Home › Guides › New York 5-hour pre-licensing course online: every DMV-approved provider

New York 5-hour pre-licensing course online: every DMV-approved provider

Every new New York driver needs the 5-hour Pre-Licensing Course before the road test. If you're 18 or older you can take it online; every course below is on the DMV's approved online list, cheapest first.

Prices and features checked October 20, 2026 on each provider's own site.

Teens 16 and 17 can't use the online version. They take the 5-hour course in a classroom or live virtual class at a driving school, high school or college, or finish a 48-hour Driver Education Program at school.

New York rules at a glance

Who needs it
Every new driver, before the DMV road test, unless they finished a 48-hour Driver Education Program through a high school or college (that certificate is valid for 2 years).
Online course (18 and older)
About 5 hours, from a provider on the DMV's approved online list. You need a New York photo learner permit. There's no paper certificate: the provider reports your completion to the DMV, usually within 48 hours.
Teens 16–17
The online version isn't open to them. They take the 5-hour course in a classroom or a live virtual class at a driving school, high school or college and get an MV-278 certificate. We don't list those schools yet.
Certificate
A classroom pre-licensing certificate is valid for 1 year and must still be valid on the day you book the road test.
Under 18 before the road test
Hold the learner permit at least 6 months and complete 50 hours of supervised driving, 15 of them after sunset, certified by a parent on form MV-262.
18 and older
No waiting period and no set number of practice hours, though the DMV expects supervised practice with your permit.
Approved online providers
The DMV lists 14 approved online pre-licensing providers; every course on this page is on that list.

Rules summarized from the New York DMV's pre-licensing course and pre-licensing requirements pages; providers from its list of online pre-licensing course providers. Official source: New York State DMV.

What to do, in order

  1. Get your New York photo learner permit. Some providers need the plastic permit, not the temporary paper one.
  2. Take the 5-hour course from a provider on the DMV's approved online list. You must be 18 or older.
  3. The provider reports your completion to the DMV, usually within 48 hours; there's no paper certificate.
  4. Practice with a supervising driver, then book and take the road test.

Approved online courses

  1. Pre-Licensing Course

    5-hour pre-licensing course (18+) · $38

    • iDriveSafely

      5-hour pre-licensing course (18+) · $39

      • Safety Sense Solutions

        5-hour pre-licensing course (18+) · $40

        • Defensive Drivers Institute

          5-hour pre-licensing course (18+) · $42.95

          • Safe Drivers Academy

            5-hour pre-licensing course (18+) · $43

            • National Traffic Safety Institute

              5-hour pre-licensing course (18+) · $44.95

              • 2 Cool Traffic School

                5-hour pre-licensing course (18+) · $44.99

                • Safe2Drive

                  5-hour pre-licensing course (18+) · $49

                  • American Safety Council

                    5-hour pre-licensing course (18+) · $49

                    • Driver Training Associates

                      5-hour pre-licensing course (18+) · $49

                      • IMPROV

                        5-hour pre-licensing course (18+) · $49

                        • NYDriver.com

                          5-hour pre-licensing course (18+) · $49

                          • American Safety Institute

                            5-hour pre-licensing course (18+) · $49.95

                            • Online Traffic Safety

                              5-hour pre-licensing course (18+) · $50

                              Rank every New York course with these answers →

                              How we picked

                              A course is listed only if it's approved in that state and its own website confirms a New York pre-licensing course. They're sorted by price, including any fee the provider adds. See how we rank.

                              Every family is different. The quiz ranks all approved courses for your own answers.

                              Take the quiz

                              Questions parents ask

                              Can you take the New York 5-hour course online?

                              Yes, if you're 18 or older and have a New York photo learner permit. Take it from a provider on the DMV's approved online list; the provider reports your completion to the DMV, usually within 48 hours.

                              Can a 16- or 17-year-old take the 5-hour course online?

                              No. Teens under 18 take the 5-hour course in a classroom or a live virtual class at a driving school, high school or college, or complete a 48-hour Driver Education Program at school.

                              Do I get a certificate for the online 5-hour course?

                              No paper certificate is issued for the online version. The provider sends your completion to the DMV electronically. Classroom and virtual classes give an MV-278 certificate, valid for 1 year.

                              How many practice hours does New York require?

                              Drivers under 18 need 50 supervised hours, 15 after sunset, certified on form MV-262, and must hold the permit 6 months. Drivers 18 and older have no set hours or waiting period.

                              How much does online driver's ed cost in New York?

                              The 14 approved online courses we track cost $38 to $50 on the providers' own sites, including any fee the provider adds, checked October 20, 2026. Sales change often.

                              How do we know these New York courses are approved?

                              Every course on this page is on the New York DMV's list of approved online pre-licensing course providers, which we checked directly.