Driver Education: Providers

Driver’s Education Licensing

 

All driver education schools & instructors must be licensed by the State of New Mexico as per the NMAC. 

Before applying for a license, you must read the NMAC.

 

FIRST TIME LICENSES

First-time licensees are required to apply with the following forms: 

Driver’s Education (37-hour & 56-hour)

            1. ORIGINAL APPLICATION: SCHOOL
            2. ORIGINAL APPLICATION: INSTRUCTOR
            3. Operator/ Owner and Instructor Required Forms 
            4. NEW VEHICLE APPLICATION
            5. APPROVED BTW LOG
            6. NEW EXTENSION SITE
            7. FEEDBACK / COMPLAINT FORM

Correspondence Driver’s Education (56-hour distance learning)

            1. ORIGINAL APPLICATION:  CSDRED_SCHOOL
            2. ORIGINAL APPLICATION:  CSDRED_INSTRUCTOR
            3. Operator/ Owner and Instructor Required Forms 
            4. FEEDBACK / COMPLAINT FORM

 

*New instructors MUST also complete the NMDOT Traffic Safety Division 40-hour training to become licensed. Please view the training calendar.

TRAINING CALENDAR

 

RENEWALS

Licenses must be renewed each year. Renewals require the following forms: 

 

Driver’s Education (37-hour & 56-hour)

            1. RENEWAL APPLICATION: SCHOOL
            2. RENEWAL APPLICATION: INSTRUCTOR
            3. Operator/ Owner and Instructor Required Forms
            4. APPROVED BTW LOG
            5. Change of Address Application
            6. FEEDBACK / COMPLAINT FORM

For Driving Range and Simulator forms please scroll to bottom.

 

Correspondence Driver’s Education (56-hour distance learning)

            1. RENEWAL APPLICATION:  CSDRED SCHOOL
            2. RENEWAL APPLICATION:  INSTRUCTOR
            3. Operator/ Owner and Instructor Required Forms
            4. Change of Address Application
            5. FEEDBACK / COMPLAINT FORM

QUARTERLY REPORTS

The licensing year for driver education begins in July 1st & ends the following June 30th. All private providers of driver education are required to submit reports to Traffic Safety Center each quarter on the following schedule:  

                          July-September Reports:   Due October 10th

                                October-December Reports:   Due January 10th

                                January-March Reports:   Due April 10th

                                April-June Reports:   Due July 10th

       If your school did not conduct any classes during the quarter, please inform Traffic Safety Center so you school’s files remain up to date.

 

NMAC 18.20.3.15 (D): shall, at the time of enrollment and on a quarterly basis, thereafter, provide the bureau with a student report for each driver education course conducted and completed during the quarter on a form prepared or approved by the bureau

*Quarterly report form: Quarterly-Report-Form (Word)                      Quarterly-Report-Form (Excel)

 

CERTIFICATES

Certificates of Completion, BTW Referral Cards & GDL brochures may be ordered for Traffic Safety Center by private driver education providers. Certificate eligibility will be determined by the number of completions reported in the previous quarter. BTW Referral Card & GDL brochure eligibility will be determined by the number of enrollments reported in the previous quarter.

Please be aware that verifying numbers takes time. Please allow up to one full week (5 business days) for TSC staff to review your order & up to two weeks for shipping depending on the part of the state you are posting your mail from.

Material Order Form

 

MONITORING

Traffic Safety Center is obligated to monitor all private driver education providers under the NMAC 18.20.3.16 (A) TSC “Shall conduct periodic evaluations of driver education schools using the criteria developed by the bureau…”

Please keep TSC up to date on your planned classroom schedules & BTW hours so such monitoring can be conducted with minimal interference.

Want to know exactly what we look for during a file audit? We’re pulling back the curtain and sharing our official rubric! Don’t get caught off guard—check it out here: UNM TSC AUDIT RUBRIC

 

CURRICULUM

First-time licensees are required to submit curriculum for approval to our office.  However, TSD in its discretion can request a full curriculum copy at any given time. Curriculum can be individually prepared by the owner/operator of the school, or you may choose to utilize a curriculum pre-approved by the Transportation Safety Division.

Please find a list of approved Driver Education curriculum options listed below:

      • Drive Right
      • AAA How to Drive
      • Glencoe’s Responsible Driving
      • NM Driver Education Curriculum

Videos

Approved video list: 2024 Approved List

Additional videos: These videos may be downloaded for you school’s use.  Download here 

Approval for new videos may be sought with this FORM.

Guest Speakers

Driver Education providers may welcome APPROVED guest speakers into their classrooms. To apply for approval for a guest speaker, please complete the guest speaker form.

Guest-Speaker-Request Form

 

BEHIND-THE-WHEEL

      • Behind-the-wheel logs must include: (NMAC 18.20.3.13)
        • Student Information: Name, permit number, and contact details.
        • Emergency Contact: Name and phone number of an emergency contact.
        • Instructor Name: Name of the instructor that drove for each session.
        • Training Details: Date, start and end times, and skills taught during the session.
        • Performance Records: Instructor remarks, final grade, total driving time.
        • Student Confirmation: Student initials to verify review of each session.
      • Please note that if a behind-the-wheel session does not have a start time and/or end time or missing date we are unable to confirm the validity of the time driven.
      • Approved behind-the-wheel log: APPROVED BTW LOG
      • Example of how to fill out behind-the-wheel form: BTW Log Example

 

SURETY BOND

NMAC 18.20.3.10 (B.4): posting of a surety bond with the bureau in the amount of $15,000 issued by a company authorized to transact surety business in New Mexico.

The surety bond shall be:

      • Continuous
      • Name the New Mexico department of transportation, traffic safety bureau as obligee
      • Assure the satisfactory performance of all contracts with students, including tuition refund agreements, and the maintenance of student records.

 

CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE

NMAC 18.20.3.13 (D): A licensee shall provide to the bureau a certificate of insurance showing the issuance of an insurance policy with the required uniform endorsement by a company authorized to transact insurance business in New Mexico evidencing bodily injury and public liability insurance on all vehicles used for behind-the-wheel driving instruction, pursuant to Section 66-10-3 NMSA 1978, including hired vehicles and non-owned vehicles.  The certificate shall list the make, model, and year of each vehicle and shall include a statement from the insurance company that it will notify the bureau thirty (30) days before canceling the insurance.  The licensee shall provide a copy of the policy to the bureau upon the bureau’s request.  The insurance shall have the following minimum limits of coverage:

                    (1)     $500,000 per occurrence for bodily injury to or death of all persons injured or killed;

                    (2)     $250,000 per person for bodily injury to or death of a person injured or killed;

                    (3)     $10,000 per person for medical payments;

                    (4)     $100,000 per occurrence for property damage; and

                    (5)     $50,000 per person for uninsured motorist coverage.

Certificate Holder:

NMDOT Traffic and Safety Division

PO Box 1149 

Santa Fe, NM 87504-1144

DRIVING SIMULATOR

      • Driving Simulators must be approved by the bureau (NMAC 18.20.3.13 (B)). 
      • In order to get a simulator approved, please use this application: Driving Simulator Application
      • Please read all the directions and information before requesting an approval for a simulator.

 

DRIVING RANGE

      • A Driving Range must be reviewed by the bureau (NMAC 18.20.3.13 (A)). 
      • On-range training means a student is in control of a motor vehicle on an off-street facility where one or more students may be operating a motor vehicle simultaneously under the direction of one or more instructors who are outside the vehicle (NMAC 18.20.3.7 (Z)).

      • A private driver education school may meet up to three (3) hours of the behind-the-wheel training requirement: with on-range training (NMAC 18.20.3.13 (2.A)).

      • In order to have you Range Authorized, please use this application: Driving Range Form