Finding the right driving school can be hard work, especially with the number of options available these days, both online and in person.
In a big city like San Francisco, many approved driving schools are competing for students.
If you’re planning to drive in San Francisco, you’ll need all the help you can get to face the heavy traffic, which makes selecting the right course even more important.
But don’t worry,
I’ve compiled a list of the best driving schools in San Francisco, including both online and in-person options for your driver’s ed needs.
Let’s get into it.
The 5 Best Online Driver’s Ed in San Francisco
The best online picks in San Francisco are:
Keep reading for an in-depth look at each school.
Aceable
Aceable has all you need when it comes to driving in San Francisco. They offer one of the most engaging, interactive, and easy-to-use online driver’s ed courses around.
Established in 2014, this school has quickly risen in rank - ranking #1 on customer satisfaction with a 4.9-star rating on TrustPilot based on 30,000+ reviews.
With this school, you can gain driving skills completely online. They have state-of-the-art 3D driving simulations that give you the chance to experience driving techniques, such as parallel parking, with 360-degree vision.
This makes the course content much more interactive and fun. Plus, it gives you confidence when your behind-the-wheel lessons finally come around.
You’ll also get exceptional mobile support with their app, making this a course you can take anywhere and everywhere.
With a 4.9 and 4.7-star rating on IOS and Android respectively, you can be sure that the app is high-quality and reliable.
In addition to all this, you get a driver's ed course made for teens, integrated with funny memes and jokes that make for an enjoyable experience.
So if you’re looking for convenience, ease of use, and interactivity, you can’t go wrong with choosing Aceable.
Having one of the greatest reaches of any online driver’s ed school in the country, DriversEd has cemented its place as a leader in the industry. They have trained over 13 million drivers and counting.
Here you get to experience a variety of learning methods with videos, text, audio clips, and pictures. When combined, there’s no doubt that this will make learning easier and more engaging.
But DriversEd shines when it comes to their driving animations. These provide you with an in-depth look at all the scenarios you may encounter when out on the road, helping you to build confidence beforehand and prevent mistakes in the future.
You'll also get exceptional 24/7 customer support who can answer any question you may have through email, phone, or live chat. To be sure, this makes it much more convenient to get the answers you need.
And with a 30-day no-questions-asked money-back guarantee, there isn’t anything to lose, especially considering their 4.8-star rating on Trustpilot.
Improv is another driver’s ed course that stands out amongst the crowd. Their funny twist to driver’s ed has been appreciated by millions of drivers.
A course designed by driving safety specialists and comedians alike, you get an informative course that's hilarious, too. In fact, their video course uses improv comedy, thus the name of the school.
Improv even enlisted psychologists and learning experts to scientifically prove their methods of teaching. It was discovered that learning through humor can improve memory retention.
Approved and verified by the ADTSEA (American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Associations), you can rest assured that with Improv, you’re getting nothing but quality.
With DriversEdToGo, you’ll get one of the most affordable driver’s ed available in San Francisco.
DriversEdToGo promises to match any course that’s priced lower than them, meaning that they're effectively the cheapest option in Cali.
But this doesn’t mean they compromise on quality, far from it.
This school has a variety of engaging course content and mini-games that they have perfected over their 20 years in the business.
So you can expect a fun and interactive experience with their driver’s ed.
However, that low price does mean you’ll have to make a few tradeoffs. Unlimited test retries and practice permit tests have to be bought separately, which can raise the final price.
But if you’re looking for quality at a low price, this course is your best bet in San Francisco.
Ranked A+ by the BBB, iDriveSafely is another convenient offering in San Francisco.
The course has a range of learning methods, in addition to a collection of permit test questions to help you ace the final test on the first try.
Quizzes at the end of each chapter keep you focused and let you know which parts you need to work on.
And no, there aren't any add ons here. You'll get all the features in a single economically priced package.
But this video-based course does have a few old videos that you'll have to contend with. While these videos are every bit as informative, a more modern touch would have made it even better.
Other than that, there aren't many flaws in this driver’s ed course, satisfying millions of drivers across the country.
So if their experience is anything to go by, this course is definitely one of the best around.
Best In-Person Driving Schools in San Francisco
If self-paced learning does not agree with you, then you might want to consider in-person driving schools.
The advantage of these schools is that you have a live instructor to help you. Plus, they already come with behind-the-wheel training.
San Francisco Driving School
Address: 2409 19th Ave, San Francisco, CA
Phone: 415-566-8488
Providing a 4-day long in-person driving experience, San Francisco Driving School utilizes its expert instructors to give you the best classroom experience in the city.
Class times range from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm and you’ll be able to choose whether you want to take the course on consecutive weekdays or Saturdays.
Add to that, you’ll get affordable driving lessons after you’ve passed the permit test.
However, their site isn’t the best and doesn’t give you all the scheduling information you need, so you’ll have to call them to discuss timings and registration.
Excel Driving School
Address: 1929 Irving St # 208, San Francisco, CA
Phone: 415-681-7277
Known for their experienced teaching staff and professionalism, this driving school will give you the full package, including in-person driver’s ed and the 6-hour behind-the-wheel training for under $400.
The best part is their flexible class schedules can fit into any busy timetable. So even if you’re overwhelmed with high school or homework, they’ll find a way to make the class as convenient as can be.
The course content is also kept up-to-date in traffic laws and regulation changes. You don’t need to worry about learning from an old textbook. Plus, classes are made engaging with slideshows and more.
Best Driving Schools in San Francisco - FAQs
Am I eligible to take the permit test?
To be eligible for a permit, you must be at least 15 and a half years old. You must bring your driver’s ed certificate of completion to your test center, along with your other essential documents, such as your social security information.
How much does driver’s ed cost?
The cost of driver’s ed will vary based on the school and the type of learning, whether in-person or online.
Classroom driver’s ed is more expensive with pricing often exceeding $100. However, this will also include your behind-the-wheel training.
Online driver’s ed pricing can differ but starts as low as $25 to as high as $60 in San Francisco.
Why should I take driver’s ed online?
While taking driver’s ed in a classroom can have its benefits in that you can engage with your teachers and peers, online driver’s ed has grown in popularity amongst teens.
This is because online driver’s ed is a lot more convenient as you can study anytime, anywhere, even from the comfort of your own home. Plus, online driver’s ed is usually easier to complete.
Online courses are also more engaging than the classroom options, using the power of tech to give you unique simulations and animations. To many, these are useful than an old-fashioned textbook.
How long does driver’s ed take in San Francisco?
In California, driver’s ed is a minimum of 30 hours long.
However, since online driver’s ed doesn’t require any course timers, you can finish it much faster.
Conclusion
So if you’re looking for the best driving school in San Francisco, the online and in-person options listed above are the perfect place to start planning your road to driving freedom.
The best part is you get to decide how to do this - you can take an online driver’s ed before going to an in-person driving school to complete the mandatory behind-the-wheel lessons. Or, you can do it all in person.
So what are you waiting for?
Apply to a driver’s ed course today to get one step closer to that sweet sweet license!
Good luck!