How Do I Get My License?

This is Elite Driving School

At Elite Driving School we are dedicated to offering you top quality, flexible, and fun driving instruction at a great price. We proudly serve Richfield, Minneapolis, Bloomington, Edina, St. Louis Park, Plymouth, Eden Prairie, St Paul, Eagan and the surrounding areas. We are easy to get to, and we will even pick you up from your home for Behind The Wheel (call for service area).

Driver's education is our passion. This is not a part-time job. We believe that learning to drive is about so much more than passing a test and getting your license. We want to prepare you for a lifetime of safe driving.

Classroom

Complete Classroom Instruction and Prepare for Your MN Knowledge Test

The first step towards driving in Minnesota is taking Classroom instruction. You can sign up when you are at least 14.5 years or older.

You must complete 30 hours of classroom instruction. We have designed our classroom schedule to fit into a busy teen's life. How it works is simple. There are 10 numbered classes (each 3 hours long) that you can start at any time and take in any order and at your own pace. Get done in as quickly as two weeks, or spread them out at your convenience.

Our modern teacher-led curriculum is designed with today's teen in mind. It's filled with interactive games, media, discussion, and quizzes. You never just sit around and read a workbook. The bonus? Our classes are fun! You'll learn more if you actually want to be there.

The State of MN is temporarily allowing driver’s ed schools to offer classes virtually. In June 2022 we will offer most of our morning classes online using Google Classroom and Google Meet. Our afternoon classes will be in person at our Richfield classroom. See our classroom schedule for upcoming options.

(Starting in July 2022, the State of MN plans to require that all classes shift to in person. There is a chance that this policy will be reversed. We are waiting to hear if we can continue to hold some classes virtually. If you do not complete your classes in June, you might need to finish in person in our Richfield classroom.)

+ How To Schedule Classes

Complete our Registration Form and sign up for our "Classroom & Behind the Wheel" or "Classroom Only" packages and create your account in our online portal.
Schedule the classes you want to attend. While you are logged into your portal, you can choose the dates you plan to attend class (and you can log in anytime to change or add dates).
If your class is online... The week of your first class, we'll email you instructions to log in to the Google Classroom and Google Meet. Make sure to log in for your first class at least 15 minutes early to allow time for troubleshooting if there are technical difficulties.
Finish Your Classes and Get Your "Blue Card" or Letter of Classroom Completion: When you have completed all 10 classes, and if you are enrolled in Behind the Wheel with us, then we can give you your "Blue Card" that you need to take your MN Knowledge Exam. Or if you plan to take your Behind the Wheel lessons at another school, then we can give you a “Letter of Classroom Completion” to take to the other school. Once you register for Behind the Wheel with them, then they can give you a Blue Card.
Take Your MN Class D Knowledge Exam. Once you have your blue card and are at least 15 years old, you can take your knowledge exam to earn your permit. Visit MN Driver and Vehicle Services to schedule your test, note what paperwork you need to bring to the appointment, and look for any special Covid regulations.

Behind the Wheel

Complete your Behind the Wheel (BTW) Requirements and Prepare for Your MN Road Test

After you earn your permit, then it's time to start our Behind The Wheel program, which consists of 3 two-hour sessions. Don't get tricked by other schools who offer simulator training to replace 2 hours of BTW training. We would never replace real world experience with a computer program.

For BTW sessions we'll pick you up at your house or another selected location (like school). We hire reliable and patient instructors trained to work with drivers of all skill levels. We only select cars that have the highest safety rating, front and side impact airbags, ABS brakes, and traction control. And we use hybrid vehicles to be green and save you money.

We also teach BTW lessons to teens who completed the classroom portion at another school, we teach adult learners (18+), and you can schedule one of our instructors and a vehicle to take you to your road test.

TEMPORARY NOTICE:

Due to the impact of the pandemic, our Behind the Wheel scheduling is working a little differently than normal right now. Driving schools (like most industries) are experiencing a labor shortage and we are working to catch up.

Please be prepared that we will prioritize lessons for students who have a road test scheduled. If your student does not have a road test scheduled, they might need to wait to begin their lessons until they have a test scheduled.

To ensure you can finish your lessons before your road test, you must:

Schedule your road test with at least 2 months notice.
Notify us immediately when you schedule your road test (email us your test confirmation from the state), and we will put you on our priority scheduling list.
Families who fail to follow these procedures might need to reschedule their road test.

+ How To Schedule Behind the Wheel Lessons

Notify us as soon as you get your permit. Send us your student's name and date of birth when you get your permit and we will activate your "Schedule 2 Drive" account and email you the instructions to schedule lessons. (Please note this site is different from our online classroom portal.)
Start practicing with a parent/guardian. The State of MN requires you to complete 50 hours of Behind the Wheel training (15 of those hours must be at night) with a parent or guardian who is at least 21 years of age. You must log the hours on this State of MN Supervised Driving Log and turn it in at your road test.
Schedule your BTW Lessons. As stated above, due to the pandemic/labor shortage, our scheduling is working a little differently right now. During this strange time you have two different ways to schedule your lessons:
1. If you do not have a road test scheduled, then you can try to get a lesson scheduled in our online system.
  - Make sure you have sent us your student's name and date of birth when you got your permit so we can activate your Schedule 2 Drive account (our online BTW scheduling site).
  - Follow these Schedule 2 Drive instructions to access our online BTW scheduling site. (You do not need to create an account or enter a school code.)
  - Every Monday morning at 8am we are publishing some open slots in Schedule 2 Drive for the next couple of weeks. They are available first-come first-served. This is a great way to schedule your 1st or 2nd lessons, but be patient because spots do fill up fast, often within minutes. We ask that you schedule no more than one lesson per month in our online system to make sure that other students can also schedule lessons. If you can't find any open spots online don't worry - simply contact us when you have a road test scheduled and we will put you on our priority list.
2. If you have a road test scheduled: Get on our Priority Scheduling List.
  1. Notify us immediately when you schedule your road test, and schedule it with at least 2 months notice: Email us your test confirmation from the state right away. We will put you on a priority list to call you to schedule your lessons before your test. We are contacting students with the earliest road tests first.
  2. Do not schedule a test with less than two months notice or you might need to reschedule your test.
Finish Your 3 BTW Lessons and Get Your "White Card" to take to Your MN Road Test.
Take your MN Road Test. You can take your Road test once you have your White card, you are at least 16 years old, and you have had your permit for at least 180 days. Visit MN Driver and Vehicle Services to schedule your test. Be sure to note the paperwork you need to bring to the appointment (including your White Card, permit, proof of insurance and Supervised Driving Log) and any special Covid regulations.

Online Student/Parent Portal

Our secure online portal makes it quick and easy to register, track your completed classes, and schedule Behind the Wheel Sessions.

Parent Class

We offer a monthly 90-minute parent class to help you get the most out of your drivers education experience. Teaching your teen to drive can be a confusing time and we want you to have everything you need to be successful.

We will answer all of your questions about how driver's education works. You'll get a refresher on Minnesota driving rules, learn about testing guidelines and Minnesota's Graduated Driver's Licensing Program, and get tips for teaching your teen to be a safe and responsible driver.

Your safety is our goal.

Please check out our FAQ's,

Important Customer Notice: Behind the Wheel Scheduling and Covid Updates.