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Who Is Eligible to Take the Arizona Defensive Driving Course (DDC)

To take the Arizona DDC for ticket dismissal, you must have an eligible citation, not have completed defensive driving in the past 12 months, and not hold a CDL.

Updated over 2 weeks ago

Who Is Eligible to Take the Arizona Defensive Driving Course (DDC)

To take the Arizona Defensive Driving Course for citation diversion, both you and your violation must meet eligibility requirements under A.R.S. § 28-3392. Driving Logic verifies your eligibility during registration before the course begins.

Driver Eligibility Requirements

You are eligible if all of the following apply:

  • You received a qualifying moving traffic citation from an Arizona court

  • You have not completed a defensive driving course within the past 12 months based on your citation date — not the date you enroll

  • You do not hold a Commercial Driver License (CDL) — CDL holders are ineligible even if the violation occurred in a personal vehicle

  • Your citation did not involve a collision resulting in death or serious physical injury

  • You have not already paid your traffic fine directly to the court — doing so permanently eliminates your diversion eligibility for that citation

Violation Eligibility

Only certain moving violations qualify for diversion. The Arizona Supreme Court maintains the official list of eligible violations at azcourts.gov. If your violation is not on the list, you cannot use the defensive driving course to dismiss it. Only one violation per citation can be diverted — if you received multiple violations on the same citation, only one is eligible for dismissal through the course.

Out-of-State Drivers

Out-of-state drivers who received a citation for a qualifying violation from an Arizona court are eligible for the program. The course is accepted statewide across all Arizona courts.

Court-Ordered Attendance

Some courts order drivers to attend a defensive driving course as part of a case. Court-ordered attendance is separate from standard diversion — the citation is not dismissed in the same way, and specific conditions are set by the court order. If you have a court order, contact Driving Logic before enrolling to ensure you are set up correctly.

Quick Facts

Detail

Information

Must have qualifying AZ citation

Yes

12-month waiting period

Yes — based on citation date to citation date

CDL holders eligible

No

Collision with death or serious injury

Not eligible

Paid fine directly to court

Not eligible

Out-of-state drivers eligible

Yes — if cited by AZ court

Multiple violations on one citation

Only one can be diverted

Eligibility verification

Completed by Driving Logic during registration

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my violation is eligible? The Arizona Supreme Court publishes the official list of eligible violations at azcourts.gov. You can also contact Driving Logic during registration and we can help confirm your eligibility.

I took a defensive driving course 11 months ago — am I eligible? No. The 12-month period is measured from your previous citation date to your current citation date. If fewer than 12 months have passed between those dates, you are not eligible.

I hold a CDL but was driving my personal car when cited — am I eligible? No. CDL holders are ineligible for the Arizona Defensive Driving Program regardless of what vehicle they were driving at the time of the citation.

I already paid my fine — can I still take the course? No. Paying your fine directly to the court eliminates your diversion eligibility for that citation. Contact the court directly if you have already paid and have questions about your options.

Can out-of-state drivers take the course? Yes. If you received an eligible citation from an Arizona court, you can take the course regardless of where your license was issued.

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