Best Driving Schools in Columbia

2021

3J's Driving School

• Vehicle Reservation

3J's Driving School is a business serving Columbia and the surrounding communities. It offers a wide range of sessions including permit preparation, behind-the-wheel training, knowledge test, point reduction, and Class D skills test. A new driver package is also available which includes classroom instruction, road test, and insurance reduction certificate. The company utilizes Kia Forte and Toyota Corolla, with dual braking systems, for its testing and training sessions. It conducts an eight-hour training course regarding safe driving practices and defensive techniques.

911 Driving School

• Drivers Education Program
• Drive Improvement Program
• Defensive Driving Program

911 Driving School offers driver’s education programs for students in Columbia. Its team of instructors consists of 27 police officers with more than 250 years of combined experience in law enforcement and are knowledgeable in different aspects of vehicle control and current traffic laws. 911 Driving School also has an education professional with over two decades of teaching experience. The courses it offers include defensive driving, teen drivers education, mature drivers course, and adult drivers education.

ABC Driver Training School

West Columbia-based ABC Driver Training School has been teaching people from all walks of life how to drive for almost 50 years by teaching students how to be safe, responsible, and responsive on the road via comprehensive, expert private lessons with an emphasis on safety and road awareness. ABC Driver Training School is all about options to make learning to drive and becoming licensed as seamless as possible for students and their families. ABC's services include comprehensive teen driver's ed including eight hours in class and six hours in-car, extra behind-the-wheel sessions, 4 Point Reduction classes, and testing at the local DMV. ABC is happy to customize programs to suit each student's individual needs, and licensing testing can be performed by owner and experienced instructor Walter Matulis at times that are convenient for students, avoiding long DMV waiting times. The school also transports students to the DMV and offers use of cars for testing. ABC Driver Training School is a member of the SC Small Business Chamber of Commerce and has been voted Best of Columbia three times by the Free Times. The team at ABC is also deeply committed to welcoming, helping, and teaching international students.

Dutch Fork Driving School

Dutch Fork Driving School handles driver's education training in the Irmo area. The center provides the state-mandated eight hours of classroom time along with six hours of behind-the-wheel training and is also certified to administer the road test as well so students do not need to go to the DMV for their exam. Classroom learning is completed in one day, and the in-car sessions typically take place over three separate times. The school uses two Mazda Miatas with automatic transmission for training, and the instructor specializes in beginner drivers as well as nervous drivers. Lessons are available for both teens and adults, and the owner is a retired Navy veteran who taught his own daughters how to drive.

Navigation Driving Academy

Navigation Driving Academy is a Columbia driver training school. The group aims to create safe, responsible drivers and provides lessons for high schoolers, those over the age of 17, and senior citizens. Additional services include extra behind-the-wheel sessions of up to six hours plus the Skills Exam included after the last lesson, and pickup and drop-off services are also available. Instructions on what is required to obtain a driver's permit or license can be found on Navigation Driving Academy's website, and the site also details the driver's ed requirements for teenagers under the age of 17 per the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. The school boasts experience in law enforcement and defensive driver training and is certified by the State of South Carolina, 911 Driving School, and National Safety Council.

Potts Driving School LLC

Potts Driving School LLC has been a Sumter driving school for almost 20 years. Students can sign up for permit classes, the SCDMV Permit Test, fleet safety training, a defensive driving course, and lessons aimed at insurance reductions and 4 Point Reductions as well. The school offers complete training programs for both teens and adults, pickup and drop-off services from home, work, or school, and payment plans upon request and serves as a SCDMV Third Party Road Test facility as well. The owner previously worked as a truck driver for 27 years and has been teaching defensive driving skills for several years. All instructors at the school are state-certified and pride themselves on top-notch customer service, and Potts Driving School also features instructor training courses as well.

SAGE Truck Driving School

• Drivers Education Program

SAGE Truck Driving School serves the Columbia metro. Its team of instructors facilitates training and driving programs to educate individuals who want to get trucking jobs in South Carolina. The company offers commercial driver's license basic classes, comprehensive tractor-trailer training, and advanced class A CDL training. In addition, it provides additional services such as refresher courses, class B driver training, and a 10-week externship. SAGE Truck Driving Schools has been teaching drivers for over 30 years and has taught 40,000 students across the US.

ThinkSafe Driving School

ThinkSafe Driving School is a driving school serving the Columbia area. The SC DMV Approved Driving School is state-certified and offers a full driver's ed course for teenagers, which includes the mandated eight hours of classroom instruction and six hours of behind-the-wheel training. Adults can also sign up for driver training lessons with packages of two to five sessions available, and additional services at the school include free pickups, free lunch, payment plans, and highly qualified instructors. Students can read about the necessary requirements to take the DMV Road Test on ThinkSafe's website as well as review class schedules, and parents can take a look at their obligations, parent orientation time, and advice on practicing with their teens.