Redmond

Redmond Defensive Driving School

8151 164th AVE NE, Suite 104
Redmond, WA 98052
(425) 643-0116
customerhelp@driving-school.com

This is located on 164th between Redmond Town Center and Bella Botega Theater. TEEN CLASSES ARE HELD ONLINE VIA ZOOM. Not an office with staff, only a classroom location for Knowledge tests and pick up/drop off for lessons and tests. Our office with staff is located in Kirkland at 10505 NE 38th Place Bldg 9.

Speed up the registration process: pre-apply, the first step to getting your first driver license, instruction permit, or ID card.

Teen Course details (click here):

  • Provided in our classes: 17 online Zoom sessions, which includes the 30 Hour state curriculum and 4 hours of Driver Awareness Training, 5 hours of driving, and 1 hour student observation.
  • A parent information session will be held on Zoom.
  • We strongly encourage a parent or guardian ride along on at least one driving lesson.
  • Minimum course length is 30 days and all classroom and driving requirements must be completed within 4 months. Students are allowed to miss and make up a maximum of 3 classes. Please keep extra-curricular activities and travel plans in mind before registering for a teen course to ensure proper attention can be given toward this course.
  • A driving permit is required before the first lesson. Students can get their permit up to 10 days before the start date of class.
  • Driving lessons are held outside of classroom meeting times and will extend beyond the end of the classroom portion of the course.
  • Upon completion of the course, an electronic certificate will be reported to the Department of Licensing. This process takes up to 3-4 weeks.
  • Most of our communication is through email. When registering please provide a regularly checked email address for both student and parent.

Special accommodations needed? (click here):

If your student has an IEP/504 plan, anxiety or a learning disability, please consider whether an Individualized Driving Plan (IDP) would be right for your student. See more info here: IDP video. Purchase an IDP consult here: https://driving-school.com/teen-individual-driving-plan-consult/

  • Simon Zhang
    Simon Zhang
    15:58 06 Apr 24
    I had a good experience,Victor is a good road test officer.
    YURI TORR
    YURI TORR
    00:12 05 Apr 24
    I took the skill test with a 30-minute warm-up, and it was very much worth it! Anna did a really great job of answering my questions during the warm-up, and she had a very calm voice, which helped ease my nervousness. For those who are coming outside the US, I highly recommend that you take the course with the 30 mins warm up or take up a class with this school for best practices. I would definitely have my wife enroll to this school once she is ready to take up her driving lessons.
    Shubhra Agnivesh
    Shubhra Agnivesh
    21:11 03 Apr 24
    Great school! Josh was really patient and helpful throughout.
    Caleb Johnson
    Caleb Johnson
    03:32 27 Mar 24
    it was awesome and clay was the goat at instructing. that dude deserves a big raise
    N L
    N L
    23:38 12 Jan 24
    I like Redmond, and I go to the city for work daily. So I decided to take my driving test with this office.But learn from my lessons - if you have a car with cameras, and if that’s the only car that you have, and if there is no way for you to turn the cameras off or remove the camera views from your screen like me, don’t come here.Because no matter how hard you turn your head around and how often you look at the mirrors, the guy would assume that you were looking at the cameras and take all scores from you during the test, just because you have a car with newer technologies that you are not supposed to use.I’ve been going through my driving tests twice, I wasn’t doing great the first time so I didn’t pass. Understandable and it was fair, even though the first time he marked down all possible VIS problems that I could possibly have.And the latest test that I did today was still because of the VIS score deductions, even though I did not look at the camera once.I did, however, see the guy from the office looking at my camera view on the screen in the car almost every single time when the cameras are on, and I doubt he was focusing on what I was looking at while driving.So I would recommend getting an old car for your test, or go somewhere else with your newer cars, especially if they have cameras.Edit: don’t believe that they would actually review your case fairly and carefully. They only ‘say’ that you could request appeal, it won’t mean much.I spent a couple of weeks talking back and forth with some guy who was supposed to look at my case and assess further. But it’s been hard to get him talking about the same test that I completed and the same topics/areas that the score was deducted.
    Arif
    Arif
    19:06 10 Jan 24
    My wife had a warm-up and driving test with instructor Anna. She had a great experience, and I highly recommend Anna specifically. She is a really nice and kind instructor and helped my wife stay calm, as she was a bit nervous.
    Keira Bredstrand
    Keira Bredstrand
    02:03 04 Jan 24
    I am a student at defensive driving school and have had great experiences with all of the staff, who have been super kind, understanding, supportive, and patient with my family and my questions. The instructor I had on my first drive was super informative and taught me a lot. I also love my teacher Clay who is super sweet and funny. He always finds ways to make class more engaging!
    J W
    J W
    00:49 31 Dec 23
    If you come here for testing and you have cameras on your car, turn them off or cover them up! Even if you don’t look at them once, they might distract the instructor, who I guess will just assume you are using them and take off points for that alone, across multiple sections.
    Shubhi Gupta
    Shubhi Gupta
    19:36 02 Dec 23
    I had a wonderful experience at Defense Driving school U district Seattle. I took a few lessons with Ahmed, he was very sweet and encouraging and taught me instead of criticizing me.My driving test was taken by Jimmy Green. The sweetest man I have met. He made sure I was comfortable during the test. Pointed out my small mistakes during the warmup and literally was so so sweet but at the same time was fair during the test. He in the end explained me my mistakes with their reasonings.Totally recommend the driving school and big shout out to Jimmy and Ahmed 🙂
    Wil Salzman
    Wil Salzman
    16:50 14 Oct 23
    My instructor Vincent was great he was very clear, understanding of people questions and always made sure to answer. The meeting advisor or tech advisor, Clay was very helpful always answered questions very clearly and quickly. Definitely a really good driving school option. The things they teach are very helpful
    Leane Donovan
    Leane Donovan
    22:14 21 Aug 23
    We have had two kids attend the North Everett location. Glen was our instructor and was beyond helpful and supportive. His knowledge that he has shared with us has been beyond our expectations. I am only let down that our 3rd child will not be able to have his time and knowledge. Thanks Glen! You are the best. What a positive experience.
    A Wilson
    A Wilson
    22:06 29 Nov 22
    I am about to take my finals with the Oak harbor Defensive drive school. It has been a great experience and Stanley is the BEST. I had a lot of fun these four weeks and made some new friends.1000/10.
    Al Varady
    Al Varady
    18:03 25 Sep 22
    I took the written and road tests with them. Marty was great during the road test. He was very calm and even when I lost some points, I didn't hear it in his voice, which allowed me to keep going and not get more nervous. Thanks!
    Duong Thach
    Duong Thach
    00:32 20 Sep 22
    I got out of and passed the driving test today - alive, of course.I am from Vietnam, just moved over to the U.S and have never driven a car before. But Josh Johnston (my instructor) was super helpful and gave me confidence behind the wheel. When he gave me the driving lessons, he explained things clearly and in an easy way to understand. He didn’t touch the steering wheel, didn’t crush the brake (and didn’t scream) when I’m driving . He didn’t make me feel like I’m an idiot making mistakes. He explained why I didn’t do it correctly and asked me to do it again to correct. He told me: “I’m not worrying. If I worry, we’re in trouble; but I’m not worrying, you’re doing just fine. Keep doing what you’re doing and you’ll be ok!”.Recommended Defensive Driving School (especially instructor Josh).Good luck everyone and drive safe!
    Panda Lover
    Panda Lover
    23:18 24 Jun 22
    The instructors were very nice and helpful in learning how to drive, and even though the classes were online, the class didn't feel boring, you are always learning something new! Definitely recommend!
    Basilin Benson
    Basilin Benson
    17:59 09 Jun 22
    I had a 30 min lesson and Skill test with Tyson Williams today and it was great. Tyson is a really good teacher and is very calm, patient and clear with his instructions. Would highly recommend taking driving lessons here.
    Pranita Iyer
    Pranita Iyer
    04:23 15 Feb 22
    Defensive driving is a great school and Anna was a great teacher. I moved from out of town and already had 10 years of driving experience. I took a 1-hr session and did all the tests with defensive driving. Anna was very professional and very calm and taught so well! She taught me so many useful driving skills along with helping me understand the DOL licensing process. I highly recommend defensive driving in Redmond!
    Abhimanyu Dutta
    Abhimanyu Dutta
    20:04 07 Dec 21
    I went for my driving test today. I took the 30 min warm up session followed by the driving test. Anna was my instructor. She was very helpful and very clear in instructing me the details of the test. I did not understand some of the usual slangs like backing around the corner etc.. but she was patient and explained me everything in a clam manner. I would recommend this place to all first time drivers.
    Alfred Kids
    Alfred Kids
    00:46 02 Dec 21
    The driving course was great, though classes were chaotic, I enjoyed the experience. My favorite part were the helpers that did role call because they somehow knew your name everytime you went to class. The only eh part of the class was the confusion on whether you needed to get 50 or 10 hours.You needed ten hours.
    sowmya supreeth
    sowmya supreeth
    07:00 10 Nov 21
    I would highly recommend defensive driving school for everyone. All instructors are really helpful (Especially Anna).Let me summarize my experience. When I started taking classes I was a new driver, hardly have driven anywhere. I took around 10 classes and within those classes the instructor taught me various driving skills (parallel parking, backing round corner, pull over and many more). Even if I ask the same questions multiple times, they explained very well and stayed calm. These skills made be very confident in driving. Now I drive on my own everywhere.Special thanks to Anna (my instructor) for teaching me.
    Elizabeth Allum
    Elizabeth Allum
    04:29 11 Sep 21
    I would highly recommend this place. I was a very nervous learner, and after my lessons here I am now a qualified, confident, and safe driver! My instructor was Anna, and I really enjoyed my lessons with her. She was professional, knowledgeable, calm, patient, clear and friendly. She managed to find the perfect balance between helping to build my confidence, whilst at the same time helping me recognize and work through my areas of weakness. I took the knowledge test and skills test with DDS, and both experiences were great. I passed both on my first attempt. I also found the customer support team extremely helpful. I emailed them with a lot of questions, and they always responded to me in a swift, helpful and friendly manner. Overall, I'm super happy I chose DDS as my driving school!
    Gloria Xiaolu Zhang
    Gloria Xiaolu Zhang
    18:27 26 Aug 21
    I had good experience with Herton. She's been teaching driving for 40 years. In addition to improving my driving skills, she also taught me valuable lessons she's learned or mistakes she's seen her students make.
    Colette Moss
    Colette Moss
    19:58 20 Aug 21
    Bit of a bottleneck area trying to get out of Trader Joe's and then over to Def Driving. Otherwise, good location, parking available.
    NiceNelly
    NiceNelly
    00:45 04 Aug 21
    Took a driving skills test. The receptionist and the instructor/judge were both very kind.
    Lingwai Lam
    Lingwai Lam
    22:28 26 Jul 21
    Signed up for 5 1 hour lessons. The staffs are very knowledgeable and friendly. Highly recommended!
    Mani Awasthi
    Mani Awasthi
    20:12 27 Apr 21
    Anna is easily the best in the business! I took my driving lessons from her and was able to pass the skill test with a lot of ease and confidence. She is very patient with her students and maintains her composure at all times. Even when you do a mistake, she doesn't panic and doesn't let it affect the student's confidence either. I will highly recommend her as a driving instructor for students with any level of expertise (from beginner to advanced).
    S Andersen
    S Andersen
    18:03 26 Apr 21
    As others have said, Anna is an incredible instructor. She is both knowledgeable and reassuring, constantly offering feedback throughout a drive. When I explained I needed refresher lessons to feel comfortable behind the wheel after several years of infrequent driving, she created a plan to meet my goals over the few sessions we had together.
    Rahul Kumar
    Rahul Kumar
    21:16 22 Mar 21
    Anna is an excellent Driving Instructor. Her methods are simple and easy to follow. She provides full detail analysis of your driving and suggests improvements based on that. Highly Recommend ||
    Vivek Agarwal
    Vivek Agarwal
    18:13 23 Feb 21
    Anna is a five star trainer. She is very calm and composed so accepts your mistake as your opportunity to learn and she keeps guiding you throughout training on the wheel. Her way of teaching is amazing! The best part is that you don't feel intimidated in actual driving test while she still performs her responsibility with full professionalism. Thank you Anna for warm-up session and reviewing my driving test. You are the best!
    Andrew Spray
    Andrew Spray
    18:33 27 Jan 21
    Amazing driving teacher. Very patient and compassionate, but also has a well-developed system for teaching. Lots of positive encouragement to go alongside constructive criticism. Focuses on developing good, safe habits for new drivers.
    Jayser Mendez
    Jayser Mendez
    22:21 11 Nov 20
    Anna is the best instructor ever! After 5 classes, I was able to pass my road test!!! The way they explain is excellent and they provide very good tips and techniques to remember certain things on the road. I recommend this place without hesitation!!!
    Ajay Sainy
    Ajay Sainy
    02:47 29 Oct 20
    Anna is a great instructor! She is kind, patient, encouraging & supportive. Each class was well planned in advance. Anna maintained a checklist and gave me constructive feedback during & after each driving session. For anyone who's new to driving in the US, I highly recommend practicing with Defensive Driving.
    Ana Stakun
    Ana Stakun
    22:11 28 Oct 20
    I had an amazing experience while learning to drive with instructor Anna at Redmond location. Anna was knowledgable and patient. She gave clear explanations about various road rules and driving scenarios. I received a lot of useful tips which helped me feel more confident about my driving. During each class I felt comfortable asking all the questions that I would come up with. Anna was always calm and friendly. I enjoyed every class that I took. When I went to take the test I was confident and relaxed.
    Deepak Mohan (Robo)
    Deepak Mohan (Robo)
    19:10 26 Oct 20
    Really good experience and Anna is a great teacher. Took five 90 min classes at this school. It has been 3 years since I last drove and completely new to left hand drive. Was nervous in my first class and made a lot of mistakes but Anna was really patient and helped me recover from the mistakes. Each class was tailored to go over from the basics and cover all the essentials, the different maneuvers, lane changes, city driving and freeway driving. Highly recommend taking a class here before giving skill test.
    Marleny Trevino
    Marleny Trevino
    00:21 24 Feb 20
    They were super nice and patient with me. I originally signed up for automatic driving classes, changed my mind to do stick shift, and then went back to automatic. I wasn’t charged extra for all these changes and they were really understanding.The instructors, Anna and Stan are super nice too and made a nervous wreck like me feel at ease.If you will be have someone to practice driving with, I recommend the 5 90 min lessons.They are a good price and were enough to go over everything I needed to learn to drive.I also took the test with them and it was super easy!
    Alexandra Shapira
    Alexandra Shapira
    22:39 09 Dec 19
    I already had a driving license from abroad when I moved to Redmond and needed to get Washington license. I took one hour lesson and both knowledge and practice tests in Defensive Driving School. Anna is very patient instructor who welcomes any kind of questions concerning driving and traffic rules and answers them clearly. She gave me some useful remarks that helped me to pass my test from the first try.Having had license tests in two other countries except for the US, I want to emphasize particularly positive, encouraging and calm atmosphere during the practice test.
    Rumbomaker .
    Rumbomaker .
    01:40 05 Dec 19
    Thank you DDS, Very cool!Anna good teacher, very fun. 911 Driving school is fake news.
    diksha mehta
    diksha mehta
    18:53 22 Nov 19
    My experience with the place was pretty seamless. I was done with my lesson and test within an hour and a half. Anna was my instructor during the lesson as well as the scorer for the test. During the lesson, I asked Anna to help me practice parallel parking and backing into the driveway and she gave me few simple thumb rules. She also explained the scoring scheme well. She was patient and positive during the driving lesson. I Would highly recommend her to all.
    Phil Shapira
    Phil Shapira
    22:00 21 Nov 19
    Overall - I'm happy I chose this school, my experience is quite positive and I recommend this school.I already had a driver experience and license, issued by another country, so I just needed to pass tests to get WA license.Although I'm quite experienced driver, I decided to take one lesson to understand what to expect from the test. Anna is awesome instructor, we tried all maneuvers, she gave some very useful advice and explained what to expect on the test. She didn't try to sell me more lessons and I passed the test from the first try. So I'm very happy with the school
    Snapyrock .
    Snapyrock .
    00:54 06 Nov 19
    The Stan is a very good teacher. He definitely makes it fun, and always gives a good amount of information. I highly recommend it
    Saketh Dhulipalla
    Saketh Dhulipalla
    23:55 01 Oct 19
    Anna is a great instructor! I’m having a great time here. She is also really good for driving lessons too!
    Manju Vipin
    Manju Vipin
    20:44 30 Aug 19
    Anna is extremely patient, calm and brings in positive energy during the driving lessons. She has a passion for teaching and I am glad I decided to bring my daughter here . I Would highly recommend her to all.
    Mackenzie Shannon
    Mackenzie Shannon
    19:24 28 Aug 19
    Anna is a great instructor. She’s very calm, kind and respectful! I would recommend people to this location.
    Elizabeth Brue
    Elizabeth Brue
    04:11 21 Aug 19
    The classes teach knowledge that some or most drivers forgot about or never knew about driving. Teens are learning specific information and techniques on driving so when they become experienced drivers they can be safe role models for others on the road.
    Alejandra Whitney
    Alejandra Whitney
    19:57 19 Aug 19
    We have a good driving instructor. Learning a lot. Instructor is a little politically incorrect, but they try. Made class entertaining. Would recommend.
    Graciela Lagraba
    Graciela Lagraba
    19:08 19 Aug 19
    Defensive driving is amazing to learn how to safely drive around. There were so many situations introduced that I never would have thought of. Anna is so sweet and makes the class fun!
    Kaitlin McGarvey
    Kaitlin McGarvey
    05:23 24 Jul 19
    Heaton was an absolute delight to have in the car with me when I renewed my driving license. It has been two years since I had driven in the US, but she was patient, kind, and calm as she directed me during the driving test. I was never stressed or anxious with her. Her feedback at the end of the test was detailed, constructive, and helpful. Overall, I would highly recommend taking your test through Defensive Driving School in Bellevue. It was easy to make an appointment with them, all communication was clear, the emails were helpful, and on the day of the test the staff were incredibly friendly, which calms any nerves. Thanks for your help!
    Summer DeBoom
    Summer DeBoom
    19:09 09 Jul 19
    I had a lot of fun at this school; even if it was during the summer. We played game and watched a lot of videos that made us gasp. 😁Thank you Anna for allowing me to have fun and make friends at Defensive Driving School.
    Alexa Wirth
    Alexa Wirth
    00:26 01 Jun 18
    Anna is an amazing teacher we never leave her class without learning something new, playing games, having competitions and laughing.
    Ioana Dulan
    Ioana Dulan
    00:21 01 Jun 18
    Anna is a great instructor who makes the class very fun while still teaching all the information well. She’s very nice and always plays informative games with the class. We tried doing quizzing in pairs and it worked really well. Great teacher (deserves a raise)
    R
    R
    00:19 01 Jun 18
    The education is very thorough and they make sure no student gets left behind. Anna is a great instructor!
    Rodrigo Blaustein
    Rodrigo Blaustein
    04:51 03 May 18
    Anna is a fantastic teacher. She is very patient, relaxed and friendly, which made the driving lesson an exiting and enjoyable experience as opposed to stressful for a new driver. I would definitely recommend Defensive driving school for anybody learning to drive for the first time or trying to improve theirs skill.
    *ANA*
    *ANA*
    00:18 29 Mar 18
    ANNA IS AN AMAZING TEACHER!!! She teaches us everything we need to know. If you want to be a safe driver, come here! You will not regret it! ❤️❤️❤️
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Teen Classes

Live web-based classes via Zoom.

If you have an IEP/504 plan click here before purchasing the course.

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