Driver and Traffic Safety Education Guidelines
February 2003
TO: District Superintendents of Schools
Superintendents of Public and Nonpublic Schools
FROM: Roseanne DeFabio
SUBJECT: Driver and Traffic Safety Education Guidelines
This memorandum provides guidelines governing the driver and traffic safety education (DTSE) programs administered by public and nonpublic school districts, BOCES, and institutions of higher education in New York State. The purpose of these guidelines is to assure statewide consistency in the provision of programs leading to a student Certificate of Completion (MV-285). This certificate allows students to schedule road test appointments with the Department of Motor Vehicles without first having to take a prelicensing course, and to apply to change their junior license to a full license at the age of 17.
In addition to streamlining the approval processes for the implementation of driver education courses and driver education instructors, these guidelines provide additional information pertinent to:
- the operation of driver education programs;
- the approval process for out-of-state driver education courses (reciprocity); and
- the procedures for participation of commercial driving schools in the driver education programs.
Please review these revised guidelines carefully, as failure to
comply may result in the cancellation of a driver education course
or revocation of a DTSE teacher approval. Additional information
on the driver and traffic safety education program is available
on the New York State Education Department’s website. You may
obtain Applications
for Teacher of Driver and Traffic Safety Education (SE-3)(
,93KB), Driver
Education Course Approval forms (SE-4) (,125KB), and Requests for Approval of
Out-of-State Secondary Driver Education Course (MV-285.1) by visiting
the site or by emailing
emscdrved@mail.nysed.gov
- Guidelines
(, 261KB)