Florida Intermediate Defensive Driving Course (DDS)
8 Hour Traffic School Classroom Course
Need an 8 Hour 'In Person' classroom course to satisfy a court order? Our 8 hour Defensive Driving School (DDS) course is a Florida Certified Traffic School class. It is a course that is typically court ordered by a judge as part of a sentencing judgment or plea agreement, but can sometimes be taken as an "election" (see below).
The 8 hour driving course is offered two ways; as a Traditional Classroom (In Person) course in our Tampa Center, at the Orlando location near the UCF Campus, or as an Online Class (if permitted by the court). The 8 hour driving course is also offered at our Tampa location once a month in Spanish.
Whichever method you choose, your Completion Certificate is accepted in all 67 Florida Counties and 20 Judicial Circuits. Additionally, our 'In Person' Course Certificates are accepted nationwide including Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina and Virginia.
Classroom Course Registration
8 Hour Defensive Driver Class Info
The 8 Hour traffic school course is typically for the individual who has:
- Received multiple traffic citations over a short period of time.
- Received mandatory or serious traffic violations.
- Florida Residents that received a traffic ticket in another state. Many other states require a "6 Hour or Greater Course, to be completed In Person". This includes (not limited to) Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts.
- Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties allow you to take this class for a traffic ticket if you have already taken the 4 hour BDI course in the last 12 months. You need to get approval from the county before you take the 8 Hour Basic Course as an "Election".
Officially named the 8 Hour Intermediate Driver Improvement course, Florida counties often refer to this course on their court documents using abbreviations like the 8 Hour Basic Course, 8 Hour DDC (Defensive Driving Course), 8 Hour DDS (Defensive Driving School) or 8 Hour Driving Course. Look carefully at your Court Papers; call the Clerk's Office if you need help.
Classroom Course and Locations
The 8 hour DDS traffic school class is available each weekend in a Classroom at at the Tampa Center location or our Orlando location near the UCF Campus. We also offer the course in Tampa monthly in Spanish. (See Schedule). The course is completed in one day at all of our locations.
Additional Information About the Florida 8 Hour Driving Course
Classroom courses are provided in a relaxed seminar style format. This allows you to have direct contact with a certified instructor and have a forum to discuss topics with other students. The seminar style courses offers a highly social class with plenty of interaction among participants.
The 8 hour driving course is divided into multiple sessions and topics. Sessions are 50 minutes in length with a 10 minute break once an hour. While there is no test required to complete the class, students are encouraged and expected to actively participate in the seminar discussions in order to receive their Completion Certificate. Topic include:
- Major causes of traffic accidents, injuries and fatalities.
- Traffic Laws and Florida's Implied Consent Law.
- Defensive Driving Techniques, common distractions and the 3 second rule.
- How to safely react to various situations, driving conditions and when the posted Speed Limit is to fast.
- Legal and financial consequences of a DUI conviction.
- Explore student's driving habits and methods to break bad habits
- Identify student's values and the role they play in making decisions
We believe in educating our students. Our Instructors keep your attention and will arm you with information about traffic law and other important factors to help you stop receiving Traffic Tickets. Sorry, if you are looking for boring Videos, students will not get those here! One thing is guaranteed, students leave our classes with a different perspective about the driving environment, plus positive thoughts and techniques to avoid additional traffic violations.
The total tuition for the 8 Hour Driving Course in the classroom is $80.00. The tuition includes the course, classroom materials, all State of Florida fees, certificate processing and your certificate. Your original Completion Certificate (for the Court) and a copy is provided immediately at the end of the class.
Students need to pre-register for the 8 hour driving course using the Online Enrollment Page (sorry no phone registrations or walk-ins). Once we receive your Enrollment Request, we verify your requirement, check appropriate DMV / Court Records and will send a "confirmation" email to you. Students should register as early as possible to guarantee a space for the date of your choice.
The 8 Hour Defensive Driver Course Completion Certificates are printed and provided to students at the end of the class. You will receive two copies before you leave class.
- A Signed original with a unique Certificate Number. This copy is for the Clerk of the Courts and needs to be delivered by you to satisfy a Court Order.
- A second copy is provided as a receipt for your records. We suggest students file this as a backup copy with your other important documents.
Known officially in Florida as the 8 Hour Intermediate Driver Improvement course, counties often show it on their court documents using variations or abbreviations (see above). Our 8 hour traffic school course Completion Certificate is accepted in all 67 Florida counties including:
- Alachua County (Gainsville)
- Brevard County (Melbourne)
- Broward County (Ft Lauderdale)
- Collier County (Naples)
- Dade County (Miami)
- Duval (Jacksonville)
- Hernando County (Brooksville)
- Highlands County (Sebring)
- Hillsborough County (Tampa)
- Lake County (Clermont)
- Lee County (Fort Myers)
- Leon County (Tallahassee)
- Orange County (Orlando)
- Osceola County (Kissimmee)
- Palm Beach County (West Palm Beach)
- Pasco County (Dade City)
- Pinellas County (Clearwater & St Petersburg)
- Polk County (Lakeland)
- Manatee (Bradenton)
- Monroe County (Key West)
- Seminole County (Sanford)
- Volusia County (Daytona)
The 8 Hour Defensive Driver Course Certificates issued by Nations Traffic Safety School are routinely accepted by judicial circuits in other states. These include Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina and Alabama. (It is always advisable to obtain approval from the Clerk of the Courts in the other state before you enroll into our Intermediate Defensive Driver Class.)
Tampa Address
Hilton Garden Inn Orlando East/UCF Area
OBG Center