FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the driver’s ed program work and what is all involved?

Students can register to take the classroom portion of driver’s ed any time. There is no minimum age requirement to take the classroom portion. Students are required to attend 30 hours of classroom instruction per mandatory requirements the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for any student under the age of eighteen. The 30 hours can be completed in three ways: all online, all in-person, or hybrid which involves taking four 2-hour classes in person classes followed by completing the remaining 22 hours online.  When ready, the student will be able to take the knowledge and signs test. We offer this test to our students in class, and you leave class with all the required paperwork (MV3001) to obtain your temporary driver’s license. For our online students, we will provide you with the required paperwork (MV3001) to go to any DMV location where you will be able to take your temps test and obtain your temporary driver’s license. These forms expire 60 days after an instructor has signed them. If you wait longer to go in to get your instruction permit, no worries, you will just need to have us resign the form for you. There are no additional fees for a new form.  

Once a student receives their temps, they are required to log into our scheduling program, www.schedule2drive.com to create an account. It is important to know that all students MUST both schedule and COMPLETE their first drive lesson with within 60 days of obtaining their temps. After 60 days, we are required to notify the DMV that you have failed to complete for your drive time and your temps can be revoked.  Students must complete 6 driving lessons (each 2 hours long) with us and 50 hours of driving in total with a parent or guardian (10 hours must be at night). We like to spread the appointments out over the 6 months that students must have their temps, doing 1-2 lessons a month so students have plenty of time to practice in between lessons. You will want to schedule your last drive lesson as close as possible to your road test!  

A student must have their temps a minimum of 6 months, be a minimum of 16 years of age, drive a minimum of 50 hours with a qualified adult, and complete all driver’s education to be eligible for their driver’s license.  

Please visit this teen portal offered through the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for additional information: https://wisconsindot.gov/pages/dmv/teen-driver/teen-sfty/index.aspx

What are the requirements for driver’s education in Wisconsin?

Students under the age of 18 must complete 30 hours of Classroom instruction and 12 hours of Behind-the-Wheel training (6 hours driving and 6 hours observing another student driving) to meet Wisconsin minimum requirements. Bestway Driving Academy offers both classroom portion via all online option or hybrid option that includes attending four 2-hour classes and completing 22 hours of an online classroom.

Any additional information can be found by clicking on: https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/dmv/teen-driver/yr-frst-lcns/gdlfaqs.aspx

What are the age requirements for taking driver’s education and getting your license?

There are no minimum age requirements in the State of Wisconsin to start the classroom portion of their driver’s education. Students may obtain their instruction permit (temps) at 15 years of age. Students may get their probationary driver’s license at age 16, but they must have had their temps for 6 months.

This video, thanks to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin nicely explains Graduated Driver’s Licensing: https://youtu.be/sawxbBsElDk

Please refer to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for any additional information: https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/dmv/teen-driver/teen-hw-aply/how-to-aply.aspx

How do I get my driver’s license on my 16th birthday?

For a student to get their probationary driver’s license on their 16th birthday, they should plan on taking the classroom portion before they are 15 ½ years old. This way, they are prepared to take the knowledge and signs tests that they are required to pass and take the completion form (MV3001) to the DMV on or before they turn 15 ½ to receive their instruction permit. Students must have their instruction permit for 6 months before they are eligible to take their road test.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, if you want your driver’s license on or after your 16th birthday:

  • Hold the instruction permit for a minimum of six months before applying for a probationary license
  • Be violation free in the six months prior to applying for the probationary license
  • Accumulate a minimum of 50 hours of behind-the-wheel driving experience, 10 of which must be driving experience at night. For convenience, use the Road Ready Mobile App or print off a driving log sheet to track your hours of supervised driving.
  • Present proof of completion of an approved driver-education training course. (Bestway Driving Academy completes this portion via online completion records directly with the DOT!)
  • Have your parent or adult sponsor certify on the driver application the completion of 50 hours of driving experience (10 at night)
  • Pass a road test unless eligible for the road test waiver
  • Pay required fees

Want to complete the Road Test Wavier- it’s easy! Watch this video: https://youtu.be/xXDsdyTnOxc

Instruction permit, probationary license, regular license, what is the difference between these?

Please see https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/dmv/teen-driver/yr-frst-lcns/gdlfaqs.aspx

Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin also has the following video that nicely explains Graduated Driver Licensing laws in Wisconsin: https://youtu.be/sawxbBsElDk

How do I sign up for a classroom session?

After choosing the best classroom location, find a session that best fits your schedule, and just click the one button under the class to complete the online registration.  Please email us at info@bestwaydrivingschool.net if you have any questions. Include the classroom session you’d like to attend and your name.  Prior to the in-person portion of the class starting, I will send you an email regarding room number, location, etc. as well as additional information. We try to make these classes very informative, and we try to have some fun in the process!!!  Click here and choose your class: https://bestwaydrivingschool.net/class-schedule/

How does online classroom work?

Bestway Driving Academy is licensed to offer online classroom to students for both the entire 30 hours of online classroom https://auth.drivingschoolgm.com/account/studentRegistration?appid=bestwaydrivingschool&product=624 or you can choose a Hybrid Options that includes attending a portion in person and completing the remaining 22 hours online. If you would like to choose this option, please use the online registration link on our web site under the location of your choice.  Any questions, please email us at info@bestwaydrivingschool.net and I will email you back with any additional information you may need.  This fulfills the State of Wisconsin requirement and is required for students under 18.  After registering you will receive an email from our partners, Teach Safe. This will confirm the registration and allow you to setup username and password. After all the requirements are met you will be able to take this class just like you would in a regular live classroom except from your own home and at your own time.  This is a great option for those students with busy schedules!

Once we receive payment, you will be approved to begin the online classroom.  Please allow up to 24 hours to be approved.  Usually it’s done much sooner, however, we are not exactly working in the office 24 hours a day, so it’s usually completed by the next business day.

You will not be able to work on your online classroom longer than 2 hours a day. Each lesson has a time length listed that you will get credit for when completed. If you take longer to finish the lesson, you will only be credited for time listed.

The temp’s tests may be taken before completion of the classroom portion or any time after finished. You are free to take the test whenever you feel ready.  You are not required to fully complete the online portion in order to obtain your temps.  Granted it is the preferred way, however, you are allowed to be working on both your online classroom and behind the wheel at the time same.  You are just not allowed to work on the online classroom and the same day as you drive as a result of not being allowed to work on drivers education for more than 2 hours per day.

Options for taking the temps test include:

When you are 15 you may go to the DMV with your signed MV3001 form to take the tests there. If you are over 18 you must take the tests at the DMV. Remember that our signature on the form is only valid for 60 days, so check the date signed. If it’s past the 60 days, please contact us to get a new form signed. If you report to the DMV without a signed MV3001, you will not be able to obtain your temps. Here is a handy study app to put on your phone: https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/dmv/teen-driver/teen-hw-aply/practicetestapp.aspx

You may take your temps test at Bestway Driving Academy during your in-person class.  The test can be taken at our offices before you are 15, but you will not be able to get your driving permit at the DMV until you are 15.

Once you receive your temps it is your responsibility to let us know you have them. You have 60 days from the day you got your temps to get your first driving lesson in.  You will be required to create an account in our online scheduling app schedule2drive.  All the information and school codes needed will have been emailed to you or provided in class.  https://www.schedule2drive.com/Failure to do so could result in your temps being revoked. Email us at info@bestwaydrivingschool.net with any questions.

I'm having technical problems with the online classroom program. Who can I talk to for help?

Bestway partners with Teach Safe to offer you with the online classroom.  Any issues during the online classroom, please contact us directly at Bestway Driving Academy and we can help you through it. We will direct you to the “get support” button that will be visible within your course. This will pop up an email box.  From there, please type in the problem or issues that is happening and we will either attempt to resolve the issues ourselves, or if it is an issue we cannot solve, we can forward on to someone that can!

What do you except for payment and is there a payment plan?

We accept cash, checks, and credit card for payment. We offer a very flexible payment plan. We prefer the entire amount be paid initially.  However, we understand that is not feasible in all family situations. If you can pay ½ the amount initially and the other ½ prior to starting behind the wheel, that is most acceptable.  If you need to work out something else, please don’t hesitate to ask. Just email us the plan on how you will make payments and we will make a note from our end.  We have had some students make weekly payments who are paying for drivers ed themselves. That is completely fine, just let us know what the plan is!  At a minimum, we will need at least half of the balance paid before we can sign your temp’s application.   Just do not hesitate to ask if needed!

How do I schedule a behind the wheel driving session?

We are the first in the area to partner with schedule2drive http://www.schedule2drive.com and made is extremely easy for students and parents to schedule behind the wheel lessons compared to the other driving schools in the area. As parents of teenagers, we understand the schedules of busy teens and found a scheduling program to fit all our needs and offers flexibility.  We have not had any complains so far!!! ?

You will be given instructions for our online behind the wheel scheduling program called schedule2drive once you pass your temps test.  You MUST have your first behind the wheel lesson with us completed within 60 days per the State of Wisconsin.  Please remember, that failing to cancel a lesson within 24 hours or forgetting your lesson will result in a $35 charge.

SCHEDULING:  For those that are 15 1/2, we have 6 months to schedule 6 drive lessons.  If you are 15 years of age, we have until your 16th birthday to complete 6 lessons.  Spread them out. You need time to drive with your parents in between drive lessons so we can correct bad habits and correct things that could affect your drive test. Our availability will be posted a month ahead of time. Scheduling 4-5 lessons in the same month fills up our schedule way too fast so we need to spread it out so there are available times for everyone. Please plan accordingly. The system will not allow you to schedule drive times within 10 days of each other. We will have last minute openings in which we send out emails attempting to fill, those would be the times to attempt to get in more lessons in the month.  If you choose not to schedule drive times for several months, we will most likely not be able to complete 5 drive lessons in the last month so you can get your driver’s license on time.  We get calls daily and most students are now involved in several activities, work, school, etc.  We offer a variety of drive times; we have several last-minute drive times that become available; therefore, you should not have any issues finding drive times.

How do I schedule my road test?

Students can schedule their road test 11 weeks before they are able to take it. You do not need to have driver’s ed completed to schedule your road test.  You just need to have anything completed by the time you show up to take the test.  The easiest way to schedule a road test is to do so on the DMV’s website http://www.dot.state.wi.us/drivers/drivers/schedule.htm

Will a classroom session ever be cancelled?

If enrollment in a classroom session is low, we reserve the right to cancel the session. We will do our best to place students in another session that is convenient for them. Students will also be given the option to take the classroom portion online.

What is your cancellation policy for behind the wheel lessons?

CANCEL/NO SHOW FEES: We show up to your house and you’re not home.  You forgot, you didn’t change the address in schedule2drive, you’re running late and not home yet, etc. You are suddenly ill.   Please keep in mind, we have to pay our instructors regardless.  Also, the student you were scheduled with no longer has someone to observe.  Our schedules get full and now we have to figure out another place for you to drive. Please remember, should you cancel within a 24-hour period, you will be charged a $35 fee. If you need to cancel and there is more than 24-hours, it’s completely fine and we still have time to fill your spot and you will NOT be charged.  You are free to compare cancelation fees with other driving schools.

What is your classroom attendance policy?

Students are required to attend 30 hours of classroom instruction.

Hybrid Classes- it is mandatory that they attend ALL classes. Should they miss, we will need to find them another class to attend.

Tardy- you are required to complete 30 hours of class.  If you come to class late, you are disrupting the class and you now have less than 30 hours of required class. Please make plans to be on time for all classes.

What is your winter/inclement weather policy?

If school is cancelled due to inclement weather that day in the same city classroom is being held, we will also cancel our classroom session that evening. We will also post an update on Facebook of any class cancellations. There have been times when the instructor has been unable to get to class due to inclement weather.  We will attempt to have a replacement instructor; however, we may need to cancel class as well for these reasons.

Decisions about whether we are going to cancel our driving lessons due to inclement weather will often be made the day of, or even just hours before your lesson. Generally, if the weather service is predicting hazardous road conditions, we will cancel lessons.  We will text or call each student scheduled to notify them if their driving lesson is cancelled. We will also post cancellation notices on Facebook.

**Note** Be aware that during the winter we will sometimes run behind schedule. Even if the roads seem fine in town, they may often be poor in the country. If we are going to be running more than 15 minutes late, we will text you to let you know. Please be patient, we try to keep on schedule but the safety of our instructors and students is more important than arriving to your lesson on time.

Do you offer refunds?

This school will not refund any fees or part of fees if this school is ready, willing, and able to fulfill its part of the agreement. If a refund is offered, there is a $50 refund processing fee that will be accessed.

Do I have to take both classroom and behind the wheel with Bestway?

Classroom only costs $99 and we will provide you with the paperwork needed to transfer to another school for behind the wheel.    Behind the wheel only costs $280 and we will need paperwork providing us with proof of your classroom completion from another school.

I received a notice that I must attend a Failure to Yield Right of Way course. When do you offer this?

We offer a two-hour Failure to Yield the Right of Way course that satisfies all state requirements. We schedule these sessions monthly or based on our availability. Please contact us by phone (920-887-7727) or by email (info@bestwaydrivingschool.net) to set up a session.