Arizona's defensive driving program is administered by the judicial branch of Arizona, which can make changes to the program to make it continue to run smoothly. This includes the fees that you have to pay to attend a defensive driving course and where you can go to take a class.
2017 saw attempted changes on both of these fronts, impacting your rights and abilities to take a driving school program that could save your right to drive.
Fee Changes in Some Driving Schools
The Arizona Code of Judicial Administration allows each one of the justice courts and each of the driving schools in Arizona to set the fees for defensive driving diversion courses, like the defensive driving class or the traffic survival course.
Under §7-205(D)(6)(e)(1) of the Code, those changes can only be made on either April 1 or October 1, and any court making a change to their fee structure needs to report their decision at least a month before that date. Any changes to the fee, though, do not go into effect for six months after the decision. Any fees that need to be paid in the interim fall under the prior amount.
If you're looking to take a defensive driving course, this means you need to pay close attention not only to the amount that the court or the school is charging but also when the fee was posted. If the effective date of the fee was more than six months in the past, you should not wholly rely on the amount it says you'll need to pay.
Traffic Survival School's Bid for Online Attendance Dies
In addition to fee changes in many driving schools and some justice courts, 2017 also saw a proposed bill to let traffic survival school attendees take their course online. The bill, SB 1143, failed to get out of a committee hearing in the Senate.
As a result, if you have to take a traffic survival school class to keep your right to drive intact, it still has to be done in person, no matter the inconvenience. This is despite the fact that you can still take regular driving school classes online, without having to go anywhere to attend.
Arizona Criminal Traffic Attorneys Can Help
If you've been ticketed or arrested for a serious moving violation, like driving under the influence (DUI) or criminal speeding, you need legal help to protect your right to drive and avoid a costly conviction. Not only does a conviction impact your ability to drive from one point to another – a necessity in such a large and spread out state as Arizona – it can come with steep fines and potentially even jail time, not to mention serious difficulties getting to and from work while your license is suspended.
The attorneys at the Arizona Criminal Traffic Law Firm work to help people who are facing these legal issues. Contact us online or call our law office at (888) 202-9222 for the legal representation you need.
