Consumer Alert: NYS DMV Warns Consumers To Steer Clear Of Illegal Driving School In Albany
DMV Encourages Consumers to Check DMV Website for Licensed Driving Schools Before Signing Up
The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles is warning prospective drivers to steer clear of Learn to Drive driving school which continues to operate illegally despite having its operating license revoked by the DMV.
Learn to Drive runs out of 235 Lark Street in Albany and promotes on its website, nydrives.com, that it is NYS Certified. It also advertises itself as both a driving school and pre-licensing course provider, however, the business is not authorized to conduct driving lessons or pre-licensing courses and people should not do business with them.
“This kind of illegal operation does more than dupe victims out of their money—it jeopardizes the safety of every person that the business provides driving instruction to and everyone else on the road around them,” said DMV Commissioner and Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee Chair Mark J.F. Schroeder. “DMV will do everything it can to expose these nefarious operators and protect innocent New Yorkers from becoming victims. We also encourage all perspective drivers to use our website, which makes it easy to find one of the many terrific driving schools in New York State.”
Complaints against Learn to Drive include but are not limited to paying for driving instruction that was not given; students being asked to drive in vehicles that were not inspected and road-ready; and students being used to pick up and drop off unknown individuals who were not receiving driving instruction.
It is important to ONLY take instruction from a licensed and fully vetted driving school for the quality of instruction as well as the safety of the student. In addition, any driving instruction or pre-licensing course certificate provided by an unlicensed school cannot be accepted by the DMV.
Students looking for a licensed driving school can find one on DMV’s website. The search tool enables customers to enter their city or ZIP Code, the search distance, and what kind of vehicle they wish to learn to drive: auto, motorcycle, truck, bus, or tractor trailer. It also helps drivers find a place to take the pre-licensing course.
DMV also provides a page on its website with a list of online pre-licensing providers.
Customers looking for any DMV-regulated business, such as a car dealer or repair shop, can also find approved businesses on the DMV website.
For more information about the DMV, visit dmv.ny.gov or follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn.
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