcohol- and drug-impaired driving
- State traffic laws
- Driving emergencies
- Vehicle maintenance
Yes, you do. All of the courses feature a 25-question multiple-choice final exam, which requires an 80% score or higher to pass. If you do not pass your exam on the first try, simply retake it again!
IMPORTANT NOTE: You must take your final exam at an approved testing center, per Alaska state law. You will have the opportunity to choose a testing center near you during registration. If you need to retake your final exam, you must wait 24 hours, and must therefore schedule another appointment at your testing center in order to complete your retake.
The state of Alaska mandates that you complete your final exam at an approved testing or notary center. We (and all other defensive driving schools) must comply with these state requirements. Your exam is still taken right on our site, so you will log in with your username and password as usual — you will just do it on a different computer at an approved location. These include UPS stores, public libraries, notary public offices, and other similar locations.
Each chapter contains a quiz that reviews important content from that chapter. There are 10 questions per quiz, and you must score an 80% or higher to move onto the next chapter. You will be provided with feedback on any incorrect answers, and you may retake your quizzes an unlimited amount of times.
You will then take your final exam at the end of your course. You will need to score an 80% or higher, and you may retake the exam again if you do not pass on your first try.
Absolutely not! You have unlimited retakes on your chapter quizzes and final exam, so if you fail to achieve a passing score on your first try, you may simply take it again.
This course is required by Alaska law to span 8 hours in length. To comply with this law, we (and all other online defensive driving schools) are required to place timers on each page of the course. We realize that some students may read faster than the timer will permit you to advance, but state regulations prohibit us from changing this function. The timers cannot be disabled for any reason.
Deadlines are typically determined by the Alaska courts. While we allow you 180 days to complete your course before your account is suspended, the court may require you to finish your course much sooner than that. Make sure to determine your court’s deadline before beginning the course.
Regardless of court deadlines, you MUST complete the course within 180 days of registration. Any student who has not successfully completed the course within 180 days will be terminated without notice and will not be eligible for a refund.