BDIC sponsors

To be eligible, a course provider must submit an application and provide proof of a curriculum that:

(a) Meets or exceeds the curriculum standards set forth in the Defensive Driving Course Instructor Manual, Eighth Edition, published by the National Safety Council.

(b) Provides documented evidence from a federal, state, or local government agency of course effectiveness in reducing collisions, moving violations, or both.

(c) It includes not less than 4 hours of instruction.

(d) Contains such other information as is approved by the Secretary of State, with or without supporting DVD material, and that is offered over the internet or through classroom instruction.

A course provider must enroll and agree to make payments for the Michigan Department of State's program costs via EFT. A course provider must also agree to provide the customer's results in a timely manner. 

A course provider must be able to record the driver's license number (DLN) and course completion deadline date of each Michigan customer. Course providers will need Internet access and will be required to provide the DLN and course completion deadline for each Michigan customer to report the course results to MDOS.

The law requires an approved sponsor or a sponsor seeking to be approved sponsor to submit a properly executed surety bond in the principle sum of $20,000 with good and sufficient surety.

The law requires course providers to complete and provide a study to the Department of State every five years. The study must show the effect that course completion has upon reducing collisions, moving violations or both, on any of the course methods (on-line or in-person) that is offered.

If you are not an authorized by the National Safety Council to offer their Defensive Driving Course, you must submit a curriculum that meets or exceeds the curriculum standards set forth in the Defensive Driving Course Instructor Manual, Eighth Edition, published by the National Safety Council.  Instruction of curriculum cannot be less than 4 hours. You must also provide documented evidence from a federal, state, or local government agency of course effectiveness in reducing collisions, moving violations, or both. 

A course sponsor may offer courses either on-line, in person, or both. All course content must meet or exceed the standards of the Defensive Driving Course Instructor Manual, Eighth Edition, published by the National Safety Council and contain any additional information required by the Secretary of State. Course must include not less than 4 hours of instruction.

You will receive an EFT application after your application has been received and your curriculum has been approved. The instructions for setting up an EFT account with the Michigan Department of State are on the EFT application. An EFT application is available at the Department of State's website.  

Yes as long as you have an active MiLogin account with the State of Michigan.  The State of Michigan uses the separate EFT account numbers for internal accounting purposes. However, you may also set up the new BDIC EFT account using the same bank account as your other EFT accounts.

Each course sponsor may set their own fees. The total fee, including the portion that the course sponsor pays to the Michigan Department of State, is limited by law to a maximum of $100. A portion of this fee, to be determined periodically, must be remitted to the Department of State to cover the costs of administering this program.

The Michigan Department of State is required by law to periodically evaluate the program costs to determine the portion that is submitted. You will be provided with additional information when your application to be a course sponsor is approved.

An approved BDIC sponsor will have access through a portal in e-Services to report either a pass or fail for a customer.  The approved BDIC sponsor is responsible to report all customer’s results prior to the customer’s course completion deadline date.

Submit the course results through the e-Services website as you normally would.

A BDIC sponsor has five calendar days after the due date as published on the letter the customer received from the Department.  After the five days have passed, the automated system will mark the test as a "fail" result. This may have an immediate negative effect on the customer’s driving record.

You must submit a written correction request. For details on requesting a correction, refer to the Additional Information for Sponsors sheet that was mailed to you with your application approval.

In addition to any advertising in which your company engages, the Michigan Department of State will provide participants with information on how to access a list of approved sponsors and basic driver improvement course locations, including the Secretary of State's website and telephone number to call for more information. A list of approved course sponsors can be found on the Secretary of State website. Once approved, your company will be added to the website. The Department is prohibited by law from supplying customer information for marketing purposes.

There are no provisions for appeals in the law. However, if you can provide the Department with additional information, you may request a review of your application. Your request must be in writing and should include both the basis for the review and the additional information. Send your request for a review to:

Driver Education & Testing Section
430 W. Allegan 3rd Floor
Lansing, MI 48918

Civil infractions eligible for this program are listed in the Tickets Eligible for the Basic Driver Improvement Course document.