Frequently asked questions and answers

Questions about Driving Academy of Ohio L.L.C.

Questions about the Temporary Learner's Permit and Driver's License process

 

Answers about Driving Academy of Ohio L.L.C.

What is your class schedule?

Class sessions are from 6:00 pm to 9:05 pm, Monday through Thursday for two consecutive weeks.  New classes begin every Monday evening.  During the summer, we have morning classes from 9:00 am until 12:05 pm, Monday through Thursday, for two consecutive weeks. [back]

 
When can I start?

New classes begin every Monday.  [back]

 
Where are you located?

Our address is 1225 North Main Street in North Canton. We are located directly across the street from the North Canton Post Office and occupy the lower level of the Stoffer Mortgage building. Our entrance is through the main lobby doorway on the north end of the building.  Click here for a map.  [back]

 
What if I have to miss a class?

If a student isn't able to make it to one of their classes, the missed class can be made up two weeks from the date of the session the student was absent from.  Because we have a two week rotating class schedule, students can make-up a missed class in any two week increment from the session that they were absent from (2, 4, 6 weeks, etc).  [back]

 
What is your class schedule in the summer?

During the summer, we have classes from 9:00 am through 12:05 pm, Monday through Thursday for two consecutive weeks in addition to our regular evening classes.  Our summer schedule typically starts the first week in June after high school is over for the year.  Our summer schedule ends in late August.  We can normally accommodate a student switching between the evening class and the day class provided the classes are not full.  This is done on an individual basis. Call for information about special classes during around the holidays.  [back]

 
How do I register for classes?

Reservations for a seat in the class can be made ahead of time by phoning our office at (330) 966-1211.  Students may also pre register using this website.  Walk-ins are always welcome provided classes are not full.  [back]

 
Does the parent have to be present for registration?

A parent or legal guardian must be present at the time of registration.  Registration must occur prior to the student receiving any training from the driving school.  Registration is typically completed just prior to the first class session, but arrangements can be made to register in advance.  Contact us for additional details.  [back]

 
What do students need to bring with them to register for classes?

If the student has their temporary driving permit, that can be brought with them so we can gather some information from the photo ID .  [back]

 
What are the students taught during the class?

We use a state approved curriculum that covers topics such as:
Handling emergencies, driving in different environments, natural laws, vehicle controls, visual sight patterns, purchasing vehicles, and much more.  Parents are always welcome to stay and listen to any class session.  [back]

 
When does a student start the driving part of the class?

Driving can be scheduled any time after the student has completed their first class for any day that they student is not in class.  You pick when you want to drive.  Appointments can be made over the phone or in person.  We do drive 7 days a week.  [back]

 
Do you provide the car?

Driving Academy of Ohio does provide the vehicle for all driving sessions.  Our cars are owned and insured by the Driving Academy to ensure that the vehicles are properly maintained for the safest possible driving experience.  All of our vehicles pass annual inspections approved by the Ohio Department of Public Safety and undergo regular preventative maintenance.  By state law, your vehicle cannot be used by a driving school for instructional purposes.  We do not subcontract to hire our driving instructor and vehicles or use our personal vehicles for driving instruction.   [back]

 
Do you pick up at our house?

Students are picked up at home, school, or any other designated location as long as we know prior to the driving appointment and the pickup location is within our general pickup service area*.   Just let us know.  We are flexible.  *Our general service pickup area is technically a six mile radius around the driving school.  Here is a service area map of that pickup location.  Generally, if you live within about 15 minutes of the driving school, we will pick you up at home.  If you live outside of this radius, we welcome you in class, but might ask that you meet us either at the driving school or at some pre-designated pickup location within our service area for each in-car lesson.  Pickup at Hoover, Jackson, GlenOak, and Lake high schools is not a problem.  We will pickup in North Canton, and much of Uniontown, Plain, Jackson, Lake townships, as well as neighborhoods and unincorporated villages such as Middlebranch, Myers Lake, Greentown, and Cairo. [back]

 
How many students are in the car at a time?

Only one student is in the car at a time with the instructor always in the passenger seat.  The exception to this is when one student finishes their session, drives to a second student's house and the second student immediately drives the first student home to be dropped off.  [back]

Do you drive at night (in the dark)?

We typically schedule in-car sessions until 7 or 8 pm in the evening.  There are a couple evenings that we schedule up to 10 pm.  In the winter months it is dark during this time.  In the summer we aren't driving late enough very much for it to be dark during the in-car sessions  [back]

 
Where is the driving portion done?

We drive in Stark and Summit Counties.  Driving areas include rural routes, residential areas, interstate highway, down-town Canton, Belden Village area, parking lots, and many other areas.  We make an effort to cover most types of driving that will be encountered in this area.  [back]

 
Do students drive on the highway with you?

Toward the end of the eight hours, all students will have the opportunity to drive on the highway and utilize several on and off ramps and interchanges.  [back]

 
Does that 8 hours count toward the 50 hours?

No.  By state law the 8 hours is not to be counted into the 50 hours that you are required to drive with your parents prior to getting your license.  [back]

 
Can we use your car to take the test?

Yes.  For an additional fee, we will provide a vehicle and one of our staff members to accompany students for their driving test.  We can either pick the student up and take them to take their test, or meet you at the examination station with our car.   [back]

 
Are you licensed / bonded / insured? 

Yes we meet or exceed all state requirements for private driving enterprises.  All of our instructors have received the state certified training and have passed at least two background checks.   [back]

 
Do your vehicles have dual controls?

Yes, each of our vehicles is equipped with a permanent second brake and a second mirror for the instructor to use while seated in the passenger's seat. All or our vehicles also have the required front and rear "student driver" labeling in reflective letting.  [back]

 

Do you accept competitor's coupons or discounts?

We have a completely different pricing and service structure from our competitors.  In order to accept competitor's discounts, we would have to adjust our pricing structure and reduce the level of service to match theirs - in other words, to be like them, we would have to start with a falsely high base price, apply the discount to the falsely high price, then tack on additional fees after the discount for fuel or driving to further increase the actual cost above the quoted price.  We would also have to reduce the level of service by eliminating instructors and vehicles from our fleet and eliminate services such as our free maneuverability course.  We feel that this would be unfair to our customers who generally receive a much higher level of service and efficiency during and after they their driver's education experience.  [back]

 

Are there any customer reviews about your school?

There are lots of third party sites on the internet that allow customers to leave reviews and feedback about our program.  You could also visit the Better Business Bureau or StarkCountyDriversEd.com for additional ratings, reviews and resources.  Our suggestion is to talk to people you know in the community that have gone through the program and get their opinions.  We generally aren't afraid of what our previous students and their parents have to say about our program.  [back]

 

Is there a time limit that the student has to complete the course within?

The Ohio Administrative code does state that the all required classroom instruction and behind-the-wheel training provided by the driver training enterprise shall be made available to, and completed by, the student within six months after the date the training begins unless mitigating circumstances occur which must be documented by the school in the student's record.   [back]

 

  

Answers about the Temporary Learner's Permit and Driver's License process

What is a temporary driving permit?
A temporary driving permit authorizes you to practice for your skills test by driving on the street - but only with a licensed driver 21 years of age or older in the seat next to you. If you are under age 16, you must drive with parent, guardian or certified driving instructor seated beside you. Your temporary permit will expire one year from the date of purchase.  [back]
 
How old do I have to be to get my temps?
You must be at least 15 and a half years of age to apply for your temporary driving permit.    [back]
 
Where do I get my temps?
You must take and pass a knowledge test at a Driver Examination Station and then purchase your temporary permit at a BMV Deputy Registrar license agency location. In Stark County, the Exam Station and BMV are conveniently located at 3187 Whitewood St N.W. in North Canton, OH 44720 (near Fisher Foods south of Mt Pleasant Rd). Their phone number is (330) 498-0255 and they are open Tuesday through Saturday.  Call for hours of operation.  Location Map of the Stark BMV in North Canton.  [back]
 
What is involved in getting my temps?
First, you should study the Digest of Motor Vehicle Laws to prepare for the knowledge test.  Copies of the Digest of Motor Vehicle Laws can be picked up from any State of Ohio BMV or Driver Examination Station, or viewed from this link: Digest of Motor Vehicle Laws.

After studying the Digest of Motor Vehicle Laws, go to an Ohio Driver Examination Station to take the knowledge test covering Ohio motor vehicle regulations and traffic signs.  No appointment is necessary.  Take two forms of identification with you (see Acceptable Document List Requirements at bottom).  At the Examination Station, they will check your identification, take a temporary photo, and you will take the knowledge test. 

After passing the knowledge test with a score of 75% or better, your test scores will be stored electronically along with the temporary photo.  You can then go to the BMV location where they will verify your test scores and identity, and you can purchase a temporary permit. 

If you are under the age of 18 years old, you must be accompanied by a parent or guardian when you go the Driver Exam Station to take your test. Your parent or guardian must also have two forms of identification with them (see Acceptable Document List Requirements at bottom). 

BMV Deputy Registrar license agency:
3187 Whitewood St N.W.
North Canton, OH 44720 Map (near Fisher Foods south of Mt Pleasant Rd and north of Orion Rd).
(330) 498-0255
Hours: 8:00-5:00 M-W-TH-F, 8:00-6:30 Tuesday, 8:00-2:00 Saturday

Stark County Drivers License Examination station
3195 Whitewood Street N.W.
North Canton, Ohio 44720 Map (near Fisher Foods south of Mt Pleasant Rd and north of Orion Rd).
(330) 433-9214
Open Tuesday through Saturday (Call for hours of operation or to schedule a driving test)   [back]
 
What do I have to take with me when I go to get my temps?
When you go to get your temporary permit packet, you must take two forms of identification (see Acceptable Document List Requirements at bottom).  If you are under 18 years of age, your application must be co-signed by a parent or legal guardian at the time you apply. A co-signer must also present two forms of acceptable documents verifying identification (see Acceptable Document List Requirements at bottom). This means that a parent or guardian must accompany any applicant who is under 18 years of age to the examination station.  [back]
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Where can I get practice or sample questions and answers for the knowledge temporary permit test?
There are sample questions and answers on page 79 of the Digest of Ohio Motor Vehicle Laws. You can also take this online Sample test.   [back]
 
How long do I have to hold my temps before I can get my license?
If you are under the age of 18 years, you must hold your permit for at least 6 months prior to taking your driving test.  Your parents could make you wait longer than 6 months.  Your permit will not expire for 1 year from the date that it was purchased.  [back]
 
At what point during the process should I take the classes at the Driving Academy?
Drivers education classes can be taken any time after you are over the age of 15 years and 5 months.    [back]
 
What requirements must be met before I can take driver's education?
You must be at least 15 years and 5 months old before starting drivers education.  You do not have to have your temporary driving permit in order to take the classes.  You do not have to have started driving with your parents in order to take the classes.  [back]
 
Do I have to have my temps to take classes?
You do not have to have your temporary permit in order to take driving classes at Driving Academy of Ohio.  The classroom portion can be done with or without your temps.  You must have your temps in order to start the driving portion of the classes.  [back]
 
Does the 8 hours provided by Driving Academy of Ohio count toward the 50 hours?
The eight hours provided by driving schools does not count towards the 50 hours that you are required to drive with your parents.  The 50 hours has to be driven with a parent or legal guardian.  [back]
 
What do I need when I drive?
You must always carry your temporary driving permit photo ID card, as well as eye glasses or contact lenses if you are required to wear them when you drive.    [back]
 
Who can drive with  a student who has a temporary license?
Any student between the age of 15 1/2 and 16 years of age who holds a validated driving permit can only drive with a parent, legal guardian, or licensed driving instructor.  Any person who is older than 16 years of age and holds a validated temporary driving permit can drive with a licensed driver over the age of 21 years.   The licensed driver must be seated in the passenger's seat while the student is driving.  [back]
 
Is it legal to drive in the State of Ohio with a valid learner's permit issued from another state?
Yes, you may operate a vehicle in the state of Ohio with a valid learner's permit, as long as there is a valid licensed driver, the age of 21 or over, in the front passenger seat.   [back]
 
What do I do if I lost part of my temporary permit?
You will need to purchase a new permit packet from the BMV and have the new permit validated. If your original test scores can be verified they will be transferred to the new permit. If the test scores are not available, you must purchase a new permit and complete the entire testing process over again. The six month holding requirement for applicants less than 18 years of age carries over from the first temporary permit.   [back]
 
What do I do if my temporary permit expires?
If your temporary permit expires before you have taken and passed the skills test, you must go back to the deputy registrar agency and begin the application process again. You must also retake your driver knowledge test.  [back]
 
Are there any online teen driving courses?
There are some web sites that do offer online driving courses, but in the State of Ohio, the driver's education requirement for anyone under the age of 18 is twenty-four hours of classroom instruction and eight hours of behind-the-wheel lessons with a licensed driving school.  Therefore, any online driving course does not qualify for the State of Ohio driver's education requirement.   [back]

 

Acceptable Document List Requirements

In order to obtain any Driver License, CDL, State of Ohio Identification (ID) card or duplicate of any of these items, the customer, and any co-signer for a minor applicant must present a primary and a secondary document satisfactory to prove both: (1) Name and Date of Birth and (2) Social Security Number (SSN), if ever assigned. (Ohio Administrative Code Sections 4501:1-1-19, 21, 22) Only original documents or a copy bearing an original certification by the issuing authority are acceptable. Uncertified copies or copies of certified documents are not acceptable. Failure to provide two (2) acceptable documents to prove both the Name and Date of Birth and the Social Security Number, if ever assigned, shall result in denial of the application.


PRIMARY DOCUMENTS***
(Must include Date of Birth)


SECONDARY DOCUMENTS***
(Must include SSN if not on primary document)


*** PLEASE NOTE: ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION MAY BE REQUIRED
IF THE DOCUMENTATION PROVIDED IS QUESTIONABLE.