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Call Us 602-431-0707 or 520-792-8080

Please review this list of frequently asked questions for your answer. If you do not see your question then please click here to contact us.
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How much does the classroom class cost?
 
In order to dismiss your traffic ticket and have no points assessed against your driving record, the State of Arizona Supreme Court requires all defensive driving schools to collect your Court diversion fee, the Arizona State fee, and the Arizona State surcharge fee prior to starting the course. These fees are collected in lieu of a civil penalty or criminal fine for your traffic violation.

The cost varies depending on the court that issued your citation. Each court determines their fee to dismiss a violation. Please utilize the cost calculator on our home page to determine your cost which includes the school fee.
How do I pay for the classroom class?
 
You may prepay with a Visa, MasterCard, Discover or Paypal. However, you must pay by 3pm on Friday for any weekend class (Saturday or Sunday) or by 2pm the day of the class for weekday classes. You may also choose to bring a money order or cashier’s check for the full amount to the class. We DO NOT take personal checks. We DO NOT except credit cards or paypal payments at the class location.

If you are paying with a Cashier’s check or Money order, make it payable to: TSMS
How do I register for the State of Arizona Supreme Court approved classroom class?
 
Registration is quick and simple. You can click the button “Register for in-person class.” Then simply fill out all required fields. You will receive a confirmation at the end of the registration. You will need your license and citation to register.
What do I need to bring to the classroom class?
 
Driver's License Or Government-issued identification
Citation
Extension or court paperwork (if applicable)
Cashier's check or Money order unless you have pre-paid online.
Why do I have to arrive early for the class?
 
Every student must have their documents verified and payment received before the start of the class. We begin registering students 1 hour prior to the class and you should arrive no later than 30 minutes prior to the start of the class.
How long is the classroom class?
 
Instruction time is between 4 and 4½ hours
Do I have to go to court?
 
Not usually. Unless the court has specifically requested you send or bring your completion certificate to them, you do not need to go to court for the violation being dismissed. If you have other violations on the same citation, you must resolve those with the court on or before the court date.
Can I switch from a classroom class to an online class?
 
Yes. Call our office between 8am and 5:30pm Monday thru Friday, or between 7am and 12pm Saturday to change a class. (Keep in mind your class must still be completed seven (7) days prior to your court date).
Do I have to pay my fine for this violation?
 
No, by taking the Defensive Driving Class, your violation will be dismissed and the fine from the court will not need to be paid. Please remember that the fine is different from the court fee to dismiss the violation. The fine is the amount you pay if you are not taking the course and paying the citation. Paying the fine, instead of taking the class, will result in points being assessed to your driving record.
How do I get an extension/continuance?
 
You may receive an extension by going to court, calling the court, or in some cases, by the school. Certain courts allow us to grant an extension, if you cannot complete the class seven [7] days PRIOR to your court date.
What does the extension/continuance apply to?
 
The extension applies ONLY to the violation you are going to have dismissed (the violation for which you are taking the class). If you have any other violations, these will need to be taken care of by you with the court by the original court date.
Why should I take a class instead of paying my fine?
 
There are several advantages to attending a defensive driving class.
1) Your violation is dismissed and NO points will be assigned to your motor vehicle [driving] record.
2) Your insurance rates will not increase, because your violation was dismissed.
3) IF you have a red light violation [28-645A3A] AND you pay the fine instead of attending a defensive driving class, you will be ordered by the DMV to attend a Traffic Survival School class in addition to paying the fine.
Is Defensive Driving School the same thing as Traffic Survival School?
 
No. Defensive driving class is a 4 hour class and is offered mainly for citation dismissal. It is monitored by the Arizona Supreme Court. Traffic Survival School is sponsored by the MVD and is required for red light violators and others who have been ordered to take the class for various reasons. Traffic Survival School is an 8 hour class and will not dismiss your citation.
What’s the difference between a CDL (commercial driver’s license) and an operator’s license?
 
A CDL is for professional drivers (truck drivers, bus drivers, etc.). If you possess, or possessed at the time of your violation, a CDL, you are now eligible to attend a defensive driving school class as of 9-1-19. CDL Holders are ONLY allowed to attend if driving a personal vehicle.
Do you offer classroom classes in Spanish?
 
Yes, we have a limited number of classes available. Our online class is also available in Spanish.
Do you offer Online classes?
 
Yes, we offer online classes, please register for the “online class” on the home page. Our online class is also available in Spanish.
How do I cancel a classroom class?
 
Please call our office 9am - 5pm Monday through Friday, 9am-noon Saturday to cancel the class.
How often can I attend Defensive Driving School?
 
You may attend a defensive driving school course once every year. The year of ineligibility is from violation date to violation date. For example, if you received a violation on 11/13/2024, you will be eligible again for a defensive driving class for a violation occurring on or after 11/13/2025.
Why are some violations not eligible?
 
Only moving violations are eligible. Seat belt, insurance, registration and driver’s license violations are not moving violations and are not eligible.
When do I get my Completion Certificate?
 
Once you complete the course, the instructor will provide you with a Completion Certificate.
Is there a due date to complete the course?
 
Yes, seven (7) calendar days prior to your court or extension date. Certain Courts allow defensive driving schools to grant one extension. Please contact us at (toll free) to verify if we are able to grant you an extension.
Command item
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 QUESTION
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How much does the online course cost?
 
In order to dismiss your traffic ticket and have no points assessed against your driving record, the State of Arizona Supreme Court requires all defensive driving schools to collect your Court diversion fee, the Arizona State fee, and the Arizona State surcharge fee prior to starting the online course. These fees are collected in lieu of a civil penalty or criminal fine for your traffic violation.

The cost varies depending on the court that issued your citation. Each court determines their fee to dismiss a violation. Please utilize the cost calculator on our home page to determine your cost which includes the school fee.
How do I pay for the online course?
 
You may make your payment with a Visa, MasterCard, Discover or Paypal. You may also choose to mail a money order or cashier’s check to our office for the full amount. However, if you mail the payment you will not be able to start the course until payment is received in our office. We DO NOT take personal checks.
How do I register for the State of Arizona Supreme Court approved online course?
 
Registration is quick and simple. You can click the button “Register for online class”. Acknowledge the Course Requirements and Policies and then simply fill out all required fields and then follow the directions on the confirmation page.
What do I need to register for the online course?
 
Driver's License Or Government-issued identification
Citation
Extension or court paperwork (if any was given to you).
Now that I have registered for the online course, what next?
 
Before you can make start the course, you must first submit your documents so we can verify the information. We will verify the information (within 1 hour on Weekdays and 2 hours on Weekends) after we receive the documents. You will receive an email stating your documents have been verified. At that point, you may log in, make the payment (if you havent already) and begin the course. Please note that documents sent after 5:30pm may not be verified until the next morning.

Online Requirements
Document verification required prior to beginning course:
  • Citation
  • Driver’s License (front and back)
  • Extension Paperwork (if applicable)
Document verification is available:
Mon-Fri 9:00am–5:00pm
Sat 10:00am-5:00pm
Sun 12:00pm-5:00pm

Please allow up to 60 minutes for documents to be verified M-F and 120 minutes for Sat-Sun with the last checked being performed at 5pm.
Documents received after hours will be verified by 9:00am the next business day.
Preferred Method – Scan & Email (usually provides the best quality)
  • SCAN & EMAIL: CV@topratedtrafficschool.com (Scan documents, attach and email them to us.)

  • PHOTO & EMAIL: CV@topratedtrafficschool.com (Take a photo of documents with camera phone, attach and email them to us.)

  • FAX: 602.431.0707 (When faxing a driver’s license, Please make a light copy of the driver’s license before faxing.)

  • Mailing address ONLY (not physical address):
    Top Rated Traffic School
    6635 W Happy Valley Rd Ste A104 #294
    Glendale, AZ 85310

  • Please send Money Order or a Cashier’s Check ONLY.
  • NO PERSONAL CHECKS (We accept Visa, MC & PayPal online).
How long is the online course?
 

The online course is designed for a minimum of 240 minutes (4 hours). Please allow an additional 30-45 minutes for quizzes, security questions as well as the survey at the end of the course.

The entirety of the course includes:

  • 16 video modules (approx 15 minutes each = 240 minutes)
  • 16 quizzes (approx 1.5 minutes each = 24 minutes)
  • 5 security questions (approx .5 minutes each = 2.5 minutes)
  • 1 End of Course Survey (approx 3.5 minutes)
  • Total Approx Time: 270 minutes (4 hours 34 minutes)
Do I have to go to court?
 
Not usually. Unless the court has specifically requested you send or bring your completion certificate to them, you do not need to go to court for the violation being dismissed. If you have other violations on the same citation, you must resolve those with the court on or before the court date.
Can I switch from an online course to a classroom class?
 
Yes. Call our office between 9am and 5pm Monday thru Friday, or between 9am and 12pm Saturday to change a class. (Keep in mind your class must still be completed seven (7) days prior to your court date).
Do I have to pay my fine for this violation?
 
No, by taking the Defensive Driving Class, your violation will be dismissed and the fine from the court will not need to be paid. Please remember that the fine is different from the court fee to dismiss the violation. The fine is the amount you pay if you are not taking the course, and paying the citation. Paying the fine, instead of taking the class will result in points being assessed to your driving record.
How do I get an extension/continuance?
 
You may receive an extension by going to court, calling the court, or in some cases, by the school. Certain courts allow us to grant an extension, if you cannot complete the class seven [7] days PRIOR to your court date.
What does the extension/continuance apply to?
 
The extension applies ONLY to the violation you are going to have dismissed (the violation for which you are taking the class). If you have any other violations, these will need to be taken care of by you with the court by the original court date.
Why should I take a class instead of paying my fine?
 
There are several advantages to attending a defensive driving class.
1) Your citation is dismissed and NO points will be assigned to your motor vehicle [driving] record.
2) Your insurance rates will not increase, because your citation was dismissed.
3) IF you have a red light violation [28-645A3A] AND you pay the fine instead of attending a defensive driving class, you will be ordered by the DMV to attend a Traffic Survival School class in addition to paying the fine.
Is Defensive Driving School the same thing as Traffic Survival School?
 
No. Defensive driving class is a 4 hour class and is offered mainly for citation dismissal. It is monitored by the Arizona Supreme Court. Traffic Survival School is sponsored by the MVD and is required for red light violators and others who have been ordered to take the class for various reasons. Traffic Survival School is an 8 hour class and will not dismiss your citation.
What’s the difference between a CDL (commercial driver’s license) and an operator’s license?
 
A CDL is for professional drivers (truck drivers, bus drivers, etc.). If you possess, or possessed at the time of your violation, a CDL, you are now eligible to attend a defensive driving school class as of 9-1-19. CDL Holders are ONLY allowed to attend if driving a personal vehicle.
Do you offer Online classes in Spanish?
 
Yes. We offer the online course in Spanish. During registration, please select Spanish as the preferred language.
How do I cancel the online course?
 
Please call our office between 9am and 5pm Monday thru Friday, or between 9am and 12am Saturday to cancel the course. This must be done prior to starting the course to receive a refund minus $29 processing fee. Once the course has been started, the state fees and school fees are non-refundable.
How often can I attend Defensive Driving School?
 
You may attend a defensive driving school course once every year. The year of ineligibility is from violation date to violation date. For example, if you received a violation on 11/13/2024, you will be eligible again for a defensive driving class for a violation occurring on or after 11/13/2025.
Why are some violations not eligible?
 
Only moving violations are eligible. Seat belt, insurance, registration and driver’s license violations are not moving violations; they are not eligible.
When do I get my Completion Certificate?
 
Once you complete the course you will immediately be able to view and print your Completion Certificate. We will automatically email a copy to you as well. Please check your junk or spam folder to be sure it was not put there as a result of your filter settings.
Is there a due date to complete the course?
 
Yes, seven (7) calendar days prior to your court or extension date. Certain Courts allow defensive driving schools to grant one extension. Please contact us at (toll free) to verify if we are able to grant you an extension.
I have already registered, how do I log back into the course?
 
If you have already registered, please click on “online class login.” Please use your username (email address) and password (case sensative) to re-enter the online course. Contact us to reset your password at (toll free).
I have received a server error, what should I do?
 
First, please log off and log back in to the course using your user name (email address) and password. If this does not allow you to continue, please contact us via email or call us at (toll free) during regular business hours between 8am and 5:30pm Monday thru Friday, or between 7am and 12pm Saturday.