Reviews of Defensive Driving School and Driver License Testing Location. (Driving School) in Seattle (Washington).

Defensive Driving School and Driver License Testing Location

252 Reviews

166 Comments

Driving school

Driving school

5031 University Way NE #201, Seattle, WA 98105, United States

Description

Information of Defensive Driving School and Driver License Testing Location, Driving school in Seattle (Washington)

Discover the opening times, the location, contact, popular times, photos and real reviews by internet users.

This place has a very good rate, they treat their customers well and you’ll feel welcome, super recommended

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Reviews of Defensive Driving School and Driver License Testing Location

Ha John

Highly recommend my instructor Jim Green!!! I just done my road test with warm up today. He is the best instructor I've ever had. During the warm up, he patiently taught me what I need to improve and I feel confident and not nervous at all. English is not my first language so sometimes I don't understand the instruction very well and Mr. Green always help explain it to me. I can feel the kindness from him all along the test. Thank you Mr. Green! You made my day!!

Manike de Wet

I had a fantastic experience at the Defensive driving school in U-district. I completed the knowledge test, 12 1-hour driving lessons, and the skills test at this location. Lukas and Bryan are exceptional driving instructors that put this very new and uncertain driver at ease every session. I will highly recommend this location and these instructors! Thank you again!

Yijie Wang

I had a wonderful one hour lesson and a skill test with the instructor Jimmy Green this afternoon and cannot wait to write a review because he is so nice and a great instructor. He always encouraged me to have more confidence and taught very useful skills to help me not only pass the test but also be a good driver all time. Before I became to the lesson and test, I felt so nervous and doubt if I could pass the test. But Jimmy helped me practice a lot and gave very detailed and helpful tips. I definitely recommend you to have your skill test here with Jimmy.

Rebeca de Buen Kalman

Overall a great experience with this place. The online training for the knowledge test from Defensive Driving School helped me pass the written test easily and on the first try, while still learning important rules that I will need as a driver. Great use of 24 dollars, it saved me a ton of time. Once I had a permit, I took a few lessons with Lukas Ries who was patient, kind and really helpful to both practice driving and prepare me for the skills test. He was encouraging which helped me feel less nervous about driving and he explained things well. He was also helpful when I got things wrong without being harsh. I also did my skills test there and did the warmup with Lukas which made the actual test very low stress.

D Jin

I took 6 1-hour driving lessons and a driving test with warmup here. Bryan is a great instructor. He is knowledgeable, patient and talkative. I think the best thing about this driving school is that it focus more on teaching people to drive safely rather than pass the test only. About the test, I really recommend to have the warmup. I feel much more confident after going through the process once.

aravind bharathi

I had my skills test today with instructor Jimmy Green. I opted for the 30min warm up + skills test. I was very nervous going into the test but Mr. Green understood that and was very patient and helpful in making me less nervous. He has great experience and that is very evident with the short interaction i had with him. I learnt many things from him today in the short span. I would 100% recommend Jimmy Green and defensive driving school to anyone who is looking to get a new license.

Cindy Li

I took the road test here. The instructor Maggie Herbord is sooooo nice!! She helped to relieve my tension, and told me about some cautions carefully and patiently. After the test, she also told me where I need to pay more attention, and I can feel that she really wants me to have a safe drive in the future. This is an awesome experience!

H

James and Emmanuel are amazing. They taught me a lot and made me comfortable taking the test. However I only give 3 stars due to Maggie since she ruined the experience. During our 1 hour class, more than half of the class she was talking about things that has nothing to do with driving (her family relationship, cultural difference between the US and Europe, or she got some skin problems on her hands, etc.) Notice that it was not when we were driving on the road that she couldn't stop talking, it was during practices such as parking or backing around the corner when we were stoped in the middle of whatever we were doing and I was waiting for her next instruction. So imagine we were doing parallel parking and I was in the middle of the road side by side with another parked car and looking at her for the next instruction and she started talking about why her hands were so dry and why she kept scratching them and all the details of her skin condition while I was just waiting for her to tell me what I should do next and she never stopped and kept blabbing for 10 minutes and we were just in the middle of the road doing nothing. It happened so many times (when the class already started and we were sitting in the car in the parking lot and she kept talking about her boyfriend or husband, during/after parallel parking, before/during/after backing around the corner, when we pulled over to the side of the road, oh yeah and she ended the class 5 min early) and even after I frowned upon her multiple times and clearly showed my annoyance. A one hour class is $100 and I don’t pay this much just for someone to chat with me (and who care about her hands?). I pay to learn and drive. Also she really can’t teach at all even during the short amount of time that we were actually driving. All she did was repeating the same word again and again and again (turn! turn! turn! turn! turn! turn! turn! you're ruining my tire! you're ruining my tire! you're ruining my tire! you're ruining my tire! you're ruining my tire! ) and didn't give me any time to react. She also frequently shifted the transmission without telling me. If she wants me to stop just hit the coach's brake, why would anyone shift the gear to drive/reverse/parking on the road without telling? Why would she put both of us in danger? She made me nervous during her lesson, which is very impressive since I didn’t even get nervous when I had my second lesson on freeway with another coach. Avoid Maggie by all means, or if you just have a lot of money to waste and want to pay for someone talking about why her hands are so dry, take lessons with her and be ready to learn nothing.

Aishwarya Aryamane

Took the skills and driver's test as a first time driver in the US, both went smoothly. Kind and patient instructors, I had Jimmy Green help with my drivers test and he was very helpful and offered advice around where I lost points and what I could do better.

Joe Campbell

Was very worried when I saw how terrible the reviews were for 911 driving. Didnt feel like I had a choice of driving school around the area and was forced to Defensive Driving. I was soo wrong. This place isnt the better of two bad options, but a fantastic choice that I'd drive far to get to. I am honestly stunned by how 911 is still is business with a place like this so close. My only guess is our tax dollars are helping keep that sad place afloat. Courteous staff, great education, and honestly a very pretty location. If you're in the area this is the only right choice.

Maya Lee

Instructor Jimmy Green was very kind and knowledgable! Very calming presence, and great at his job! Glad to have had him during my test.

Divya Kustagi

I opted for '5(1 Hour) Lessons' and chose Bryan Davis as my instructor for each class, owing to the fact that I had an interaction with him during my Knowledge test. Bryan has been amazing with his knowledge/skills and the techniques he shared, quite calm and patient in answering all my questions, friendly and fun too! Loved his teaching methods. I went from being a hesitant novice driver to a pretty confident and skillful one, thanks to Bryan and DDS! For the testing, I chose the '30 Minute Warm-Up + Skills Test - Company Vehicle' option and this helped me get in the groove of things before the actual Skill Test part on the D-day. The warm-up helped brush-up various aspects and was like a bonus class too :) Overall, had a pleasant experience here and certainly recommend DDS/Bryan Davis!

Vanny

They have really managed the switch over to zoom lessons well. The instructors (Tyson and Jo) have been super friendly and knowledgeable. My in person driving sessions have also gone very smoothly, with lots of credit to my in person driving instructors (like Josh). Thanks so much for the great experience so far DDS! (I highly recommend Tyson, Jo and Josh to everyone, they’re a ton of fun! 😎)

Yin Zhang

I took my driving test with Jimmy Green this morning and it was the best experience ;). It was a 30m warming up + driving test. During the warming up I was a little nervous at first, but instructor Jimmy made me relaxed and the whole process was fun. He pointed out the my mistakes about left turning too wide and patiently drawing a picture to clearly explain to me how to do it correctly. I finally passed the test smoothly and Thank you instructor Jimmy Green and nice chatting with you too! Can’t wait to get my first US driving license! Go defensive driving!

Devika Batra

Had the best experience with Seattle (University) Defensive Driving School! Was very anxious about the driving test so decided to get the warm up + test combo. My assigned assessor was Jimmy Green, whose calm and cheerful disposition helped ease my nerves and pass the test. He has a lot of experience and gave the best advice for new drivers.

Xiaohan Zhang

I had a road test with the instructor Jim Green this afternoon. HE IS SUPER NICE!!!!! I was kinda nervous at first and he told me some funny stories about driving to help me calm down. Jim is very responsible and checked my documents to make sure all the information is correct. During the test, he gave me clear instructions and was very patient with me. Please go ahead and do appointment with Jim, no matter for practicing or testing. I give u my words - he is the best driving instructor🤩🤩

Xudong Peng

I had some experience driving in my home country but this was my first license in America. I took a 1-hour lessons and the 30-minute Warm-Up + Skills test. Jimmy Green was my instructor for the driving lessons and the skill tests. He is very knowledgeable, patient, attentive to details, and an absolute pleasure to work with: always listening and offering tips to become a better driver. I felt very safe learning and practicing with him. Even with my previous experience, I learned a lot with him. I feel confident to drive on US roads now. I 100% recommend this place. Jimmy Green was amazing and everyone I interacted with was very nice as well.

Ambar Jackson

If Jimmy Green is your driving instructor, consider that your lucky day! With more than 20 years of experience he knows how to properly share knowledge. His amazing charisma and positive attitude make you more confident and relax to achieve your goal. Thank you, Jimmy for making this a great experience! Jimmy is at the U District location.

Helena van Tol

I took five 90 minute lessons at this driving school and then took and passed my driving test about a month after the lessons finished. Overall I had a really good experience. I am an adult driver who was anxious about learning. The instructors were all very reassuring and helped me build confidence. I had a different instructor for each lesson and I think that helped me learn different approaches to each skill. The instructors that stood out particularly were Jim Green (with whom I did a warmup and took the test), Katelyn Elder, and Bryan Davis. But everyone I drove with was really friendly and helpful.

Thomas Schweizer

I had some experience driving in my home country but this was my first license in North America. I first did the knowledge test with them which was super easy to set up and take. This experience convinced me to continue with them for driving lessons and skill test. I took 5 1-hour lessons and the 30-minute Warm-Up + Skills test. Christian was my instructor for the driving lessons and the skill tests. He is very knowledgeable, attentive to details, and an absolute pleasure to work with: always listening and offering tips to become a better driver. I felt very safe learning and practicing with him. Even with my previous experience, I learned a lot with him. I feel confident to drive on US roads now. I 100% recommend this place. Christian was amazing and everyone I interacted with was very nice as well.

Gautham Bhat

Took my driver’s test here and I had a positive experience overall. I did not clear in my first attempt but Mr. Jim Green pointed out my issues after which I was able to clear it in the next attempt. Would definitely recommend Mr. Green as I found him to be a patient person who will create an environment that will help you succeed

Zhixing Jiang

Jim Green is a very nice instructor. I had a warmup + test with him this morning. He pointed me out every potential mistake, and shared him experience of driving with me. And I also pass the test. Thank you Jim!

Ana Carla Costa

I took the knowledge and the skill tests in DDS and had an excellent experience. For the skill test, Jimmy Green was my evaluator and I had the best possible experience! Jimmy was warm and made me comfortable during our whole time together, and I even got some great tips on how to improve my parallel parking in the end. I would recommend DDS and Jimmy Green as an instructor to anyone!

Alejandra Rodriguez

I recently moved to Seattle and was seeking to get my first DL in the States. This school was recommended to me by a friend, and it was the best decision. I took the Knowledge + 30-minute Warm-Up + Skills test, and it was completely worth it. Jimmy was my instructor for the warm-up and skills test, he’s awesome! Professional and gives you good tips, plus the conversation in general was great. I have been driving for 13 years abroad, but rules in the US (especially WA) are a lot more strict, so I think this combo is a good investment if your just switching from a foreign driver license to one in the US.

Arshad Mohd

I went here on a Monday. My instructor was Tyson, and I would like to say that I was fortunate to get him as my instructor. He was very professional and understanding. He helped me understand the common mistakes, rules etiquettes and was very reasonable. I really liked how he maintained his composure throughout the test and continued to be patient. He was able to calm my nerves and helped me stay focused so that I could focus on driving. Thank you so much DDS!

Galen Williams

Great place to learn how to drive or take tests! I took Driver's Ed with Bryan and he made it actually engaging, which is saying something because I was not very interested in driving. Definitely recommend DDS and definitely recommend Bryan for drive tests and classes

Julia Shettler

I had a great experience with taking my knowledge and skills tests here! My knowledge test went by smoothly, and the proctor was friendly and helpful. I had my skills test with Jimmy Green this morning, who was wonderful! He was easy to talk to and pointed out tips before I started, making the test go by painlessly. Thank you!

Sai Mahima SV

Had my driver’s license test today with Mr. Jimmy Green. He was so patient and nice during the entire process. If you take up your test in defensive driving school go for Jimmy.

Tassia Huq

Just passed my driving test thanks to Christian!! Really impressed with the Defensive Driving School's systems and lessons plan. I was lucky enough to have Christian as my instructor, he was so pleasant, patient and knowledgeable about all things driving/cars/tips & tricks to park, etc. Loved our chats on our drives and feel much more confident and competent as a driver thanks to his guidance. Would definitely recommend learning with DDS & specifically Christian!

Abdi Ali

Took my skills test today with Instructor Emmanuel. He was an amazing instructor, nice and patient with the driver.

Yatri Modi

I took a 60 minute lesson + 30 minute driving test today. My instructor was Mr. Jimmy Green! Such a kind instructor with so many fun stories to tell. He made sure to correct me where I went wrong and answer all my questions. I'm sure I will be driving safe and collision free for a long time after this.

Julia Alvarez

I took the knowledge test and the skills test here and I had an amazing experience. Jimmy was my evaluator for the skills test and he was great, gave me amazing feedback and made me feel calm and comfortable during the test. Thank you! 100% recommend.

Stella Westhagen

I had a great drive experience with Jimmy Green! He was super patient and created a relaxing and fun environment that really helped me lower my stress levels. I definitely recommend DDS and Jimmy Green!

Anika Ramachandran

I would highly recommend Jim Green for DMV Drive Test. He is very polite and kind. He gives good pointers to improve on, which helped me a lot. He made sure I was comfortable and not nervous. P.S: He has amazing stories to tell as well!

Lisa Chrysanthakopoulos

This is my second daughter to complete driver's ed through Defensive Driving School. They offer an exceptional program with driving instructors who are patient, positive and qualified. Gyan was the most recent driving instructor who my daughter had and he offered excellent supplemental driving guidance, as do all of the instructors. The in-classroom teacher also was excellent, very positive and enthusiastic. I highly recommend Defensive Driving School.

Rohan Kapur

This is a great driving school. I am currently in one of their drivers ed courses. They have found a good balance of making the classes fun but also informative. The class has a very good workbook and slides that are used, and my instructors Verla and Tyson are very friendly. If you are learning to drive, this is the place to go!

Kamal Haddad

I took 10 lessons with Christian Holtz and he helped me pass the driving test thanks to his wealth of knowledge and experience. He is patient, calm, gives thorough instructions, and goes above and beyond while teaching.

JASMEET KAUR

Please book your test with instructor Jimmy Green. He is very patient, professional and honest with his teaching. He was quite thorough. I took both tests with DDS - knowledge test and road test. Both went amazing.. Thank you Mr. Jimmy Green. May you bring more good drivers to Seattle roads.

Zsolt Marton

I fully recommend this school to anyone who is looking to learn. Doug, Tyson, and Christian were all great - thanks to them, I was able to pass my test and develop safe driving habits. Most of my lessons were with Doug, who is an outstanding instructor. He is patient, personable, and great at giving feedback. I could tell that he really cares about his students and is committed to seeing them succeed in becoming safe drivers. I can't recommend him highly enough. What you might also care about: - Scheduling lessons was easy using their online calendar tool - The cars were relatively new (Mazda 3) and in great shape - The instructors were always on time and polite - The instruction routes are great. There's just enough traffic to help the students acclimate to driving in the city, but there was never so much traffic to make it feel intimidating or boring to drive around there.

Joyce

I completed a five-lesson package with Defensive Driving and took my test here. I cannot say enough positive things about my experience with driving instructor Douglas Erikson. Doug is truly the kindest and most thoughtful instructor I've had at this school. He goes above and beyond to not only teach you useful skills when on the road, but he also took it a step further when I asked about advice when getting my own car after getting my license. He is incredibly patient and is really great at trusting you when you're driving, which helps to build confidence on the road. If you make a mistake, he will tell you how to improve it, rather than reprimanding you while you're trying to learn to drive in the city. I highly recommend Doug as your primary instructor if you're thinking about enrolling in this school! A couple things to note regarding Defensive Driving School. Their scheduling system could be improved by showing available times/instructors despite having booked all your sessions, so that you can see what's potentially available if you want to change, instead of needing to drop a class to see what's available. FYI lessons are typically booked out a couple weeks in advance, but you can sign up for last minute drop notifications, but you need to be fast to book these. Also, the lessons are first come first serve when you book it online, so sometimes you may not get the same instructor. If you are getting a five or ten lesson package, I highly recommend trying to get the same instructor. It makes it really difficult to make progress if you get a new instructor every time, as each instructor has their own way of teaching specific skills and so you might be relearning the same skill (i.e. parallel parking) each lesson with different methods, as opposed to further improving that one skill using one method that your first instructor taught you. Overall, I had a good experience with this school and again, would recommend getting Doug Erikson as your instructor.

Dany c

I had a great experience with defensive driving school. I have absolutely never driven before. On my first driving class, I almost freaked out. But, thanks to Douglas Erickson. He was amazing. I had all my classes with him. He was patient and helped me become confident in driving. I passed my skills test. Thanks a lot Doug! I highly recommend defensive driving school and Doug as your instructor. Happy driving :)

Alexandre Bernardo

I took my driver's Ed here and enjoyed every single part of it. My driving teacher (Michelle) was really knowledgeable and kind. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to learn how to drive.

Steffany Tovar

The instructor was very clear and professional, the testing went very smoothly as well. I would recommend this school to my friends and family. My skills instructor Doug Erickson made the skills test jitters disappear with calm and steady instruction. Thank you all! I'm so glad I found your school, I am a licensed driver again, woo hoo!!!

Jessica Stayton

I had a great experience learning to drive with Defensive Driving School. My instruction, Douglas, was very patient with my nervous driving and made learning to drive a much more comfortable experience. He never raised his voice or pushed me to do anything I was uncomfortable with. He was also willing to customize lessons to my needs as an inexperience adult driver. The school's online portal and scheduling system was also fairly convenient. But book quickly, lessons fill up fast!

Xin Sun

I absolutely recommend doing the driving training at Defensive Driving School. I have very few driving experience before moving to Seattle and try to get my first driver license here. Took the lessons with Doug and he is an amazing instructor. He made the maneuver easy and manageable and helped me pass my driving test with very few lessons. Really nice and helpful:)

shivendra panicker

I went to University District driving school and Emmanuel was my teacher and driving test instructor. Must say he is very easy to talk to, awesome teacher and fun to learn with. I took 5 classes and drive test which I passed, thanks to defensive driving. Would highly recommend Emmanuel to all future defensive driving students :)

ritu rajawat

This is a great place to learn driving, I took my knowledge test and skill test from Seattle U Dist and my experience was great. My instructor was Douglous Erickson, he is an extremely co-operative person and his techniques were great which really helped me in building my confidence in my driving.

Jess

I absolutely loved my lessons with Tyson. I am 36, and just moved here from Chicago. Although I have my license, I haven't driven in over 10 years. I decided to sign up for some private lessons to serve as a refresher before I got on the road. Tyson was very kind, professional and confident. I have a serious fear of driving on the freeway, and he helped me through it. Now I get to enjoy road trips around the beautiful Pacific Northwest! Thank you so much again!

Mayur K. Ladumor

I took driving lesson packages as well as the DMV drive test. All instructors (James Charvet, Katelyn Elder, and Michael Ortner) are very professional and good at communication. They taught me all the driving maneuvers, which are important for driving safely. My DMV test instructor (Jimmy Green) is very calm and made me very comfortable during the skill test. He helped me revise all the driving maneuvers in the warm-up class. Thank you very much to all. I would highly recommend this school for driving lessons and DMV test

Hannah

TL;DR: Highly recommend this school and their adult driving packages - great lessons and superb instructors (especially Doug!) I’m an adult who never got a license as a teenager due to moving around and living abroad. After a solid decade of always being “The Friend Who Can’t Drive,” I finally decided to do something about it! I checked out most of the driving schools in the Seattle area and eventually opted for DDS for several reasons: their adult driving packages are one of the best deals around, they were very responsive and helpful by phone, and their location in the U District is super convenient. Since I didn’t have easy access to a car to practice, I signed up for a package that covered DOL testing and 10 lessons. I couldn’t be happier with my choice. DDS has a handy online system for scheduling lessons, and plenty of available timeslots on weekends and weekday evenings to accommodate adult learners. Their cars are in good condition and the lessons always ran smoothly and on time. You get to practice in a variety of settings - residential neighborhoods, city areas, on the freeway - as you get more comfortable driving. Most of my lessons were with Doug, though I had a few with James and Tyson as well. All were good, but Doug was superb. Despite being nervous at first about driving, I found myself looking forward to our lessons each week. He’s very patient, great at putting you at ease, and excellent at calmly giving feedback and pointers as you’re driving. He taught me everything I needed to drive safely and confidently, and even made parallel parking simple and intuitive. Thanks to Doug and DDS, I was able to pass the skills test on my first attempt! I really can’t recommend them highly enough. Now I’m looking forward to being able to get to trailheads and finally pulling my own weight on road trips!

Yazan Alonaizan

I went to the U District location for driving lessons and I had a great experience with the best instructor Bryan. He is patient, knowledgeable, and humorous, so you won't be too nervous being behind the wheel. (I definitely recommend asking for him!) Also, he has a lot of experience with International students, so you don't need to be nervous with your accent. Moreover, I was extremely afraid of driving, but when I took 10 lessons with Bryan I feel super comfortable behind the wheel.Thank you so much Bryan for everything, you are the best!

Tammy Brandt

The school communicates well (and frequently--sometimes overkill with text reminders). When I had questions, my emails received very fast responses. The scheduling website for driving instruction is easy to use, and my daughter was able to select the driving instructor she preferred, Bryan Davis, who was also her classroom instructor. She appreciated his friendly, non-threatening approach. The U District location has a limited amount of parking, available at limited times, but once we got familiar with it, it worked out fine for us. The University Heights building is an old school with history and character. We have been happy with our experience overall.

Amaya Rillo

It was overall the best drivers ed experience I’ve ever had and was amazing and professional even in these trying times with the pandemic. Even through the screen of my computer I felt real connection with my peers and our instructors. I would 10/10 recommend this driving school to my friends and acquaintances

latch

I took 19 classes, 10 from West seattle and 9 from u district. I did not feel very confident about driving and ended up failing the test 3 times until I started taking classes here. My instructor Astrid was very informative and helpful. She gave me reference points that were intuitive and useful for preparing for the test. She set me up for success. Really friendly too. I recommend driving with Astrid. I'm a happy student who passed the test now!

Morley Spencer

I had a very positive experience with this school as an adult who never got a license as a teenager. They were professional and kind. I had the same instructor three out of the five times I had driving practice. I passed my exam with ease on the first try. My only criticism is that I had three of my five classes rescheduled, one with less than 24 hour notice. They always called to reschedule but I was never compensated in any way for the constant rescheduling.

Kara Sowecke

Doug Erickson was my instructor and he did an excellent job. He was patient, calm, he always delivered his instructions clearly and consistently. He was encouraging and made me feel comfortable and at ease. I would recommend him to all future students. Thank you Doug.

Timothy Attoye

Great establishment. Multiple locations to choose from. Great instructors too. Coming from a different country, they were really helpful in unlearning and learning new habits. All the instructors are great, if you can, ask for Bryan Davis. Definitely recommend this driving school.

P B.

Christain is a very good teacher and examiner. He told me the tips and pointed out what I should beware before the drive test. He is nice and not a kind of intimidating examiner. He was patient even though I did a lot of mistakes and taught me the right things. Also, the staff is polite and very helpful when I called them.

Jay Lee

Christian (from the U-District in Seattle) is an excellent instructor. He explained the skills required in a clear and easy-to-understand manner. His teaching aids for car placement and positioning are very useful, especially in learning how to perform the skills safely yet efficiently. He was patient, friendly, and professional. I highly recommend this school.

Taylor Cheek-Mundy

Had a very good experience with Mr. Jimmy Green! He was so professional and patient during my Road Test. My whole experience was made better by having his as my road tester. Love DDS and will recommend to my network!

Y J

I went to the U Dist location for Defensive and had a great experience with my instructor Bryan. He's patient, clear, and humorous, so you won't be too nervous being behind the wheel. (I definitely recommend asking for him!) I've also spoken to some other instructors, and they all seem really nice. To be honest I'm kind of sad to get my license even. They have a lot of experiences with international students so don't worry, none of them have strange accents or anything. The main office is definitely NOT as problematic as some other reviewers make it seem - they've accommodated to my needs and they have always picked up in one call except once, when I've left a message. They reply to emails pretty promptly too. The one simple rule is that you have to commit to your time slot once you're within 48 hours of the business day, meaning you can't cancel something on Monday on the previous Friday... easy enough to understand. Once they even scheduled a driving test for me at one day's notice, but I got lucky that day. I picked this place with barely any driving experience and with low expectations, but I haven't regretted my choice at all! I'm definitely confident enough to hit the road. If you're a student at the UW, the convenient location and time flexibility should work out great. My instructor didn't push me to "purchase more hours" too, which is a definite plus. I'm leaving this review because I think the other reviewers are really unfair and I'm not being compensated for any of my opinions above. (Cross-posting at Yelp)

Setumadhava Kathavate

The instructor are very polite and kind. I took 1 lesson as a part of the license package and it was a really fun experience. The driving test with Christian was very relaxed as well. He waa very clear with his instructions and it hardly felt like he was testing me.

Arjun Narendra

Tyson Williams is a professional, experienced, and understanding driving instructor. I recently took the drive test, and Tyson provided me the confidence and focused environment that I needed to pass the test and get my driver's license. Thank you Tyson!

Jackson Simper

kind instructors and lots of good tips along with specific instructions on how to drive

Saylor Smith

I highly recommend this school. I went to this school for makeup classes and it was better than my driving school in federal way. The teacher was nice and wanted the students to pass his class. He went by the book more and it helped me understand the topics better. I can 100% say that this school has made me a better driver and that it has prepared me well to get my license.

B Pressey

The system for tracking and scheduling class was easy to use and let me change scheduled drives if our personal schedule changed. Instructor really worked hard to instill excellent driving habits. I am please how observant my son is when he drives . They take care of state testing as well.

Manish Rajbhandari

I passed driving test on my first try, all thanks to Douglas Erickson (U-District), he is extremely patient, informative and very very outstanding instructor. I highly recommend this school (make sure you ask for Douglas Erickson). Thank you so much Doug.

Flames n' Stuff

Great driving school. Very good and engaging classes. The instructed drives are very helpful and give you a lot of tips. I would recommend this driving school to everyone looking for a drivers Ed course.

Pearl Philip

Had a great experience learning here. Brian was a great instructor and all his instructions were clear and helpful. Scheduling classes and tests online was a very easy process, and though it is slightly expensive, I think that the ease of everything made it worth it.

Yoko C

Overall my experience was good. Jordan was a great instructor and gave me bass playing tips, in addition to driving tips. Everyone there seems pretty friendly. The only problem was that the administration side was kind of a pain to deal with. I would not recommend getting a lesson package because you won't be able to get any refunds. The way they do scheduling is also annoying. After you pay for what you want online, you have to wait 1-2 days for them to call you to set up appointments. Online scheduling would be much better.

Gabriel Heinrichs

Despite the fact that all classes are on zoom, DDS was still able to give me valuable education about the rules of the road. The instructors are friendly, but also professional at the same time. I feel confident on the road thanks to DDS!

Aayush Mitra

Bryan is one of the best! The most experienced person at defense. What matters is that he is patient and a nice guy. He won’t shout at you for making mistakes. New drivers need positive reinforcements. I don’t want to be taking any names but there are couple of horrible instructors here as well. Stick to Bryan and have fun driving.

Johnathon Eaton

Jim green if your seeing this I owe my driver license to you. Jim made sure to make me feel right at home not only did he do that but he basically taught me how to parallel park in just a few minutes during our hour training drive if you ever get to choose an instructor you choose Jim he's all around gonna make you feel good about driving with an instructor while teaching you solid technique for some of those scary scenarios we all make in our head . Jim thanks again you really are on of a kind

Hayley M

I am a student driver learning under Bryan at the U district location and this is the letter I felt needed to be said. I have bad anxiety and I was referred to Bryan and I could not have asked for a better instructor Good morning, I am a student learning how to drive with Brian at the u district location. I just wanted to let him know and everyone know he helped me save my moms life. By helping me to learn to stay calm and aware of my surroundings. Definitely need to practice some more parallel parking my next session on Tuesday! But please let him know, and all of you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. My time learning with defensive driving has been well worth it!!

CHAO TAN

I had both knowledge test and skill lesson & test here, people are very friendly and simple. Special thanks to Christian not only for his restriction on safe driving and attitude of good driver, but some great practical and effective tips on parking. Recommend!

Mia Zhang

I had road test with Jim Green, he is really nice and patient.

Minori Watanabe

My son learned a lot from the class, and he liked the instructors. I sat in the car when he had his first driving lesson, and I thought the instructor was very patient and calm. Whenever I had a question, the customer service was very helpful too.

Shelley Godwin

My son had a great experience with Defensive Driving School—especially driving with Marty. We would recommend this school to others.

Zhiying Xu

Great driving school! Christian is a great instructor. He’s friendly, patient and professional, explained those driving skills very well. Highly recommend this school!

Soumya

I took my knowledge test, some classes, and my skill test here - with Jimmy Green. Had a good experience with all of these sessions. Very professional, experienced instructors, fair testing. Thanks

Yiyang Chen

Had a driving warm up and test with Christian. Super friendly guy and explanations during the warm up were essential to passing the driving test. Thanks to Christian I kept calm during the test and used the knowledge acquired in the warm up to execute all maneuvers smoothly.

Harshit Modi

Jimmy was super cool and friendly. Skill test went super smooth and was able to drive confidently and passed it. Really thankful to instructor for being such welcoming.

Lilith Lysistrata

Did a good job teaching my teenager to drive. I signed her up for the collision avoidance course as well, which she loved and said gave her so much more confidence in her ability to avoid accidents. I highly recommend the base course but especially the collision avoidance course.

Tina Kishore

i enjoyed my classes with both Mary and Natalie. Despite my driving experience of 28 years I found value in their instructions and guidance and a very calming attitude. definitely recommended!

Debika Dutt

Bryan is an awesome instructor. He taught me driving by giving so much helpful tips. The school is also very responsive to emails and calls.

Rashmi Venkatesh

I am really happy about the experience I had with Defensive Driving school. I was coached by Christian Holtz, he has been extremely informative, teaches with lot of patience and is very professional, which is really appreciable.

Jun Li

Mr. Christian is extremely patient with students. Enjoyed every class I had with him. But the office is only a place where the instructors rest, customer service is only available via phone.

Jordi Folch

Pleasant experience! Classes were sometimes overly joyful. often jokes were made about people dying in car crashes and taking long walks off short piers. Wasnt supposed to be any fun, but this class was really a bright spot in my day.

Kalan Woods-Torrez

I attended a teen course at defensive driving school and loved it! I would highly recommend them! Scheduling was a breeze, everyone was very friendly and I feel like I am more than prepared to hit the road

Ruslana S

My daughter really enjoyed her time at this school. Drives were easy to schedule and instructors, Luther and Brian were exceptional.

Petyr Xyst

Overall a very good experience in training and skills testing, although encountered some hiccups at the Bellevue location due to possible racial prejudice by an examiner (the staff were very responsive to this though, and actively worked to make things right).

Timmy Prince

I took drivers Ed here and all I want to say is that Mr. Green is an amazing teacher and person and Is awesome

Elisa Bello

Very nice staff! Quick services. I got my American driving licence in 3 days. Writing test on Saturday and driving test on Monday.

Jonathan Coleman

I passed with Defensive Driving School and can recommend Christian Holtz (U-District). He is a really knowledgeable teacher, and made me feel comfortable on the road.

Ami Gloudeman

My driving experience with Christian was very insightful. He had may great tips and was very knowledgable and informative! Glad I took the class!

Big Mac

Has good staff and gives you the necessary information. Courses focus more on information about driving than actually driving around so the course is good if you can get a family member to drive you around

xiaodan zheng

I took 15 one-hour lessons at the driving school, haven't passed the driving test though. My instructor Christian is very nice and helpful.

Steve Riley

Tyson was great, after my test he gave me good feedback about things I need to work on. This school will make you a better driver.

himaneesh pathak

Tyson Williams is the best in here, if you wish to schedule your driving test, so calm and motivating.

Aidan Alls

Okay. The instructor I had was a nice person, but an... interesting teacher. Quite the experience. But I will say that I can drive now, so there's that.

Monica Monica

Michael explains everything really well! His tips were extremely useful and really helped me finally understand parallel parking! Thank you!

Siyan Shen

Vincent is great!! He gives clear instructions and doesn’t make you feel nervous at all!

yogitha bellamkonda

Mr.Isaac Kim is an amazing instructor. I would highly recommend defensive driving School in Issaquah.

Tracy Brown

The classes were run very smooth and they provided good information to our teen driver . Staff was very polite and easy to work with.

Miguel Prado

Everything was great but the only reason I gave it a 4 star is because it is taking longer than expected to get started on my drivers license testing

Steven Henry

My daughter was pretty terrified of getting behind the wheel and going into actual traffic, but Defensive Driving School has done a great job easing her into things and building her confidence.

Andy Lewis

My son really enjoyed his education here. It was easy to manage the schedule and he said his drives were very helpful.

liz beth

Great intructor. Good teaching. Learned a great deal about defensive driving. Intructors know the content, and adapt to each learner

Lisa Hewson

Natalie is a great instructor, both in the classroom and on drives. I would highly recommend DDS.

Jeff Higgins

Great communication. Helpful and flexible staff. Great experience. My daughter really enjoyed her instructors.

vant 001

Very nice class. Was easy to schedule and change drives. Had Jordan, was really good at explaining the material.

Jonathan Gregory

Great instructor and an absolute blast. The class was fun and easygoing and I learned a lot.

Karen Davis

Both my kids went through DDS. They did a great job of helping them become safe, defensive drivers.

Jamie Strayer

Great instruction. Made it easy for my son to obtain his driver's license and learn to be an excellent driver.

Nicholas Chang

Best driving school experience ever, even when virtual. Friendly, informative and super cool.

Isaiah Larkin

Follow me on Instagram Isaiahlarkin_official And in YouTube @ isaiah Larkin Tyson is the best Instructor ever

Drea Laird

Bryan Davis is very nice, on drives he's very patient. Nice learning experience.

Julie Siegel

Great experience with this school! The instructors were relaxed and great with my son.

Blythe Simmons

My daughter enjoyed her classes and liked the instructors at Defensive Driving School.

abhinav chatterji

Seamless process. Very accommodating of last minute requests. Look out for Christian Holtz, he's the BEST there.

Emmett McFarland

My driving teacher is an odd duck but super informative and not the worst class ever

Sally Pooh

Great instructors. Taught me how to drive safety and defensively.

Mallory Keenan

Very helpful, love the instructors so much!!

Irina Wi

I passed the knowledge test. Normal place. The instructor is kind.

Jacqui Sinatra

Excellent program. Comprehensive coverage of current driving issues with professional staff.

Rylan Harwood

Great experience, Jordan was great and kept my 6 hours a week worthwhile.

Kevin Oyama

The only thing I would ask is if they would allow more than 1 drive a week, maybe 1 drive every 5 days or some ratio other than 1:7.

Katherine Gudgel

I think my daughter will be well-prepared for driving after completing this course.

ABDIMAJIID Osman

Best

Isabella Cursino

I strongly recommend instructor Christian.

Caleb Backer

Nice people doing a nice job. Gary will teach u life lessons.

Riizen Java

staff are friendly and overall has a good energy

Keyon Parks

This place is great. Great instructors and Class

Beth Trigg

Professional, customer service oriented and exceptional communication. Would definitely recommend.

Slimey the Slug

lessons were very clear and well structured.

Trenton Gerhard

Very informative, thorough, and entertaining. A good job all-around.

Michael A Chen

Great classroom teachers and driving instructors for teens.

Ella Buzzo

Awesome School, definitely will recommend to my friends! :)

Nikhil Siddam

Needs a water fountain but it is fun to enjoy and learn the ways of the road

Charles Gwynn

J cassidy is straight flames. Sad that he is leaving... F in chat

Daniel Chen

Cool place, good instructors, learned a lot.

William Cunningham

Luther is cool, and you learn to drive supper fast.

Marius Behler

Least boring as it could be for a driving school. s/o Jordan Cassidy

Arie T

In depth lessons, very sweet people who are very educational

Audrey Harris

This is the best class I‘ve ever taken in my life

Gabriella Wessel

Classes are well adapted to online format

荆垚

Driving test passed here, great decorating inside

Claire

Very calm and clear instructors.

Grace Fosado

Great program! Very organized.

Deion Edmonds

Great teaching and very nice.

kathleen gallant

Excellent school and highly recommended!

Clara Lemme Ribeiro

The staff is amazing!

Rodrigo Guillermo Tintor Pérez

Great place for learning how to drive

Eli Wolfe

verla and vallare are the pluggggs

Max Rose

Easy drive scheduling, great website

Zachary Saelens

Aight

xenia x

Great experience

Lucas Tuppeny

Kyle is a beast.

Nicholas Matz

great

Pugsly Magillacutty

Great company!

Adela Crisan

Great school!!

Jay Sam

nice instructors

Asa Gilmore

kyle is chill

Alex Hunter

Marc is the goat

Elianna Rothstein

Clay and Paul are great teachers who helped me learn how to drive and we’re always available to help me

Tina Mertz

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