Florida 12-Hour Advanced Driver Improvement Course

What is the Florida Advanced Driver Improvement (ADI) course? Do I need to take it?

The Florida Advanced Driver Improvement (ADI) course is a 12-hour course focused on changing aspects of a driver's attitude and behavior that have led to unsafe choices behind the wheel, traffic citations and collisions. You need to take an ADI course if the Florida HSMV has sent you a letter telling you that you need to take an ADI course for one of the following reasons:

• Your license has been suspended due to an accumulation of points
• You have been categorized as a Habitual Traffic Offender (HTO)
• You have to complete an ADI as part of a "3 crashes in 3 years" requirement
• You received a traffic citation out of state and received a notice from Tallahassee requiring you to attend ADI for a HSMV Requirement

You may also be required to take an ADI course by your court in a court order.

For all course reasons besides "3 crashes in 3 years," you will receive a Certificate of Enrollment as soon as you register and pay for the course. You can use this Certificate of Enrollment to apply for your hardship license.

My driver license was suspended for accumulating too many points. How do I get my license back?

In Florida, your driver license may be suspended if you accumulate:

• 12 points within 12 months (30-day suspension)
• 18 points within 18 months (3-month suspension)
• 24 points within 36 months (1 year suspension)

The suspension period in parentheses is the mandatory suspension period for your driver license. You can get a hardship license during that suspension period if you show proof of enrollment in an ADI course. After the suspension period is over, you can show that you’ve completed the ADI course and pay a reinstatement fee to get your full driving privileges back.

How do I get my license back if I'm a Habitual Traffic Offender?

If you're categorized as a Habitual Traffic Offender, your driver license will be revoked for 5 years. After 1 year from the effective date of the revocation, you can apply for a hardship license by showing proof of enrollment in an ADI course. After the revocation period has expired, you may apply for a full reinstatement of your driving privilege by showing proof of an ADI course completion.

I was told I had to take an ADI course because of the "3 crashes in 3 years" law. What is that and how do I keep my license?

The "3 crashes in 3 years" requirement applies to drivers who have been convicted of, or plead nolo contendere (no contest) to, a third traffic offense that caused a crash within 36 months. Your driving privileges are NOT suspended, so you don’t require a hardship license. You have 90 days from the date of the conviction to meet the following requirements or your license will be canceled:

• Complete an HSMV-approved ADI course.
• Complete 4 hours of behind-the-wheel training with a Florida HSMV-approved commercial driving school.
• Pass an extended road test with a driver license examiner or tax collector licensing agent.

If you do not meet these requirements within 90 days, your license will be canceled. If your license is canceled, you must meet these requirements before you can apply to have your driving privileges reinstated.

How do I know whether I should take a BDI course or an ADI course?

The BDI (Basic Driver Improvement) course and the ADI (Advanced Driver Improvement) course are 2 different courses taken for different reasons.

The BDI course is a 4-hour course and it can be taken for one of the following reasons:

• To keep points off your driving record after getting a traffic ticket for a noncriminal moving violation (if you take BDI voluntarily).
• To receive a 9% reduction in the cost of your civil penalty if you received a noncriminal moving violation that does not require a mandatory court appearance.
• To satisfy a court order (for example, if a judge has ordered you to take a Basic Driver Improvement course).
• To fulfill a course requirement to retain your license if the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles sent you a notice to take BDI for one of the following offenses: passing a school bus that is stopped, running a red light, reckless driving, racing on the highway (you will be required to take a course whether you were an active participant or a spectator), or being the driver in a car accident in which you are at fault and someone was taken to the hospital, or being at fault for two accidents within 2 years, which caused over $500 of property damage.

The ADI course is a 12-hour course and it can be taken for one of the following reasons:

• Your license has been suspended due to an accumulation of points.
• You have been categorized as a Habitual Traffic Offender (HTO).
• You have to complete an ADI as part of a "3 crashes in 3 years" requirement.
• You received a court order to take an ADI course.
• You received a traffic citation out of state and received a notice from Tallahassee requiring you to attend ADI for a HSMV Requirement.

If the Florida HSMV or your court is telling you to take a course, they will specify whether you should take a BDI course or an ADI course.

What is a hardship license? How do I get one?

A hardship license allows someone whose regular driver license has been suspended to drive with limited driving privileges. Typically, it allows the recipient to drive to and from work or school or to other places deemed essential. To apply for a hardship license, you must file an Application for Hardship/Administrative Hearing with the Florida HSMV Bureau of Administrative Reviews and submit with it the required fee and your Certificate of Enrollment in an ADI course. If you do not complete the ADI course within 90 days of enrollment, your driving privilege will be canceled.

How does the Florida Advanced Driver Improvement course work?

You can complete your Advanced Driver Improvement course in three easy steps:

Step One: Register & Get Your Certificate of Enrollment

Simply create an account with a username and password, fill out some information, and make payment. We will immediately email you your Certificate of Enrollment. You can use this to apply for your hardship license.

Please note, if you are taking the course to fulfill the "3 crashes in 3 years" requirement, you will not receive a Certificate of Enrollment since you do not need a hardship license, as your driving privileges have not been suspended.

Step Two: Complete the Course

The 12-hour course is divided into short lessons full of fun videos, animations and games. Ten-minute breaks occur periodically throughout the course. These breaks are your moment to step away from the course, take a breath, and really absorb what you're learning.

At the end of each lesson, you'll be asked to respond to a question on your driving behaviors and attitude. Your response must be at least 50 words. These written responses are required by the FL HSMV in all ADI courses.

After the first 6 hours of coursework, you will be required to take a 24-hour break. The Florida HSMV requires this for all ADI courses.

At the end of the course is a final exam that consists of 10 multiple-choice questions and 10 short response questions. You must score at least 80% on the multiple-choice questions to pass that section of the exam and you must answer all 10 short response questions adequately to pass that portion. All short responses must be at least 50 words. You can take the final exam as many times as you need to pass.

The entire course is online and can be completed on any mobile device. Complete it on your desktop at home or on your phone or tablet on the go! Every time you log in, we will take you right back to where you last left off.

Step Three: Get Your Certificate of Completion

Once you pass the course, we will email you your Certificate of Completion. If you are taking this course for a court-order, you will need to submit your Certificate of Completion to your court.

For all non-court-ordered reasons, we will electronically report your completion information to the DHSMV within 3 business days. Remember to check with the DHSMV 7-10 business days after you complete the course to ensure they have processed your completion.

Please Note: It takes approximately 48 hours for your course completion to be annotated on your record once we report it.

Why are there breaks in the course?

Each lesson in the course includes a 10-minute break. You must also take a 24-hour break after the first 6 hours of coursework. The FL HSMV requires these breaks in all ADI courses to ensure you have time to process what you're learning in the course.

How long will the course take me to complete?

The course includes 12 hours of coursework (with 90 minutes of breaktime included). Keep in mind that there is a required 24-hour break in the course after the first 6 hours of coursework.

Is there a final exam?

At the end of the course is a final exam that consists of 10 multiple-choice questions and 10 short response questions. You must score at least 80% on the multiple-choice questions to pass that section of the exam and you must answer all 10 short response questions adequately to pass that portion. All short responses must be at least 50 words. You can take the final exam as many times as you need to pass.

How will I get my Certificate of Completion?

Once you pass the course, we will email you your Certificate of Completion.

For all non-court-ordered reasons, we will electronically report your completion information to the DHSMV within 3 business days. Remember to check with the DHSMV 7-10 business days after you complete the course to ensure they have processed your completion.

Please Note: It takes approximately 48 hours for your course completion to be annotated on your record once we report it.

How will the court know I completed the ADI course?

If you are taking this course for a court order, you will need to submit your Certificate of Completion to your court.

How will the HSMV know I completed the ADI course?

For all non-court-ordered reasons, we will electronically report your completion information to the DHSMV within 3 business days. Remember to check with the DHSMV 7-10 business days after you complete the course to ensure they have processed your completion.

Please Note: It takes approximately 48 hours for your course completion to be annotated on your record once we report it.

How much does the Florida ADI course cost?

The ADI course costs $61.95.

What is Safe2Drive's refund policy?

Safe2Drive's refund policy can be found here.