Third-party drive tests with state-certified examiners.
Class, permit test, and 6 hours of lessons.
Course online, testing and lessons in person.
Behind-the-wheel lessons with patient and certified instructors.
Aurora teens take Colorado's highest-rated 30-hour classroom course with American Driving Academy. The five-day class meets teen permit requirements, with our expert-written workbook and videos filmed on Colorado streets. The class is just the start. Family-owned since 1999, we strive for the country's best safety record by exceeding state and industry standards. We prepare teens for safe, confident driving and support your family through permit testing, lessons, the drive test, and post-license Driver Skills Day.
Four Ways to Start
Every Aurora package starts with the in-person 30-hour class. Students may begin as early as 14 years and 6 months (14½). Compare all four below and enroll in the one that fits your teen.
400K+
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Colorado family-owned since 1999
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| Permit Ready $195 Enroll now → | Road Ready $535 Enroll now → | License Ready $625 Enroll now → | Driver Complete $860 Enroll now → | |
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| Ready to Enroll? → | Enroll Now | Enroll Now | Enroll Now | Enroll Now |
Not sure which package fits? Call our Aurora team at (303) 623-1404 and we'll help you choose.
Your teen needs the required 30-hour class and the Colorado permit test now, and you would rather purchase lessons and the drive test later.
Your teen is heading for a license before 16½ and needs the six professional hours Colorado requires, with three private lessons included.
You want the Colorado drive test inside the package now, because it costs less that way than it does when you buy the test on its own later.
You want everything in License Ready plus Driver Skills Day, where a newly licensed teen practices emergency braking, skid recovery, and car control.
Begin the in-person 30-hour class, taught over five days.
In every packageWritten permit test on Colorado road rules.
In every packageOne DMV visit, on the 15th birthday or after.
At the DMVThree 2-hr lessons, required to license before 16½.
In Road Ready & upPass the Colorado drive test and get licensed.
In License Ready & upTwo Nearby Offices
Your teen can do everything at either office. The in-person 30-hour class, permit testing, driving lessons, and the Colorado drive test all happen at both. Our East 4th Avenue office sits in Aurora near Sable Boulevard, and our Smoky Hill Road office is just minutes from southeast Aurora.
Both offices are backed by American Driving Academy's statewide network of 16 locations across Colorado.
In Person, Done Right
Colorado sets the curriculum requirements. We go further with a workbook we wrote for Colorado drivers, professional videos filmed on Colorado roads, guided discussion, games, and classroom exercises.
Safe driving takes a community. We are one of only two AAA Approved driving schools in Colorado, we partner with MADD and Bachus and Schanker statewide, and we work with Aurora high schools right here in town.
Permit timing, practice hours, lesson requirements, and test eligibility can be hard to sort out. Call our Aurora team 7 days a week or stop by either office for a clear answer about what your teen needs next.
The ADA Safety Advantage™ lets your teen retake the class at no charge, long after it ends. The Lesson Review Promise holds your teen's driving lessons to our standard. Our dash cameras record every lesson.
More Than Memorizing
Becoming a safe driver is not just about learning the rules of the road. It is about turning solid knowledge into sound judgment. That judgment develops when a student understands not only the what, but the why behind it. It applies to every topic that matters out on the road, from following distance to driving in adverse weather to seat belt use.
We build that understanding through a systematic approach: lecture, videos, readings, group work, quizzes, games, and traffic observation. We created our own proven workbook because new Colorado drivers needed one written specifically for them, not a generic national text. The slides and many of the videos were made in-house too, with these students as the entire focus.
What the Course Covers
In the classroom, the instructor and the class work through the Colorado curriculum together, one topic at a time.
Who Is in the Room
We look for people who spent a career in work where preparation and judgment decide the outcome.
Behind the Wheel
Road Ready, License Ready, and Driver Complete each include three 2-hour behind-the-wheel lessons, six hours of one-on-one instruction. Every lesson runs in a dual-control, state-inspected car with a patient, state-certified instructor.
Lessons are paced to your teen's skill level, not a fixed route or a one-size-fits-all plan. Early sessions cover the fundamentals: vehicle setup, steering, braking, turns, lane position, scanning, and intersections. From there, students build up to lane changes, parallel parking, multi-lane roads, freeway entry and exit, and downtown Denver traffic around pedestrians, cyclists, and buses.
Students are challenged at the right pace, and parents get honest feedback on what their teen handles well and where more supervised practice helps. For teens licensing before age 16½, these six hours also satisfy Colorado's professional driving instruction requirement. Every lesson carries the Lesson Review Promise.
The Final Step
Colorado Driver License offices do not administer the drive test. American Driving Academy is a State-approved third-party testing center and Colorado's largest drive-testing provider. We give more than 35,000 tests across Colorado each year.
The exam is included in License Ready ($625) and Driver Complete ($860), with appointments at the Aurora or Smoky Hill office. If the package you choose does not include it, you can purchase a drive test on its own once your teen meets Colorado's permit-holding, supervised-practice, and training requirements.
After a passing result, eligible students can usually upgrade their permit to a license online without another DMV appointment. Colorado mails the physical license to you.
After the License
Passing the drive test shows your teen can meet Colorado's licensing standard. It cannot rehearse a real skid or the split-second call an emergency stop demands. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reports new teen drivers are 50% more likely to crash in their first month with a license than after a full year. Driver Skills Day extends driver's ed into that window.
Driver Complete ($860) includes a 3.5-hour session your teen takes once licensed, in a wide, controlled setting. They rehearse the kinds of reactions ordinary lessons rarely have time to build: emergency braking, skid recovery, hazard response, and vehicle control.
Your teen feels how the car behaves when traction breaks, when traffic stops without warning, or when something appears in the road.
Held after licensure on scheduled dates in large parking lots around the Denver metro area, not at our offices. Subject to availability, weather, staffing, and program policies.
Behind Every Package
Finishing the class does not end the support your family gets. Your teen can retake the course to review it, parents can request a lesson review, and eligible graduates may qualify for insurance or AAA benefits.
Finish our 30-hour course and your teen can retake the class at no additional charge, as many times as they want. Years later they can still sit down with an instructor about any question, from a new car to a tricky intersection, and get a plan. It keeps going long after your teen is licensed, subject to course, technology, and program availability.
Every car used for behind-the-wheel lessons runs a dash camera. If a lesson falls short, tell us within 7 days while the footage is still there, and we will review it and follow up. It does not guarantee a license, drive-test result, refund, free lesson, instructor change, schedule change, or any other outcome.
Many insurers offer a discount after driver education, professional lessons, or another approved safety program. Requirements and savings vary by carrier and policy, so ask your insurer what they need before counting on a discount.
Teens who complete one of our courses may qualify for a free AAA membership when they are dependents of an active AAA Primary Member in Colorado. Full restrictions appear later on this page and on our AAA information page.
Beginning January 1, 2027, HB24-1021 changes what new drivers must complete before receiving a first permit. Applicants ages 15 through 17 will need a 30-hour driver education course, while ages 18 through 20 may complete either that course or a 4-hour driver awareness program.
The 30-hour class offered here already meets the new 30-hour requirement, so Aurora students who enroll now stay ahead of the change.
Professional training is a separate requirement. Students who plan to receive a license before 16½ will still need six hours of behind-the-wheel instruction from an approved driving school.
Read Colorado's 2027 Driver's Ed Guide for Parents →Reviewed by Kevin Hughes, Owner. Kevin is a Colorado driver-education expert who has created extensive Colorado-specific driver's ed content and provided driver-safety expertise to local news outlets. Information for Aurora classroom families was checked against Colorado driver-education requirements, HB24-1021, DMV guidance, and details confirmed directly with state regulators. Last reviewed: August 2026
Straight From Families
Great classes that are very educational, and great teachers as well. I personally took the 30-hour class and got a lot of good information about driving. I now feel confident about learning how to drive.
My son took this class, and he had such positive things to say about the course and the teacher! We are very pleased with his overall experience and highly recommend this course to teens getting their permits!
My daughter really learned something with the 30-hour course, then enjoyed each behind-the-wheel session with her instructors. She had her drive test today and passed, and said she was so grateful.
A teen who completes an American Driving Academy course may qualify for a free AAA membership when they are a dependent of an active AAA Primary Member living in Colorado, and the teen membership expires on the Primary member's renewal date. The benefit is not a standalone membership, is not automatic for every student, and remains subject to AAA eligibility rules, enrollment, territory, and program terms. Already an AAA Member? Call 877-244-9790 to add your teen driver.
See AAA Eligibility and Membership DetailsTwo Ways to Learn
Both paths fulfill the same Colorado requirements for a permit and license.
Your teen focuses better with a live instructor and a set schedule, likes learning next to other new drivers, and benefits from asking questions out loud.
Everything happens in person, right here in Aurora, and this page covers all four in-person class packages.
Your teen would rather move at their own pace, fit driver's ed around sports and an after-school job, or knock out the coursework from home before the behind-the-wheel driving.
If this works best, compare our Aurora online driver's ed packages, many of which still include the driving lessons.
Aurora classroom packages are $195 for Permit Ready, $535 for Road Ready, $625 for License Ready, and $860 for Driver Complete. All four include the 30-hour in-person class and the permit test. Road Ready adds six hours of driving lessons, License Ready adds the Colorado drive test, and Driver Complete adds Driver Skills Day. Insurance discounts and a free AAA membership may apply to every package.
Students can begin the 30-hour classroom driver education course as early as 14 years and 6 months. Starting around 14½ lets a teen take the permit test at 14 years and 11 months and apply for a permit at 15.
Sixteen is the earliest a minor can be licensed in Colorado. That usually means getting a permit at 15, holding it for 12 full months, logging 50 hours of supervised practice (10 of them at night), completing any required behind-the-wheel training, passing the drive test, and meeting DMV requirements.
Classes run on weekends throughout the school year and during fall, winter, spring, and summer breaks, so they fit around school. Each class spans five days and usually runs from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM. You can see all upcoming class dates after you select a package.
Six hours of behind-the-wheel training with an approved driving school are generally required for teens who want to be licensed before age 16½. Students who are 16½ or older may not need the six hours, but we still recommend professional lessons for safety and confidence.
It might, but that is decided by your insurance provider. Ask your agent whether finishing driver education, behind-the-wheel lessons, or a driver-safety program qualifies your student for savings.
ADA Safety Advantage™ applies to the original student only and is non-transferable. Complimentary re-enrollment applies to our 30-hour driver education course only and may be completed online or in person, subject to course availability, platform availability, and enrollment policies. This benefit does not include behind-the-wheel lessons, drive tests, permit tests, private tutoring, state fees, third-party fees, or other paid services. Scheduled instructor support is subject to availability. The benefit has no cash value and is available for the original student's lifetime while American Driving Academy continues to operate and offer the applicable course or support service.
The Lesson Review Promise applies to our behind-the-wheel driving lessons. If a student or parent is not satisfied with a lesson, we will review the lesson experience and follow up with the student or parent. The Lesson Review Promise does not guarantee a license, drive-test result, test eligibility, skill level, refund, free lesson, instructor change, schedule change, or any specific outcome. Follow-up is subject to review, availability, documentation, scheduling, and program policies.
Driver Skills Day is included with Driver Complete and is designed for students who have earned their license. Sessions are offered on scheduled dates and are subject to availability, location availability, weather, safety requirements, staffing, equipment, and program policies. We may adjust station activities, vehicles, exercises, locations, or format based on safety, facility, staffing, equipment, weather, and operational needs.
If Driver Skills Day is not made available to a Driver Complete student, or is provided without the core hands-on skills described on this page, American Driving Academy will refund $225 of the Driver Complete price. That refund is the student's sole remedy regarding Driver Skills Day, and the rest of the package (the 30-hour class, permit test, six hours of behind-the-wheel lessons, and drive test) remains unaffected.
Colorado permit and license requirements depend on the student's age, permit date, training history, supervised driving hours, documentation, and DMV rules. Students may begin the 30-hour driver education course as early as 14 years and 6 months old. Students may take the permit test with us once they are at least 14 years and 11 months old. A student may apply for a permit at age 15 after completing the required course, passing the permit test, and completing DMV steps. Colorado minors must hold a permit for 12 full months before applying for a license. Students who want to get licensed before age 16½ generally need six hours of behind-the-wheel training with an approved driving school. Some exceptions may apply. Families are responsible for confirming current Colorado DMV requirements before permit issuance, drive testing, or licensing.
American Driving Academy does not guarantee permit approval, license approval, insurance discounts, AAA membership, or drive-test results.
If under the age of 16, you need to first complete a driver's ed course. In-person and online options are available.
This 25 multiple-choice test is offered at many of our locations.
After passing the course and the permit test, you will need to go to the DMV to get your driving permit. To make a DMV appointment…
If you are under 16.5 years of age, you are required to take six hours of driving lessons before getting your driver's license. Learn to drive with our state-certified, friendly, and patient instructors.
After holding your permit for one full year, it is time to take your driver's license test.
You need to pass this test to get your permit. It is 25 multiple choice questions. We offer this test at many of our locations.
After passing the permit test, you will need to go to the DMV to get your driving permit. To make a DMV appointment…
If you are new to Colorado or you don’t have driving experience, we offer driving lessons 7 days a week. These are 2-hour lessons with state-certified, patient, and friendly instructors.
You are required to pass the driver's license test in order to get your driver's license. After passing, you may be eligible to get your license that same day without even having to visit the DMV.
