Defensive Driving

State-Approved Courses

In Alabama, the court in the county where you got your moving violation administers its own defensive driving school. Contact the court of the county where you got the ticket to see if you can be assigned to driving school. Go to the Traffic Service Center Web site for more information. Select your county, then General Information, then select the Driving School tab. This gives you contact information. You can also ask if there are online courses available.

For some infractions, the court may automatically assign you to traffic school.

Dismissing a Ticket and Lowering Points

Whether you can dismiss a ticket based on completion of a defensive driving class depends on the court. First, call the court to find out if you're eligible. Then take the class and bring the certificate of completion back to the court. The judge may decide to throw out the ticket. Your driving history and what your infraction was for both play roles in dismissal. If you've got a pretty good record, you'll have a better chance of getting the ticket dismissed.

In Alabama, no driving school will lower your points.

Fees

Fees are county-dependent, but classes usually run about four hours long. Some counties also have you pay a fee for the traffic school referral; this costs around $130. Again, the only way to find out your fee is by contacting your court.

Lowering Insurance Rates

Even if you've never had a ticket, you may wonder if taking a defensive driving school course will lower your insurance rates. In some cases, it may, especially if you're a senior driver. Organizations such as the American Association of Retired Persons offer Driver Safety courses that help lower insurance rates.

To find out whether or not you're eligible for such a discount, call your insurance company.