The two predominant reasons for taking a defensive driving course are usually:

  1. To comply with a court order
  2. To receive an insurance discount

In themselves, the reasons above provide motivation for undertaking defensive driving education. So…how often can you take a defensive driving course? Whilst legally there is no limit on the number of defensive driving courses undertaken, many insurance companies place restrictions on the frequency of defensive driving courses. This ultimately affects the amount of premium paid.

It is typical in many states for insurance companies to limit how often you can take a defensive driving course to once every three years. Any more than this and the reduction on insurance costs diminishes. Many courts also restrict a person to a single run through a driving course, although some judges provide for annual or semi-annual visits through the driving school. Whilst those sponsoring the course do not limit how often you can take a defensive driving course, they may suggest a frequency based on age, occupation and accident history.

In the case of traffic violations, successful completion of a driving course may allow for licence points to be removed. However, again some states will limit how often you can take a defensive driving course in order to have points removed. In many states this is often set at once every two years. If an at-fault accident occurs, licence points can be re-instated, with the potential for more points to be added based on the accident investigation.

Where There Is No Limit The Driver Still Pays

Where there is no limit to how often you can take a defensive driving course, the person will be responsible for the cost of the course. Even court-ordered attendance is the financial responsibility of the attendee. Many defensive driving courses are offered online as well as in a classroom setting. Some feature live road testing as a final examination which is similar to the licensing examination.

Many online classes are approved by the state bureau of motor vehicles, whose certificate of completion is always acceptable to satisfy court orders and removal of points on the license. Online defensive driving classes usually have no limits as to how often you can take a defensive driving course, and the cost should definitely be worth the effort.

With the universal acceptance of web-based internet driving classes, many have discovered that how often you can take a defensive driving course is a non-issue. Students can complete the course according to their own busy schedules and convenience. With no time limits on the classes, the factor which determines how frequently they need to take the classes, is not “how often can you take a defensive driving course”, but being able to pass the final exam.