Rated 4.84 / 5 from 25 reviews
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Bay Area Driving School Our educators will kindly provide you with all the necessary information needed to help you obtain your driver's license, remedial lessons, traffic school information, special drive test requests, or answer other questions that you may have. All instructors are licensed by the Department of Motor Vehicles of California. All instructors carry their credentials with them when providing driving lessons. You will find our instructors are friendly, patient, professional and competent.
Highlights and features
  • Adult Courses, Teen Courses, Defensive Courses, Online Courses
Associations and certifications
  • Driving School Association of California
  • Better Business Bureau
Services
Classroom Instruction
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Driver's Education is the FIRST step for teens to obtain a learner's permit and driver's license. This course sets the foundation for behind-the-wheel, Driver's Training and is in accordance with the guidelines set by the Department of Education and DMV. Upon successful completion, students will receive a certificate of completion (OL237). This class is a Requirement for teens under 17 1/2 years old to obtain learner's permit and license.
Teen Driver's Training - 6 Hours
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Teen Driver's Training - 6 Hours This is divided into three, 2-hour lessons. Students will learn basic driving skills to operate a motor vehicle safely and proper driving techniques. We will also include an introduction to defensive driving and DMV drive test preparation. We provide free home, school or work pick-up and return. Lessons offered Monday through Saturday. Upon completion, students will be issued a certificate (OL238) as required by the DMV. Student will also receive a written evaluation of their driving performance.
Adult Professional 2-hour Driving Lesson
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Adult Professional 2-hour Driving Lesson Learning to drive and receiving a driver's license is a milestone in one's life. The key to becoming a safe driver is having a competent instructor. Our instructors are patient, friendly, and professional. Learning to drive will be a pleasant and positive experience with Bay Area Driving School. Each lesson is a minimum 2 hours. Lessons are given daily, seven days a week.

We also provide for FREE home, work, or school pick up and return. If you do not have your permit, you may can still schedule your driving lesson with our Student License Program. You may also be interested in our Permit Service, assistance to help prepare your for the written test.
Student License Program
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If you do not have a permit and would like to start driving now, you can! Bay Area Driving School has the authority to issue "Student License" to qualified applicants. With a student license, you may drive with our driving school prior to obtaining your learners permit. Our professional and patient instructors will guide you through your driver training experience by building your confidence, teaching you safe driving skills, and preparing you to pass your DMV drive test.
Disabled Person's Program
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We offer special assistance for students needing to operate the vehicle with one hand. Our vehicles are equipped with rotational steering knobs that will enable the student to maintain proper control.
Reviews (25)
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Kiea J.
Apr 17, 2022
I took licenses With instructor John. I took my test Monday and passed on the first try with 3 minor errors. Two for stopping to close and one for turning my signal off to early I recommend this driving school. They are so helpful.
Jennifer F.
Oct 20, 2021
We have only had exceptional service throughout the years at Bay Area Driving School. Put our teens through both drivers education & training and they both passed with flying colors on their first try. Erika is an experienced instructor. She was always very patient, professional & thorough on each lesson. Also felt better as they used safety precautions during lessons in this pandemic. This school has been in the community for many years and it shows, quality instruction for your teens!
Kristine C.
Aug 27, 2021
Money well spent! Jonathan is the best instructor. He is very professional and patient! I appreciate his clear instructions and teaching strategy.
Fiona W.
Jul 21, 2021
My teenage son took their teen driver's education class and had several driving lessons with Yona. He says both the driver's ed class and Yona were great. Yona is a wonderful instructor and he attributes much of what he learned from Yona to his passing the being-the-wheel driving test the first time with only 1 point deduction. Every interaction I've had with BADS, from signing up for lessons to asking logistics questions, has been pleasant. I highly recommend BADS.
Michele M.
Jun 05, 2021
My Stepdaughter got her License Thanks To Yona For All Her Help And Support. Made Her Feel Comfortable and Relaxed Behind The Wheel. BADS Staff Is Great And Everything Went As Schedule and With Ease. Price was good. I Do Recommend BADS.
Teresa M.
Mar 31, 2021
This driving school was a good fit for my teenage daughter, her instructor was calm and knowledgeable. He made her feel confident and comfortable behind the wheel. The staff was easy to work with and answered all questions we had.
Rod M.
Mar 18, 2021
Got a ticket for crossing a double yellow line. DMV listed 1,350+ driving schools. The Lord led me to this one. Selected the on-line course, decided I was going to make the best of it and learn as much as I could. I decided to do it all in one sitting, took 6.5 hours. I paid attention, and it definitely has made me a much safer drive. Had a few issues with the web based course, spoke with "Erika" (owner), she could have not been nicer or more helpful.

She was with me every step of the way. Dependable, and cared. Her heart was in it. Yes, the 6.5 hours was taxing, but looking back, absolutely worth it. Seems this is a family owned business, started in late 1940s. I believe "Erica" is daughter or granddaughter or folks who started this business. There is a reason they are still in business.think about that!. this is a reputable, dependable outfit who will stand behind you and be there if there are any issues. I recommend them without reservation.
Grant Buckman
Mar 11, 2021
Our second kid just finished your program and had only good things to say about the information and process. She passed the final exam on her first try. We're planning to hit the DMV next week - thanks again! (Kid #3 will be logging on in late December)
Melinda B.
Dec 11, 2020
My son learned so much from this school and specifically Yona. Yona did a great job and was very knowledgeable. They gave great advice about how to navigate the DMV and helped with his test anxiety. Everyone I spoke to at BADS provided great customer service. This was our third driving school and BADS stands out as superior to the others we used prior to finding BADS.

As a passenger I could tell the difference in my sons driving after just the first session. This was not only a great overall driving school experience but also a refreshing customer experience!
Vee Senires Garcillano
Apr 06, 2020
Excellent customer service - responsive and informative. They are very helpful and accommodating. Highly recommend!
Christian Vasquez-Leon
Jan 06, 2020
Because of covid, I had to cancel my driving appointment with this school so I can't really speak about the quality of teaching. That being said, I was able to get a full refund on my appointment through some easy and quick email communication with a representative. When the DMVs open up again, will consider looking to try again.
Qais Ah
Nov 04, 2019
Thank you for calling. I appreciate your follow up nice customer service and easy 5 star:
Mardrea R.
Sep 12, 2019
I had a great experience with BADS. MJ and John are great instructors who guided me along the way and always gave out helpful reminders. Also, they were calm and reassuring when I made mistakes. The program was definitely worth it to take and if you know someone who wants to learn how to drive, make sure to recommend this place. I passed the first try because of them :D
Debbie D.
Jul 19, 2019
We have had such a great experience with BADS. Our trainer was Erika and she is so amazing. We started with another school only to have my daughter yelled at and she couldn't understand the trainer. Erika was patient, clear and above all, respectful. We are just now sending our 2nd child through BADS and will do it for our next 2. Thanks for making this experience so wonderful for my kids!
Misty W.
Jun 16, 2019
I had the best experience with BADS. I also had an amazing instructor named Yona who did lots of preparation with me on roads I could possibly take my test. She was lots of fun to talk to and had a great personality; I looked forward for all my lessons with her. At the end of my last lesson we did a practice test and she informed me on what DMV will be looking for which helped me a lot. I would 100% recommend Yona for anyone signing up for BADS. Mya B.
Darin Howard
May 26, 2019
Upon meeting Erika I immediately knew I was going to learn some things I did not know about being behind the wheel and boy did I. I had some unique circumstances that put me with Bay area driving School, and Erika was able to Taylor my driving lesson to my specific needs and provide me with a report afterwards of what I have learned and what kind of driver I am.

Also she gave me some handouts that were very handy to study after the fact. sometimes we get to driving for several years and get some bad habits. Erika will help you break some of those bad habits and teach you some things to help you prevent collisions or citations in the future. I really appreciate her attention to detail and her ability to work with my unique situation. Thank you Erika.
Jennifer F.
Jan 03, 2019
I would highly recommend Bay Area Driving School as the best driving school for my daughters' driving journey. These things can be complicated and very stressful. Erika along with the office staff, Joni and Angel are very courteous and professional. They put us at ease with the process. Drivers Education went so smoothly, with amazing teacher Lori. My daughter is now looking forward to Drivers Training with them!
Jobinesh Purushothaman
Nov 23, 2018
Truly professional staff and instructor. The instructor (Ms. Yona) really knows how to boost up student's confidence, which really matters when one learn driving. Keep up the great work guys!
Jen R.
Aug 27, 2018
Today I took my behind the wheels test and I passed! I would like to thank my driving instructor, John, for helping me prepare for my exam. He's a very good instructor and I recommend Bay Area Driving School if you want to perfect your driving skills, $150 for 2 hours is expensive but it's worth it.
Euna B.
Jul 14, 2017
Hands down the best driving school. Great customer service and communication. They really care about teaching and what your personal goals are. Jon is an amazing teacher. He really cares about his students and helps them become more confident on the road. He lets you overcome challenges on your own, and knows when to support you the best at the same time. Without Jon and Bay Area Driving School I would never have gotten my license!
Chi I.
Jun 03, 2017
I have had a wonderful time learning to drive again with Yona. She is so professional and patient. She put me at ease immediately. She is the best and really loves what she does and cares about her clients. I feel like I am driving with a trusted friend each time we go out. The office staff Joannie and Angel are professional and friendly talking with them is like calling and old friend and catching up.
Emily L.
Oct 20, 2015
Many moons ago my sister went here for driver's ed and she recommended me to get behind the wheel training after I pass my permit. I had my first behind the wheel lesson last week and learn a lot as a rookie. For a two hour lesson is kind of pricey, I would recommended for someone that has enough savings to get training or even save a lesson in between if you want to get most training here.

After you lesson they explain how well you do and depending how many lessons you need before you take the driver's test. The instructor was Jonathan is very helpful and is good to get a reminder to read on what needs to be improved and to keep practicing. Wish I could give it another go but I'm a cheapskate. My sister told me when I had my lesson she spend her sweet 15 money for taking classes in order to drive.

Well no wonder is pricey but hey is worth the lesson. If you want to learn to drive and do well I definitely recommend these guys. If you're like me keep thinking about it and being be picky, go somewhere else. Otherwise keep thinking about it more and take another lesson, if recommended to.
Natasha S.
Aug 07, 2015
I had an overall good experience. Pros: -My instructor, Lily, was friendly and capable. She answered my questions, was good about reminding me to scan and SMOG when turning or lane changing, and left me feeling good about taking my test. -We covered all of the things that will be on the driving test. -Lily felt I was doing a good enough job that we went on the freeway a couple of times. -Office staff was helpful and easy to work with.

I was able to pay in advance on the phone with no problems. Cons: -The biggest issue: Even though I paid $150 for a two hour driving lesson, I only spent 1.5 hours driving. -A student driver was driving when I was picked up at the BART station at 11:05. Although my lesson was scheduled to start at 11, they drove for 15 minutes to drive themselves home before my lesson actually started at 11:20. -We picked up the next student at 1:05 and I then sat in the back seat while they started to drive me back to the BART station where I was picked up (del Norte).

I had a 3pm appointment elsewhere so I was annoyed that I wasn't even done yet by the original 1pm end time. -At 1:25 we still weren't back at the station I started at so I just asked them to do me off at the closest station (Ashby). So the lesson was good, but the timing was awful and I didn't feel safe with other student drivers.
Onelia C.
Sep 12, 2012
I had a couple of lessons with an instructor named Jonathan Alfaro. I would highly recommend this driving school/instructor if you're new to driving. I didn't think I was a good driver at all, and after a couple of lessons I improved greatly.
Katie K.
Apr 16, 2012
I am so happy I decided to take lessons at Bay area driving school. Everyone was so nice and helpful. Being 29 and not knowing how to drive, I was really nervous about getting my license (I have always lived in big cities so I never need to get one.) After getting a job offer outside of the city I only had 1.5 months to get my license. After reading yelp reviews I decided to go with Yona as my instructor. SHE IS GREAT!!!!

She was easy going, helped me get comfortable and get over my fear of driving and she was a great teacher!!! It only took me about 4 classes with her and I got my licenses today, which is amazing considering I had no clue how to drive a month ago. If you are an adult and are nervous about driving you should definitely ask for Yona as an instructor. Hats off to her because she is a great instructor.