Virginia DMV Approved Online Driver Improvement Course

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte

A Virginia DMV approved online driver improvement course is a Driver Improvement Clinic (DIC) run by a provider that the Virginia DMV has licensed to give the clinic online. You can confirm that license yourself with DMV’s “Driver Training Schools and Clinics” search, using the Online Clinic filter. An approved course also follows DMV’s rules: 8 hours with the test, no more than $100, ID checks and a DIC 552B certificate.

Key Facts

Meaning: “approved” means the provider holds a DMV license for the clinic. See what approved means.
How to check: use DMV’s clinic search with the Online Clinic filter. See how to verify.
Rules to expect: 8 hours, a $100 cap, ID checks, an online test and a DIC 552B. See the rules.
Red flags: a shorter course, a higher price, no ID check or a promise of dismissal. See red flags.
Questions: DMV’s toll-free line is 1-877-885-5790. See the DMV phone line.

What DMV-Approved Means

In Virginia, approval comes from a DMV license. The DMV clinics page says an online clinic’s course and final test “must be completed through a DMV-licensed online driver improvement clinic provider.”

An online provider signs an agreement with DMV to get that license. It is form DIC 551, the online clinic application and agreement. The form spells out what the provider must do for each student.

So “approved” is not a label a website gives itself. It means DMV has licensed the provider, and the provider has agreed to DMV’s rules.

Why Approval Matters for Your Benefit

The law ties clinic benefits to DMV approval. Code of Virginia § 46.2-498 lets a licensed driver attend a clinic with a business or individual “certified by the Department.”

The insurance law says the same. Code of Virginia § 38.2-2217 covers drivers who completed “a driver improvement clinic approved by the Department of Motor Vehicles.” A course without that approval does not fit these rules.

Virginia DMV Approved Online Driver Improvement Course Rules

Every licensed online clinic follows the same DMV rules. They come from the DMV online clinic page and form DIC 551.

What to check	What DMV requires
Length	8 hours, with the final test inside the 8 hours
Price	No more than $100; for a DMV-sent driver, $100 is the total with the test
Identity	ID verified throughout the course and before the test
Final test	Online, with the provider you registered with; no paper test
Test limit	Once per business day
Reporting	Completion sent to DMV within 24 hours
Certificate	Electronic DIC 552B within 24 hours of completion

The provider must also keep your completion record for 3 years. And the whole course must be done before a certificate is issued.

What an Approved Provider Must Do for You

Form DIC 551 lists duties the online provider accepts. Each one protects the student:

Full course first. The whole course “must be completed in its entirety prior to the issuance of a certificate of completion.”
Report to DMV. The provider submits your completion through DMV’s EXTRANET program within 24 hours of the completion date.
Send your proof. You get an Online Driver Improvement Clinic Electronic Certificate of Completion, the DIC 552B, within 24 hours.
Keep the record. The provider must keep your record of completion for 3 years.
Hold the price. For drivers notified by DMV, the total cost with the online test cannot exceed $100.

What Every Approved Clinic Teaches

Approval also means a set curriculum. Code of Virginia § 46.2-490 says each clinic includes instruction on distracted driving, aggressive driving and work zone safety. It also covers alcohol and drug abuse, plus motorcycle awareness.

DMV adds that the clinic teaches defensive driving techniques to help you avoid and prevent crashes. A course that skips these topics is not the DIC.

How to Verify a Provider

Do this check before you pay. It takes a few steps on the DMV website:

Open the DMV search. Go to the DMV Driver Training Schools and Clinics page.
Pick the clinic type. Use the Online Clinic filter for an online course.
Match the name. Find the provider’s business name in the results.
Compare the rules. Make sure the site describes 8 hours, ID checks and an online final test.
Write down the name. DMV does not record your provider until you finish.

If a provider does not appear, do not assume it is approved. Call DMV with your question instead.

How to verify a Virginia DMV-approved online driver improvement provider in five steps

Red Flags Based on Official Rules

Each warning sign below breaks a DMV rule or the Code of Virginia:

Shorter than 8 hours. DMV says the clinic is 8 hours. Online, the test is inside those hours.
More than $100. DMV says a clinic may charge no more than $100.
No ID check. DMV requires ID checks during the course and before the test.
No online final test. The online clinic ends with an online test with the same provider.
A paper test. DMV says “No paper testing is allowed” online.
No DIC 552B. An online provider must send this electronic certificate.
A promise to dismiss your ticket. No DMV clinic rule includes dismissal of a ticket.

A clinic does not take a conviction off your DMV record either. Under § 46.2-498, an eligible completion lowers your point total by 5, once in 2 years.

Approved for DMV Is Not the Same as Approved for Every Case

DMV approval covers the clinic itself. It does not settle every situation.

Court orders. The DMV online clinic page says: “Your court may or may not accept the certificate of completion.” It adds that it is your job to find out whether your court accepts online courses. Under Code of Virginia § 46.2-505, you must also tell the court whether you finished.

DMV orders. DMV pages for drivers over and under 18 say an online or classroom clinic meets a DMV requirement. You have 90 days from the order to finish.

CDL holders. A CDL holder who must attend needs a commercial driver improvement clinic. DMV says an online clinic “will not meet the requirements of a commercial driver improvement clinic.” See the DMV commercial clinic page.

Classroom Clinics Are Licensed Too

Not every approved clinic is online. DMV says its “eight-hour classroom sessions are offered at sites around the state.” The DMV search lists those clinics as well, by type.

The test rule is different in a classroom. DMV says that if the clinic is completed in person, “the final test must be completed in person.”

Approved Clinics and Your Deadline

A DMV order gives you 90 days to finish an approved clinic. If you do not, the DMV Driver Improvement page says your license is suspended until you meet the requirement.

DMV may give more time in a few cases. Out-of-state college students, and military members or dependents stationed outside Virginia, may qualify. DMV grants that extension only where no approved clinics are offered.

Your Reason Still Matters With an Approved Provider

Even a licensed provider needs to know why you are there. Tell it whether you attend for a court, DMV, safe driving points or insurance.

Court-directed drivers need the court’s paper for points. DMV form DIC 551 says such customers “must provide documentation from the court before safe driving points can be awarded.”
Insurance-only drivers get no safe driving points.
Voluntary drivers can get 5 safe driving points, once every 24 months.

Points and Discounts From an Approved Clinic

An approved clinic is the only kind that can bring the benefits in the law. Here is what an eligible driver can get:

One point benefit. DMV may award 5 safe driving points, once every 24 months, and the balance never goes above +5. Section 46.2-498 describes the same benefit as subtracting 5 demerit points from your total.
An insurance discount. An insurer may offer one for 2 years to a voluntary driver 54 or younger.

You can get the point benefit or the discount, not both, once in 2 years. The law sets no discount amount, so ask your insurer before you enroll for that reason.

The DMV Phone Line for Clinic Concerns

DMV gives a number for questions about a clinic. The DMV clinics page says: “If you have comments or concerns about this course, call our toll-free number: 1-877-885-5790.”

Use it if a provider’s claims do not match the DMV rules. You can also use it if you cannot find a provider in the DMV search.

What We Found on the Official Pages

On the DMV pages we checked on October 27, 2026, the provider search let users filter by clinic type. One choice was “Online Clinic.” The DMV clinics page listed the toll-free line, 1-877-885-5790.

Form DIC 551 had no revision date printed on it. It still set the $100 total cap for DMV-sent drivers and the 24-hour duties for reporting and certificates.

Red flags for a Virginia online driver improvement course and the DMV rule each one breaks

Common Mistakes When Choosing a Provider

Each item ties to an official rule:

Trusting the word “approved” on a website. Confirm the provider in the DMV search.
Skipping the Online Clinic filter. Online clinics must use a DMV-licensed online provider.
Assuming DMV approval means court approval. Your court may or may not accept an online certificate.
Forgetting your provider’s name. DMV does not record it until you finish.
Choosing online for a CDL requirement. It does not meet the commercial clinic rule.
Waiting too long on a DMV order. After 90 days, the license is suspended until you finish.

How Requirements Can Vary

Virginia’s point rules, safe driving points and DMV clinic orders come from the Code of Virginia and DMV rules, and they apply statewide. What you must do still depends on whether you take the clinic by choice, because of a DMV notice, or under a court order. A court order sets its own deadline and proof steps.

Laws, fees and court practice can change. Check your DMV notice, your court order and the Virginia DMV website for current rules before you enroll or file anything.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does DMV-approved mean for a Virginia clinic?

It means DMV has licensed the provider to give the Driver Improvement Clinic. Online providers sign DMV form DIC 551 and follow its rules.

How do I check if a provider is approved?

Use DMV’s “Driver Training Schools and Clinics” search. Choose the Online Clinic filter and look for the provider’s name.

Who do I call with a concern about a clinic?

DMV’s toll-free line is 1-877-885-5790. The DMV clinics page lists it for comments or concerns about the course.

Is there a price limit for an approved course?

Yes. Every clinic may charge no more than $100. For a driver sent by DMV, that is the total cost, including the online test.

Do I have to send my certificate to DMV?

An online provider reports your completion to DMV within 24 hours. If a court ordered your clinic, you must still tell the court whether you finished.

Can a driver under 18 use an approved online clinic?

Yes. DMV says a driver under 18 can meet the clinic requirement online or in a classroom. A required clinic gives a driver under 18 no safe driving points.

Will my court accept an approved online clinic?

It depends on the court. DMV says your court may or may not accept the certificate, so ask the court first.

Can an approved clinic dismiss my ticket?

No. A clinic does not dismiss a ticket or remove a conviction from your record. An eligible completion lowers your point total by 5.

Conclusion

A DMV-approved Virginia clinic comes from a provider DMV has licensed, and you can confirm it in DMV’s own search. Check for the 8 hours, the $100 cap, ID checks and the DIC 552B before you pay.

If a court ordered your clinic, ask the court whether it accepts an online course. When you have checked, you can take the Virginia Driver Improvement Course.

Sources

Billy Forte is the owner of Driving Logic, a state-approved driver improvement course provider serving Virginia and other U.S. states.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Virginia DMV rules, court orders, fines and penalties depend on your notice, summons, court and case facts, and they can change. Use official Virginia DMV and court sources, and consult a qualified Virginia attorney for advice about your own case.