Driver Ed FAQs

Unfortunately, due to insurance and liability requirements, we are unable to provide our vehicles for private use or for road testing without one of our instructors present in the vehicle.

Additionally, DMV regulations prohibit anyone other than the testing student and the DMV examiner from being in the vehicle during the road test. Because of these restrictions, we are unable to make our vehicles available for testing purposes.

Students must be at least 15 years and 6 months old to begin practice driving in New Hampshire. Once they reach this age, they may log supervised driving hours with a parent, guardian, or any licensed driver who is at least 25 years old and seated in the front passenger seat.

The 40-hour driving log is used to document the student's supervised driving practice completed outside of driver education lessons. 

A copy of the 40-hour log sheet can be found in the Rules and Resources section of our website or here: https://www.dmv.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt416/files/inline-documents/dsmv509.pdf. Alternatively, you may use the RoadReady app to electronically track driving hours. Download the RoadReady app at: https://www.roadreadyapp.com/

If using the RoadReady app, please print a copy of the recorded driving log and attach it to the official DMV 40-hour log sheet before submitting the documentation to the DMV.

Students will schedule their driving appointments during class. For weekday courses, sign-ups take place on Mondays, and for weekend courses, sign-ups occur on Saturdays.

Please note that the "Schedule Behind the Wheel" button in the online portal is currently disabled. While it cannot be removed from the portal, it is not functional and may occasionally cause confusion.

To help ensure a smooth scheduling process and avoid the need for cancellations or rescheduling, we encourage students to arrive on sign-up day with a clear understanding of their availability and any potential scheduling conflicts.

Private driving lessons are dependent on both the availability of the client and the instructor, on a case-by-case basis. Do not pay until you have been contacted by the main office and have scheduled your first drive.

Private lesson options are found on our "DRIVER EDUCATION" drop-down menu on the main page, sorted by location.

We are only able to offer daytime driving hours before 12:00 pm so as not to interfere with our full driving courses and our cost is $125 per hour.

Please note if you are in need of private driving lessons because you were required by the NH DMV after your third failed driving exam:

1.We will need the DMV letter you received requiring further driving hours, this can be emailed to info@bensonsdriving.com

2.You are not legally able to drive more than one hour per day.

3.Only closed-toe and closed-backing footwear are permitted for all driving.

4.The DMV will not schedule a consecutive road test without notification of completion from Benson's Driving School. We will provide a certificate including performance hours, dates, and times upon completion and will email a copy of this to the NH DMV Representative responsible for managing required additional hours.

Private lesson hours are not retroactive. Therefore, if you have not yet but do end up failing the DMV driving exam a third time, you will not be able to apply these hours once required. They are only applicable for the NH DMV after a third fail.

The main office will receive notification once you are registered and will reach out with driving options, as soon as possible. 

Please note:  due to insurance and liability requirements, we are unable to provide our vehicles for private use or for road testing without one of our instructors present in the vehicle. Additionally, DMV regulations prohibit anyone other than the testing student and the DMV examiner from being in the vehicle during the road test. Because of these restrictions, we are unable to make our vehicles available for testing purposes.

To determine whether a specific location offers pick-up and drop-off services in your area, please visit the "Driver Education" section of our website and select the location where you plan to enroll. The location page will provide details regarding the areas serviced for transportation.

For students enrolled in courses outside of their local service region, all driving and observation appointments will begin and end at the classroom location where the student is enrolled.

If students need to cancel a drive, they must do so at least 24 hours in advance to avoid a $100 fee per hour missed.

Students must contact the instructor with whom they are scheduled to drive as the main office does not handle driving appointment changes.

You may only practice driving in New Hampshire, beginning at 15 years 6 months old.

In accordance with New Hampshire DMV regulations, students are limited to a maximum of two (2) hours of behind-the-wheel instruction per week. The first six driving lessons are conducted in one-hour increments. After completing the initial six hours of driving instruction, students may schedule lessons in two-hour increments, while continuing to adhere to the two-hour-per-week limit.

Our scheduling week runs from Tuesday to Monday with Tuesday being the first scheduling day and the following Monday being last.

Behind-the-wheel driving appointments are assigned in class based on instructor availability and scheduling offerings. Available appointment times are posted on the classroom whiteboard, and students select their driving times during class.

For weekday courses, driving appointments are scheduled on Mondays. For weekend courses, driving appointments are scheduled on Saturdays.

Driving appointments cannot be scheduled online. All behind-the-wheel lessons must be selected and assigned during class.

While we strive to be as flexible as possible, please note that our policy requires a $325 deposit fee toward a subsequent course for students requesting a transfer to a different course with less than 30 days' notice. If applicable, this fee must be paid before any enrollment changes can be processed. This fee does not apply if notice is given within at least 30 days of the current course start date.

We simply ask that you keep this policy in mind when considering any future course changes, as the fee may apply depending on the timing of your request.

For any transfer requests, please email us at info@bensonsdriving.com.

Students are welcome to enroll in any course at any of our locations. However, for students attending a course outside of their home service area, home or school pick-up and drop-off for driving lessons may not be available.

To determine whether a specific location offers pick-up and drop-off services in your area, please visit the "Driver Education" section of our website and select the location where you plan to enroll. The location page will provide details regarding the areas serviced for transportation.

For students enrolled in courses outside of their local service region, all driving and observation appointments will begin and end at the classroom location where the student is enrolled.

We maintain waitlists for all full courses. However, students are not added to a waitlist until their enrollment has been completed and the required deposit has been received.

If you would like to be added to a waitlist, please email info@bensonsdriving.com after your enrollment has been confirmed and your deposit has been submitted. At that time, we will be happy to add you to any course waitlist(s) of your choice.

Please note that placement on a waitlist does not guarantee admission into a class. It simply ensures that if a seat becomes available, we will contact you and offer the opportunity to enroll based on availability.

To receive a Certificate of Completion, students must successfully complete all program requirements, including:

• 30 hours of classroom instruction
• 10 hours of behind-the-wheel driving
• 6 hours of observation
• A passing score on the final exam

Students who complete all of these requirements will be issued a Certificate of Completion upon successful completion of the course.

Students who do not complete all required components will not receive a Certificate of Completion. However, they may still be eligible to visit the DMV and take the required licensing examinations directly through the DMV.

If a student does not pass the final exam, we require a 10-business-day waiting period before the exam may be retaken. Students may schedule their retake immediately, but the exam cannot be administered until 10 days has passed since the last exam taken.

To schedule a final exam retake, please email info@bensonsdriving.com.

There is no limit to the number of times a student may retake the final exam; however, each attempt must be separated by the required 10-business-day waiting period.

Please also note that, under New Hampshire state law, all driver education requirements must be completed within six months of the last classroom session attended. This includes classroom instruction, driving hours, observation hours, and successfully passing the final exam. Any incomplete requirements will expire after the six-month period, and the student will be required to repeat the entire driver education course at full cost in order to obtain a New Hampshire driver's license before the age of 18.

The DMV has removed the option for online classes. All classes are in-person only.

If a class is canceled, we send an email to all email addresses listed in your online portal and we post an alert on our website and social media pages.

Benson's Driving School does not charge students to repeat classroom sessions or make up missed coursework, provided they remain within the six (6) month completion period required by the State of New Hampshire.

Per New Hampshire regulations, all driver's education requirements must be completed within six (6) months of the student's last scheduled class date. If a student's enrollment expires beyond this six-month period, any previously completed coursework, driving hours, and observation hours can no longer be applied toward course completion.

In the event of expiration, the student must re-enroll in the full driver's education program and complete all course requirements again. Tuition charges for repeating the course apply only in cases where the student's enrollment has expired and state regulations require all instruction to be provided again.

State law allows a student to miss up to 2 classes. A 3rd absence requires removal from the course.

In the event of a missed class, a 500-word essay is due per chapter missed in that class. The essay (s) are due the Monday following the missed class. If the essay(s) are not received by the following Monday, students are required to physically make up the class and are unable to take the final exam until the class is completed. This procedure is referenced in bullet number 7 of our policy. Please also confer with the instructor regarding any missed classes. 

Students may enroll in a driver's education course at any time, provided they will be at least fifteen (15) years and nine (9) months of age on the first day of the course for which they are registering, as required by New Hampshire law.

All payments are only processed through our main office at 572 Main Street, Fremont, NH 03044 and can only be mailed to that address. Individual locations can only handle payments on the first night of class as it is then delivered to the main office and processed.

The $325 deposit is non-refundable.  The deposit is used towards the cost of processing the student. If you would like to take a class at a later date, the deposit may be applied to that class. After the class has started, any payment that has been made will not be refunded.

Please note, a $325 deposit fee will be added to any subsequent course for students wishing to transfer classes with less than 30 days' notice or not showing on the mandatory opening night with or without notice as it is too late to fill that seat.

New Hampshire does not require or issue learner's permits. If you encounter a field requesting a permit number during registration, you may simply leave it blank or skip that section. Your registration will still be processed successfully.

For practice driving in New Hampshire, the only requirement is proof of age and eligibility. A copy of the student's birth certificate is sufficient documentation for this purpose.

We are a private business and though we try to accommodate students as best we can, we are not mandated to follow any individual education plans. We will work with students as best we can and provide the same amount of effort to each student as they provide us, however, we do not have the resources that public or private school systems have access to.

We want your student to succeed. Their success is our success, and we all have the same end goal to assist in the completion of a safe, considerate and knowledgeable driver. Students are expected to advocate and work hard to achieve this common goal. 

We do not have a parent night. Students are sent home with a policy to be signed, a syllabus, and a list of phone numbers of all the instructors for communication purposes. Parents are encouraged to reach out to the office manager at info@bensonsdriving.com for any questions or concerns prior to course start date, the classroom instructor is typically the best source of information once the course has started.

In accordance with New Hampshire state law, students must complete all driver education requirements including 30 classroom hours, 10 hours of behind the wheel instruction, 6 observation hours and passing of the final exam, within six months of the last scheduled class date of the course in which they are enrolled. Failure to complete all requirements within this timeframe will result in the expiration of the student's progress and will require re-enrollment in the course at full cost to meet licensing requirements.

No, once a student receives their certificate of completion, it does not expire.

When students sign up for a course, they have to create a username and password.

If a student forgets their username and password, you can restart it by clicking the forget username and password button or email our main office for assistance at info@bensonsdriving.com

Our tuition rates reflect a discounted cash price available to students who pay by cash or check. Payments made by credit card or other electronic payment methods are subject to a 2.5% processing fee charged by the payment processor.

This processing fee is not retained by Benson's Driving School and is paid directly to the credit card company. Therefore, the fee does not apply toward the student's tuition balance.

Final payment is due on the first day of class.

If you are interested in obtaining information for NH driver's education scholarships, you can go to: https://www.nhdrivered.com/ . Benson's Driving School does not offer individual scholarships as we donate to that fund directly, but the information will be on that website.

If you have already established a scholarship, the student and/or guardian will need to create an account at www.bensonsdriving.com to establish enrollment. The class spot is not guaranteed until the $325 non-refundable deposit is applied but this will establish your account. Please send any certification of scholarship once approved to info@bensonsdriving asap so we can assist with any further paperwork needed on their end.  

Please email info@bensonsdriving.com once enrollment has been completed. Payments can only be mailed to our main office at 572 Main St, Fremont, NH 03044, as individual locations do not handle or process payments outside of the first day of class.

Once we receive payment from whomever is issuing the scholarship, we will apply payment to the specified account and if the course is not at capacity of students who have already made the deposit, you will be active in that course. If only partial payment is made, the remaining balance is due on the first night of class.