Parent-Taught Driver's Ed: Are You Ready to Teach Your Teen Driver?

By: Staff Writer June 21, 2012
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Some states now offer parent-taught driver education. If you're unfamiliar with this idea, think homeschooling in a car.

For some advocates, parent taught driver's ed is a matter of principle, but for others it's a necessary alternative for prospective teen drivers who - for reasons such as time, distance, and money - cannot enroll in a traditional classroom driving class taught at the local high school or through a commercial provider.

In Oklahoma, for example, parent taught drivers ed is recognized by the Department of Public Safety as a sanctioned alternative. The program mirrors a traditional driver ed school's curriculum. All prospective drivers must be at least 15-and-a-half years old and complete:

  • 30 hours of classroom training.
  • 55 hours of actual on-road training.

The course comes with strict regulations. For instance, parents cannot wake up one morning, full of hubris, and suddenly self-appoint themselves Parent Taught Driving School Czars. Instead, parents must choose from a list of approved course providers sanctioned by the Oklahoma Department of Safety. The parents, in conjunction with the course provider's program, then administer the program from the comfort of home.

NOTE: This may seem obvious, but the parent administering the course must own a valid drivers license and meet the state's driving record criteria.

Is Parent Taught Drivers Education Available in My State?

Most states provides lists of approved driver's education courses; if your state approves any sort of parent-taught drivers it, it will be on that list.

To be sure, though, you can contact your DMV and speak with an agent. Don't be surprised if the agent directs you to your local Board of Education or your state's Department of Education. Often, these agencies oversee the driver training requirements for teen drivers.

What do you think about parent-taught driver education?

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