Driver Ed & DOL Testing FAQs

Students must be 15 years old on the first day of class. If your student is not yet 15, they are welcome to register in advance as long as they will be 15 by the first day of their course.

Yes. In fact, most students don't have their permit when they register.

After the second day of class, we'll submit permit waivers to the Department of Licensing (DOL) for eligible students. Once that has been done, we'll send you an email letting you know your student can go to the DOL and get their permit.

Your student will need a permit before they can begin behind-the-wheel lessons, but the six-month permit holding requirement doesn't start until the permit is issued.

Registration is simple. You'll need your student's:

• Name
• Date of birth
• Email address (if they have one)
• Home address
• Washington Driver License (WDL) number, if they have one

Don't worry if your student doesn't have a WDL number yet. You can still register and provide it later.

Yes! We offer a Pay As You Go option that allows you to spread the cost of tuition over several months as your student progresses through the course.

• $100 deposit due at registration
• Any remaining balance over $500 is due by the first day of class
• $100 payment due at each drive lesson (Drives 1-5)

Students have up to six months to complete the course, making it easier to fit tuition into your budget.

Yes! In fact, it is common for our classes to include students who are 18 or older. We also offer private driving lessons for adults who prefer not to enroll in a full Driver Education course. Private lessons are charged at an hourly rate.

Please note that under Washington's HB 1878, beginning January 1, 2027, all new drivers under the age of 19 will be required to complete a Driver Education course before obtaining a driver's license.

HB 1878 is a Washington law that expands Driver Education requirements for new drivers.

Beginning January 1, 2027, drivers under age 19 will be required to complete an approved Driver Education course before obtaining a driver's license. The age requirement will gradually increase between now and then.

If your student plans to get their license in the coming years, Driver Education may become a requirement even if it is not currently required for their age group.

As additional details are released by the state, we will continue to update our website and course information.

We don't issue permits, but we do notify the Department of Licensing (DOL) that your student is enrolled in our course.

Permit waivers are submitted by the close of business on the second day of class. Once your student's waiver has been submitted, we'll send you an email letting you know they can visit the DOL to obtain their permit. We recommend waiting until you've received that email before making a trip to the DOL.

The permit waiver does not waive the Knowledge Test. It only waives the requirement to pass the Knowledge Test before getting a permit. Your student will still need to pass both the Knowledge Test and Skills Test before they can get their driver's license.

Your student will need their permit before they can begin behind-the-wheel lessons, but we encourage students to start practicing as soon as they get their permit. The more time they spend practicing, the more confident they'll feel when drive lessons begin.

Students who are at least 15½ years old may choose to take the Washington Knowledge Test before their course begins. If they pass, they can obtain their permit without a permit waiver and begin practicing before class starts.

Students under 18 must hold their permit for at least six months before they can obtain a driver's license. Beginning January 1, 2027, this requirement will apply to drivers under age 19.

Students who are required to complete Driver Education must hold their permit for at least six months before they can receive a driver's license.

The six-month countdown begins when the permit is issued, not when the student starts Driver Education.

Because of this, we encourage students to obtain their permit as soon as possible and begin practicing regularly with a parent or guardian.

Students who are at least 15½ years old may take the Knowledge Test at any time.

Students under 15½ may take the Knowledge Test after they have successfully completed all Driver Education requirements, including classroom instruction, observation drives, and behind-the-wheel lessons.

Passing the Knowledge Test allows a student to obtain a permit if they do not already have one, but additional requirements must still be completed before a driver's license can be issued.

No. The Knowledge Test (KT) and Skills Test (ST) are separate services and are not included in Driver Education tuition.

Current pricing, testing schedules, and testing requirements can be found on our DOL Testing page. We recommend checking that page for the most up-to-date information before scheduling a test.

For drivers under age 18, Washington currently requires:

• A permit held for at least six months
• Completion of Driver Education
• A passing Knowledge Test score
• A passing Skills Test score
• At least 50 hours of supervised driving practice, including 10 hours at night

Beginning January 1, 2027, these requirements will apply to drivers under age 19.

Drivers who are 18 or older (19 or older beginning January 1, 2027) are not required to complete Driver Education, but they must still pass the Knowledge Test and Skills Test before obtaining a license.

Requirements can vary depending on the type of appointment and your student's individual situation, so we recommend checking directly with the Department of Licensing before your visit.

At a minimum, you'll typically need your student's Washington Driver License (WDL) number and any identification or documentation requested by the DOL.

If your student is obtaining a permit through a Driver Education waiver, be sure you've received our permit waiver confirmation email before visiting the DOL.

We offer both in-person and Zoom Driver Education courses. Class availability varies by location and season.

Zoom classes will resume in Fall 2026. Students taking a Zoom course will need reliable internet access and a device capable of running Zoom. We recommend logging in a few minutes early to make sure everything is working properly before class begins.

When registering, be sure to select the course format that works best for your family.

Students are not required to bring anything to class.

Some students like to take notes and may choose to bring a notebook, laptop, or tablet, but it is not required. If your student already has their permit, they are welcome to bring it, though it is not necessary for classroom sessions.

The most important thing is that your student arrives on time and ready to participate.

Students may miss up to three class sessions during their course.

If a class is missed, we'll email available make-up options and work with you to get the missed lesson completed. Make-up classes may be offered at a different location or through Zoom, depending on availability.

If your student misses more than three classes, additional requirements may apply to meet state licensing requirements.

For in-person classes, attendance is taken during each class session. Students who are not present when attendance is taken may be marked absent.

For Zoom classes, the Washington Department of Licensing requires instructors to verify attendance throughout the class. Students must respond to all attendance checks to receive credit for the day.

If your student believes they were marked absent in error, please contact us and we'll be happy to review it.

Zoom links are typically emailed a few hours before the first day of class.

The same Zoom link is used for the entire course. If your student is attending a make-up class, a separate Zoom link will be sent the day before the make-up date.

If you can't find the Zoom link, please check your spam or junk folder before contacting us.

The Washington Department of Licensing requires us to verify that students are actively attending Zoom classes.

During class, instructors will conduct three attendance checks. Students must respond to all three checks to receive credit for the day.

If a student misses an attendance check due to internet issues, being away from their device, or any other reason, the entire class session must be recorded as an absence. While we understand this can be frustrating, this requirement comes directly from the DOL and is not a school policy.

Pre-register with DOL to obtain WA driver license number.

• If the student does not already have a Washington ID, pre-register with the WA Department of Licensing (DOL). This step is complete once you have received a number beginning with "WDL" (example: WDL123AB45CD).
• Login to your Student Center, select Edit Account, and enter the WDL number under License/Permit Information. Be sure to select Update at the bottom of the page.
• We will use the student's WDL number to grant a permit waiver that allows the student to obtain their permit without taking any tests until after they complete the course. These waivers will be entered on the second day of class.

Study the WA Driver Guide.

• Download a copy of the Washington Driver Guide. The student should read the guide cover to cover before the first night of class.

Pay the balance of tuition.

• Follow the WA DOL instructions for obtaining an instruction permit. DOL offers two different types of permits: Permits with a photo (preferred) or permits without a photo. Permits with a photo require an appointment to one of DOL’s Licensing Service Offices and non-photo permits can be obtained entirely online. The advantage of a photo permit is that it can be used as a photo ID when the student travels and when taking their DOL exams to get their driver license.
• Be sure that you obtain an instruction permit before the student’s first drive lesson. Cancellation fees will still be assessed if the student cannot drive due to failure to complete this requirement.

You'll only get an email if you enabled email notifications and verified your email address when you registered. If you aren't getting an email to reset your password then you'll need call our office at (360)358-5311 so our staff can provide you with a temporary password.

Your username is usually your first initial, middle initial, last name, and month/day of birth. For example, John D. Smith born on 05/01/2004 would be jdsmith0501.

Before students can begin behind-the-wheel lessons, they must complete an observation drive and obtain their permit.

Some students are ready to start scheduling drives as early as the second week of class, while others may start later. Every student progresses at a different pace.

On average, students complete the entire Driver Education course in about four months, although they have up to six months from the start of class to finish all requirements.

Drive lessons can be scheduled through the student account on our website, by email, by text message, or in person at any of our locations.

If you're having trouble scheduling a drive, please contact us and we'll be happy to help.

That's completely normal! Many students are nervous before their first drive lesson.

Observation drives are a great way for students to see what a lesson looks like before getting behind the wheel themselves. Students are welcome to complete additional observation drives if it helps them feel more comfortable.

During the first lesson, instructors ease students into driving by starting in less busy areas before moving on to more challenging situations. Our instructors work with nervous students every day and are very good at helping them build confidence at their own pace.

Absolutely! But, we recommend you only do so if your student is comfortable having you observe. For some students this would be counterproductive.

Parents observing drive lessons is a great way to learn from our Certified Instructors. You'll see and hear how we teach in a manner that is calm, collected, patient, etc.

Please give us at least 24 hours' notice if you need to cancel or reschedule a drive lesson.

A $68 fee may be charged if a student cancels with less than 24 hours' notice, misses their lesson, arrives more than 10 minutes late, or arrives without their permit.

If your student is sick, please let us know as soon as possible. The fee may be waived with a physician's note.

Typically there is only one student and one instructor per drive lesson, however students can expect to have another student observing from the back seat during at least 1 of their 6 drive lessons due to the requirement that all students observe at least one drive lesson of another student.

There is also a possibility that some students will have an instructor in training observing their drive lesson. When this is the case we will usually ask the student for permission first.

We accept cash, checks, and credit/debit cards.

Card payments can be made through your student's account on our website or over the phone. Payments may also be made in person at any of our locations.

If you're enrolled in our Pay As You Go program, please note that online scheduling is not available when there is an outstanding balance. In that case, drive lessons can be scheduled through an admin by phone, text, email, or in person.

Tuition is non-refundable unless the student drops the course by the end of the first class. Credits may be applied to future courses. The $50 deposit to reserve your spot in the course is non-refundable within 10 days of the start of class.

Students have six months from the first day of class to complete all course requirements, including classroom instruction, observation drives, and behind-the-wheel lessons.

Most students finish the course in about four months, but every student progresses at their own pace.

We recommend obtaining a permit and beginning practice as soon as possible. The more time students spend practicing between lessons, the easier it is to stay on track and complete the course within the six-month timeframe.

As of October 1st, 2025, driver education is now subject to WA state & local sales tax. This is due to a new law that requires tax on all "live instruction", which driver training falls under. You can read more about the law here: ESSB 5814 Chapter 422, Laws of 2025

Unhappy about this law? Please contact your local state legislator and let them know. We're unhappy about it too! 

Receive a $50 credit when you sign up with a friend or get a $50 credit if your sibling took one of our courses. Does not apply to our Pay As You Go packages or Zoom classes. Credits can be applied to any unpaid tuition, fees, or testing services.

Please email discount@driveolympic.com to request the discount. Please include both students names in your email.

We are also proud to offer a 10% military discount on all DOL testing services. Did you know we have several retired US service members on staff?

Visit our DOL Testing page for current prices.

No. The Knowledge Exam is offered on a walk-in basis. Times vary by location.

Appointments ARE necessary to take the Skills Exam.

There is no mandatory waiting period. Technically you can retest right away. The caveat is our schedule. For the Knowledge Exam retakes are typically possible right away so long as you have at least 30 mins remaining during our walk-in period. For the Skills Exam you will need to reschedule for the next available appointment. Sometimes that could be right away, and sometimes it could be a couple of weeks before we have an opening.