Can you take DUI school online in Georgia?

You can't take Georgia DUI school as a self-paced online course, because the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) does not accept certificates from online DUI courses. You can take it live online: Georgia's rules let DDS-certified programs teach the class over video, in real time, with a certified instructor, and that class counts the same as one in a classroom.

The official name for DUI school is the DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program. The words "online" and "virtual" get used loosely, so this page explains exactly which kind of class DDS accepts, what DDS requires of remote students, how to check that a school is certified, and what happens if you pick the wrong one.

Online DUI school vs. live virtual vs. in person

The difference comes down to one thing: whether a certified instructor is teaching you live, at a set time. DDS says certificates from online DUI, alcohol or drug use risk reduction courses "cannot be accepted by the DDS for any purposes related to an individual's driver's license or driving privileges." That covers the kind of course you click through alone, whenever you like.

	Self-paced online course	Live virtual class	In-person class
How it works	Videos or slides you finish on your own time	Real-time video class at a scheduled time on a platform such as Zoom	Classroom at the school's DDS-certified location
Accepted by Georgia DDS?	No	Yes, from a DDS-certified program	Yes, from a DDS-certified program
Live DDS-certified instructor	No	Yes, on camera for the whole class	Yes
The 130-question assessment	Not the DDS-designated NEEDS Assessment	May be given remotely under DDS guidelines, or at the school's office	At the school's certified location
Cost	Varies, and you'll pay $360 again for a real class	$360	$360
Attendance rules	None	Same as a classroom: all 20 hours, no late log-ins, no leaving early, sessions in order	All 20 hours, no late arrivals, no leaving early, sessions in order
Group interaction	No	Yes, live with the instructor and classmates	Yes
What you need	A browser	A device with a working camera and microphone, reliable internet, power and data for the whole session, a quiet seated spot, the platform installed beforehand	Transportation to every session, photo ID, your paperwork
Certificate	Not accepted for license, reinstatement or court purposes	DDS Certificate of Completion within one business day	DDS Certificate of Completion within one business day

What the Georgia rules say about remote DUI classes

The rules for Risk Reduction Programs are in Chapter 375-5-6 of the Georgia rules and regulations. Rule 375-5-6-.18(14) says a certified program "may utilize remote services for classroom instruction and the administration of assessments," through web services "such as, but not limited to, Skype, Zoom, or Webex."

The same rule sets the condition that makes it different from an online course: "Instruction must be synchronous allowing for real-time instruction and interaction in a specific virtual place, through a specific online platform, at a specific time." Programs that teach remotely must notify DDS at least 24 hours before class starts, keep rosters and student documents as the rules require, and stay subject to all DDS monitoring, training and auditing.

Rule 375-5-6-.02 supplies the definitions. An "Online Platform" is a digital service used for interactions between instructors and students over the internet. A "Remote Classroom" is "a certified program's online classroom where synchronous instruction is provided by an Instructor." And "Synchronous Instruction" means "instructors and students interact using a specific online platform at a specific time." DDS's own remote classroom guidelines put it plainly: remote instruction happens at a scheduled time with the instructor and students, and "this is not online instruction that is completed at the student's discretion."

The DDS remote classroom rules

The DDS Policies and Procedures Guide for Risk Reduction Programs includes, as Appendix A, the Program Guidelines for Conducting Remote Classroom Instruction, which every school owner and instructor teaching remotely has to sign. Most of it governs the school, but it tells you what a legitimate live class looks like from the inside.

What the school has to do

• Teach through a video conferencing platform such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams, using synchronous learning at a scheduled time.
• For a hybrid class, where some students are remote and some are in the classroom, the instructor must be physically present in the school's certified classroom.
• Keep the class at 40 students or fewer, and never more than the school's certification allows.
• Email the DDS Field Analyst before every class with the platform, the class link, code and password, before the first session starts.
• Create the class in DDS's Online Certification Reporting Application (OCRA) before it starts and add every student to the roster, noting that it's taught remotely.
• Have the instructor logged in before the start time, on camera, trained on the platform and responsible for monitoring and engaging students.
• Teach from the approved DUI/RRP syllabus, with breaks and lunch as the rules require.
• Keep student documents with personal information in a secure location at the certified program, and return all supporting documents (tests, surveys and so on) to that location within 24 hours of the class completion date.

What DDS expects from you

DDS holds remote students "to the same standards as if they were in an actual classroom setting." Its guidelines list examples and say the list isn't complete, so your school may have more rules, but these are the ones DDS spells out:

• Stay on camera. You must be visible for every session, apart from breaks, and appropriately dressed. Audio only, a still photo, a screenshot or a view of the ceiling doesn't count.
• Log in on time and stay to the end. You can't join late or leave early.
• Sit somewhere quiet. You need to be seated and away from distractions. No lying in bed, working, shopping, cooking, babysitting or talking to others.
• Never attend from the road. You can't operate a motor vehicle while you're in class.
• Only you. Only students who contracted for the course can attend, so no children or roommates in the class, apart from accommodations for students who need help to read or write or who have a disability.
• Keep your background appropriate. Nothing showing alcohol, illegal drugs, partially dressed people or anything that could be considered offensive.
• Mute when you aren't speaking, and don't record the session.
• No drinking, vaping or tobacco during sessions.
• Check your tech first. Download the platform before class and make sure your internet, power and data will last the whole session.

Can you do the DUI assessment remotely?

Yes, Georgia's rules allow it. DUI school has two parts: a 130-question assessment that screens your alcohol and drug use, and the 20-hour class. Rule 375-5-6-.18 covers both when it allows remote services for "classroom instruction and the administration of assessments."

The DDS policies guide adds that assessments may only be given under the DDS remote classroom guidelines or at the program's certified location, in a setting that gives you privacy and is free from distractions. Your results are confidential and may only be discussed with you in private. How a school runs the assessment is up to that school, so ask when you register whether you'll take it remotely or at the office. To learn more about the assessment and the class itself, see what you learn in DUI school.

How to verify a DUI school is certified

DDS says only DDS-certified schools are approved for DUI programs, and it asks you to verify a school's certification on its website before you enroll. Here's how, in order:

1. Open the DDS Certified DUI Schools page. Choose "I am a resident of Georgia" to open the DDS list of certified programs. DDS notes the list exists only to identify approved programs; it doesn't endorse or prefer any school over another.
2. Match the name exactly. Rule 375-5-6-.25 requires every ad to carry the program's approved certified name and certification number, and Rule 375-5-6-.17 bars programs from using "state" in their names or suggesting the state runs them. If the name on the website doesn't match the name on the DDS list, ask why.
3. Look for the certification number. It must appear in the school's advertising and, under Rule 375-5-6-.16, at the top of both contracts you sign, along with the school's address and phone number.
4. Check the price. The cost is set by law at $360, and Rule 375-5-6-.26 forbids free, reduced or inflated fees. Anything else is a red flag. Our breakdown of what DUI school costs in Georgia has the details.
5. Ask how the class is taught. A certified program teaches on a set schedule with a live instructor, in a certified classroom or a live remote classroom. If you can "start any time" and "go at your own pace," it isn't a Georgia Risk Reduction Program.
6. If in doubt, call DDS. The DDS Customer Contact Center is (678) 413-8400.

Program certifications are valid for up to four years, so a school that was certified years ago should still be on the current list. If it isn't, don't pay.

What happens if you take a non-certified course

DDS says classes taken at uncertified schools "will not be accepted for licensing, reinstatement, or court requirements." In practice that means:

• Your license stays suspended. For a first DUI at 21 or older, DDS requires a Certificate of Completion from a DDS-approved Risk Reduction Program before you can reinstate after 120 days. An online certificate doesn't meet that requirement, so the clock keeps running while you find a real class.
• You pay twice. You'll still need to complete the full program at a certified school, and pay the $360 on top of what you already spent.
• Your court may not accept it either. If your sentence requires DUI school, ask the court or your probation officer before you assume an online certificate satisfies it.
• Timing still matters for the real class. Under Rule 375-3-3-.05, DDS only accepts a certificate for a course taken and completed after the violation date that caused your suspension. That's true of the certified class you take next, too.

What if you're late, drop offline or miss a session?

The attendance rules don't relax because you're at home. Rule 375-5-6-.15 says every student must attend the entire 20 hours, and no student may be admitted late or dismissed early from any session. DDS says students who arrive late to any session can expect to be denied entry, and students who are absent or leave early may need to start the course over and pay the full cost again. Whether you get a refund or a makeup is between you and the school, under the contract you signed.

The rules allow one exception. If your absence is excused, meaning military duty, a personal medical emergency or one involving an immediate family member, or a death in your immediate family, you may attend another class to make up the sessions you missed. The school owner may excuse other absences at their discretion. A dropped connection isn't on the list, so treat your setup as seriously as you'd treat the drive to a classroom. For the full scheduling picture, see how long DUI school takes in Georgia.

Does a live online class take less time?

No. The class is the same 20 hours online or in person, spread over several sessions, with all sessions inside four weeks and no more than two in a day. DDS says that in most cases the whole course takes less than a week. What a live virtual class can save you is the drive. For many people that's the difference between fitting the class around work and missing a session.

If you live outside Georgia

Two situations come up. If you have a Georgia DUI but live in another state, DDS publishes DUI School Guidelines for Other States, with a page for each state, and suggests reviewing it or calling the Customer Contact Center at (678) 413-8400 before you enroll anywhere. If your license is suspended in another state because of a DUI, DDS says you can't get a Georgia license until that state's reinstatement requirements have been met. A live virtual class from a Georgia-certified program may be convenient, but confirm with DDS, and with the other state, that it will count before you sign a contract. Our complete guide to Georgia DUI school covers the other special cases.

Key terms

• Risk Reduction Program: The DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program, Georgia's DUI school: a DDS-designated assessment plus a 20-hour class taught by certified programs.
• Synchronous instruction: Instructors and students interacting through a specific online platform at a specific time. The only remote format Georgia's rules allow.
• Remote classroom: A certified program's online classroom where an instructor provides synchronous instruction.
• Online platform: A digital service, such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams, used for interactions between instructors and students over the internet.
• Hybrid class: A class where some students attend remotely and some in the certified classroom. DDS requires the instructor to be present in the classroom.
• Certified program: A Risk Reduction Program that DDS has certified to deliver the assessment and the class. Only certified programs may advertise, and their certificates are the only ones DDS accepts.
• Certificate of Completion: The document a certified school issues within one business day of your finishing both components. It's what DDS needs for reinstatement.
• OCRA: DDS's Online Certification Reporting Application, where schools create each class and add students to the roster before it starts.

Checklist before you enroll in a live online DUI class

• The school is on the DDS Certified DUI Schools list under the same name it uses on its website.
• Its certification number appears in its ads and on your contracts.
• The price is $360: $100 assessment, $235 class, $25 workbook.
• The class has fixed session dates and times, and you've checked every one against work, childcare and court dates.
• You know whether the assessment is given remotely or at the office, and when.
• You know which platform the class uses and you've installed and tested it.
• Your camera and microphone work, and you have a quiet, seated spot with no one else in the room.
• Your internet, power and data will last the whole session, with a backup plan if they don't.
• You've asked whether the school will send your certificate to the court or probation officer.
• If your case is still open, you've asked your attorney whether to start DUI classes before your court date.

Taking DUI school live online with Athena

Athena DUI Academy & Family Enrichment is a Georgia DDS-certified Risk Reduction Program, RRP Cert #10432. We teach DUI school live online or in person at our Athens office, for the state price of $360.

1. Register online or by phone. Sign up, pay and fill out your DDS paperwork online, or call 706.215.9661 and we'll help.
2. Pick your class and format. You'll join our next scheduled class. You can't register and start class on the same day, so sign up early.
3. Get set up. For a live online class, test your camera, microphone and internet before the first session.
4. Attend every session and get your certificate. When needed, we send your certificate to the court, your probation officer or the clerk at no extra cost.

Qualifying students can take class now and pay later through Stripe. When you have your certificate, our guide to getting your license back after a DUI in Georgia explains the next step, and our DUI school in Athens page has class details.