Driver Ed FAQ

No, any instruction provided by 1st Rate NWA Driving Academy does not guarantee you will receive your driver's license. You will still need to pass the driving test from the Arkansas State Police. 

Once you complete and pass both the online course and behind-the-wheel program (30 hours online, 6 hours behind-the-wheel, and 6 hours observation), we will send you a Certificate of Achievement that you can send to your insurance agent. Since we are licensed through the Arkansas Department of Education, our program should be accepted anywhere they grant a driver ed discount.

Yes, you may enroll in either the online portion, the behind-the-wheel portion, or both.

The purpose of driver education is not only to help you get your driver's license but to also teach you how to be a safe driver for the rest of your life. The University of Nebraska did a study on the effects of taking drive education and found "Young drivers who have not completed driver's education are 75% more likely to get a traffic ticket, 24% more likely to be involved in a fatal or injury accident and 16% more likely to have an accident". 

The minimum age requirement to sign-up for the online portion is 13 years 9 months and the minimum age requirement for the behind-the-wheel portion is 14 years old.

No and Yes. You don't need your Arkansas learner's permit when you sign-up for the online course, but you will need your permit when you move to the behind-the-wheel portion of the course.

Arkansas State Police created a 1-2-3 Checklist with the requirements to get an Arkansas Instruction Permit. See the Arkansas State Police website for testing sites and practice tests.

We accept cash, check, Visa, or MasterCard for payment.

Full payment will need to be made before services begin.

Tuition is refundable with a written request and will be sent to the student within 30 days of the student's withdrawl or termination.  A refund will be given based on the cost and length of the program.

We will teach you driving techniques that will help you get your driver's license and also safe driving habits that you can use for the rest of your life. Topics covered in the behind-the-wheel lessons include city driving, highway driving, parallel parking, 3-point turns, and car maintenance.

We do offer drop-off and pick-up at your home if you live in Bella Vista, Bentonville, Centerton, Rogers and Cave Springs, but we can also pick you up at the designated drop-off and pick-up for your region.

• Centerton Region drop-off and pick-up is located at Harps (710 W Centerton Blvd)
• Bentonville drop-off and pick-up is located at Harps - Bentonville (1209 N Walton Blvd)
• Bella Vista drop-off and pick-up is located at Allen's Food Market (60 Sugar Creek Center)
• Roger's drop-off and pick-up is located at Frisco Station Mall (100 N Dixieland Rd)

If you do not live in Centerton, Bentonville, Cave Springs, Rogers or Bella Vista, we offer drop-off and pick-up at Atwoods in Lowell.

You can reschedule or cancel your driving lesson by logging into your account.  If you are cancelling your lesson within 24 hours you will be charged a late cancelation fee of $25. 

Our driver ed cars are equipped with an instructor brake pedal and an extra mirror on the instructor's side.  

The behind-the-wheel program consists of six 2-hour sessions. One hour of the lesson the student will be driving and the other hour will be spent observing other students.

Yes, you will be in the car with up to two additional students. We will rotate between drivers so everyone will drive for one hour and observe for another hour.

It is a self-paced course that was built using the Arkansas Department of Education Driver Education Course Goals.  It contains all the state required topics presented in a fun and interactive format including videos, quizzes, reading and interactive scenarios that will help you retain the information needed to pass the Arkansas written test and become a safe driver.

Topics covered in the online course include the Arkansas GDL Program, hazards of drinking and driving, traffic signs, road markings, school zones, basic vehicle controls, railroad safety, driving in the elements, and distracted driving.

The online course consists of 30 1-hour lessons and a final exam. You can take two lessons per day, so the course will take a minimum of 15 days.

You will have 90 days to complete the online course. There is a $30 fee if you would like to extend the course an additional 30 days.

If you have any questions while taking the course, you can reach out to either Scott (479-268-0285 - Scott@1stRateDriversEd.com) or Geri (479-250-2018 - Geri@1stRateDriversEd.com) for clarification.