Defensive Driving

Provided by the Northeastern New York Safety & Health Council

Courses provided are approved by the Department of Motor Vehicles, and 2025 pricing is as follows:

  • $31 for the classroom course
  • $21 for the online course

The course is available to all active, dues-paying PEF members and retirees, as well as immediate family members who reside in New York State.

To be eligible for this discounted rate, you must complete the Northeastern New York Safety & Health Council’s 6-hour DDC through one of PEF MBP’s approved classroom locations, or you may take the online course.

Take Advantage of These Key Benefits

  • Refresh your driving knowledge
  • The number of points on your driving record used to calculate the number of total points received within 18 months, will be reduced by 4 points. (PLEASE NOTE: taking the course does not remove a violation, conviction, or the number of points from your driving record. Most violations, convictions, and points will continue to show on a driving record for up to 4 years.)
  • 4 points are ‘subtracted’ for the purpose of calculating a suspension if you have 11 or more points the tickets/points do not physically come off your driving record
  • Reduce the base rate of your auto and motorcycle insurance premiums 10% each year for three years
  • Improve your overall driving skills

Completing a course does not:

  • Prevent a mandatory suspension or revocation
  • Eliminate your responsibility to pay a driver responsibility assessment
  • Reduce a future driver violation point

Who Should Take the Course

  • New drivers just receiving their driver’s license
  • PEF members, retirees, and immediate family members who spend a lot of time behind the wheel
  • Violators who have incurred points on their driving record
  • Anyone who wants to lower their insurance

Key Features

  • You receive a 10% discount from the base rate of your current liability, no-fault, and collision premiums (including property damage, bodily injury, and personal injury protection) each year for three years.
  • The three year discount applies to premiums for all vehicles for which you are listed as principal operator, including:
    • Automobiles
    • Trucks
    • Recreational vehicles
    • Motorcycles

The New York State Point System is a way for the NYS DMV to identify and take action against high-risk drivers. The DMV assigns points for certain traffic violations. If you get 11 points in an 18-month period, your driver license may be suspended.* Taking a DMV-approved Point and Insurance Reduction Program course will help to prevent you from losing your license if you have accrued more than 11 points on your driving record. The Northeastern New York Safety & Health Council’s Defensive Driving Course is a DMV-approved provider.

*May be taken once every 18 months for point reduction.

Upon Successful Completion of the Course

An official National Safety Council Certificate of Completion is mailed to you. Official certificates for both the classroom and online course must be mailed via USPS. This is a NYS DMV requirement. These are water mark certificates. Many insurance companies may be willing to accept unofficial certificates, however, they are not required to.

For classroom courses:

Certificates are issued from the National Safety Council in Syracuse, NY.  Leave adequate time for receipt of the certificate. It may take 6-8 weeks (42-56 days) to receive your certificate.

  • If you do not receive your certificate from your classroom course and you reach out to the National Safety Council in Syracuse, NY at (800) 962-3434 within 3 months of taking the course, they will send you a new certificate at no cost. There is a $10 fee for duplicate certificates requested after 6 months of course completion and for requests to have a certificate emailed or mailed to a different address than what is on file from the course registration.
  • If you are eligible, the DMV will automatically apply the point reduction to your driving record.
  • You are responsible for submitting the Certificate of Completion to your insurance company, who will automatically apply the reduction to your policy.

For online courses:

Certificates and data entry is completed by Safety Serve in Syracuse, NY and they are printed and mailed out of Illinois. Leave adequate time for receipt of the certificate. Official certificates are usually issued within 7-10 days from course completion date and received within 14 days.

  • If you do not receive a certificate from your online course, please call Safety Serve at (800) 962-3434 within 3 months of taking the course, they will send you a new certificate at no cost. There is a $10 fee for duplicate certificates requested after 6 months of course completion and for requests to have a certificate emailed or mailed to a different address than what is on file from the course registration.
  • If you are eligible, the DMV will automatically apply the point reduction to your driving record.
  • You are responsible for submitting the Certificate of Completion to your insurance company, who will automatically apply the reduction to your policy.

Learn more about point reduction via the Point and Insurance Reduction Program (PIRP—also known as the Defensive Driving Course)

To register or for more information use the buttons below:

Traditional Defensive Driving Online Defensive Driving