Missouri Driver Improvement Program: online or in person?

Can I take the Missouri Driver Improvement Program online?

Yes. The option is written into RSMo 302.302.5, and it has been since March 3, 2014. The Missouri Safety Center lists approved online programs and approved classroom locations on the same page.

Can a court require a classroom?

Read your paperwork. A court can order a driving course for reasons other than points, such as a condition of probation, and those orders can name a format. The Creve Coeur Municipal Court tells drivers to "review your court ordered information to determine what type of program is required (in-person vs virtual)."

If your order is for the Driver Improvement Program in place of points and it says nothing about format, the statute gives you the choice. If you're not sure which kind of order you have, ask the clerk.

What is the same either way?

• Eight hours. The law requires the program to meet or exceed the National Safety Council's 8-hour Defensive Driving Course.
• The approved list. The Safety Center says the course "must be on the approved list."
• The deadline. Sixty days from your conviction.
• The form. MO Form 4444, signed by the court and sent to the Department of Revenue.

What is different?

	Online	In person
Schedule	Any time, in as many sittings as you like	A set class date
Where	Phone, tablet or computer	A classroom in one of nine regions of the state
Pace	Your own, with your place saved	The instructor's
Completion form	From the provider when you pass	From the provider at the end of class

Which is faster?

Online is usually sooner to start, because there's no class date to wait for. The 8 hours are the same. With a 60-day deadline, starting this week matters more than the format.

How do I know a course is approved?

Look it up on the Missouri Safety Center's Driver Improvement Program page. Each approved online program is listed with a program number. If a course isn't on that page, the state won't accept it.

What is our course like?

Eight hours online, 12 modules, no quizzes along the way, and a 25-question final with unlimited retakes. It's $24.99 with the certificate and completion form included. What to expect has the details.