Basic Driver Improvement Courses are courses offered by sponsors approved by the State of Michigan. Passing a BDIC permits drivers with an opportunity to avoid points on their records and the ticket information from being sent to insurance companies. The driver must be eligible to take the course and may only avoid points once under this program. Please contact an approved course sponsor for questions about fees and course information.
You will receive a letter in the mail if you are eligible for this program. You may be eligible if you were ticketed on or after December 31, 2010 and:
Every BDIC sponsor that offers a course may set their own fees up to a maximum of $100 as permitted by Michigan law. Please contact one of the approved course sponsors for questions about fees and course information.
The time needed to complete the course varies, but all courses—both classroom and online—must include not less than 4 hours of instruction. If you choose an online course, you should begin it well before the deadline. The course could take more than four hours or you may need additional time if you do not pass the final test on your first attempt and need time to review the course before a second test attempt.
BDIC sponsors are organizations approved by the Michigan Department of State. These sponsors offer a defensive driving curriculum that meets or exceeds the standards set by Michigan law. The courses may be online or in a classroom.
BDIC classroom (in-person) sponsors
The course sponsor will notify the Michigan Department of State electronically that you have passed the course. The Michigan Department of State will not add any points from the ticket to your driving record and will not show the ticket information to insurance companies. The ticket information (but not the points) is still placed on your record, though, and may be used for other purposes. For example, a court can still access the ticket information, and probationary drivers may still be subject to a Driver Assessment re-examination and license sanctions even if the driver successfully completes the course.
You are still responsible for any court fees or fines and other expenses related to your ticket.
You are still responsible for all court costs, fines and fees related to your ticket. The BDIC only affects whether your ticket information will be available to insurance companies and whether the points will be placed on your driving record.
The sponsor will electronically notify the Michigan Department of State that you have passed the course. Some sponsors will give you a certificate for your records only; you do not have to provide a certificate or any paperwork to Secretary of State offices or to the court.
Some sponsors will give a Certificate of Completion for your records when you pass the course. The sponsors will report your results directly to the Secretary of State, so the certificate is not needed to show you have passed the course.
Please note that some courts permit drivers to take a safety course and will cancel the ticket if the driver passes. This is a separate program from the Basic Driver Improvement Course and the court will require a certificate as evidence of successful completion.
If you miss the 60-day deadline, the points and the violation will be added to your record and made available to your insurance company. Per state law, the Michigan Department of State can’t offer extensions for BDIC participants.
Should you miss the 60-day deadline and later receive another qualifying ticket and are notified that you are again eligible for BDIC, you may attempt to pass the course for the second (more recent) ticket. Some course sponsors may have policies on taking the course or attempting the test multiple times.
If you do not pass the BDIC within 60 days of the notice of eligibility, the points and the violation will be on your record and available to insurance companies.
Course failures may not be appealed to the Michigan Department of State. If you have any questions or concerns about unsuccessful course completion, please contact the sponsor that administered the course.
There is no limit to the number of attempts to pass the BDIC within the 60 days of the notice of eligibility. Note that you may have to pay the course fee for subsequent attempts. Please contact your course sponsor for their policy on subsequent attempts and fee information. You may also attempt the BDIC from a different sponsor.
If you do not pass the BDIC within 60 days of the notice of eligibility, the points and the violation will be on your record and available to insurance companies. However, if you receive a subsequent ticket and are notified that you are eligible again, you may attempt the BDIC for the subsequent ticket.
There is no limit to the number of attempts to pass the BDIC within the 60 days of the notice of eligibility. Note that you may have to pay the course fee for subsequent attempts. Please contact your course sponsor for their policy on subsequent attempts and fee information. You may also attempt the BDIC from a different sponsor.
If you do not pass the BDIC within 60 days of the notice of eligibility, the points and the violation will be on your record and available to insurance companies. However, if you receive a subsequent ticket and are notified that you are eligible again, you may attempt the BDIC for the subsequent ticket.
To provide a course result to the Michigan Department of State, a course sponsor needs both your driver's license number (DLN) and the last date you can complete the course. This information is on the letter you received.
You must provide enough information to identify yourself and to locate your records. For privacy reasons, the Department of State does not provide DLN in response to phone calls, emails, etc. Your DLN is on your license and may be on other documents. If your license has been misplaced or lost, you may purchase a duplicate license. If you cannot obtain a duplicate license, you may purchase your driving record for this information.
You are disqualified if any of the following are true:
Most minor traffic violations for which you were ticketed on or after December 31, 2010, are eligible for this program. You must not be disqualified from participating for any other reason.
Any state that offers a similar program may set its own standards and laws for it. Check the website or call the state for which you have a question.
Out-of-state tickets are not eligible for the Basic Driver Improvement Course.
No, BDIC is optional for eligible drivers. However, should you choose in enroll in BDIC and successfully complete the course through an approved sponsor, the Michigan Department of State won’t report the ticket and points against your license to your insurance provider. Instead, only the original ticket will be added to your driving record.
Please note that if you are eligible, you must enroll and complete BDIC within 60 days of being notified by the Michigan Department of State. You can enroll in the course multiple times within this period; however, you can only pass the course once. If you pass BDIC and are later issued another ticket that would otherwise be eligible for BDIC, you can’t take and pass the course a second time.
Only BDIC course sponsors who have been approved by the State of Michigan may provide results to the State of Michigan. If you are in another state for the 60-day eligibility period, please check for a course sponsor who provides online courses that you may take from any location.
A notice was mailed to the address listed on your driving record if you were eligible. You are required by law (MCL 257.315) to ensure your address is updated with the Michigan Department of State.
If you are eligible and within the 60 day eligibility period, you may still contact a sponsor to take the BDIC. If 60 days have passed, the ticket and the points will appear on your record.
You may purchase a copy of your record from the Record Lookup Unit. This process may take up to two weeks. The request form is available at this website.
Each record is $15 and must be paid in advance with a check, money order or credit card (Discover, MasterCard or Visa). A certified copy of a driving or vehicle record is available for an additional $1 fee.
Additionally, for $16, you can purchase your own certified driving record at any Secretary of State office. Simply show your driver's license (no form required) and walk out with a copy of your record in hand. All offices accept cash, checks, money orders, American Express, Discover, MasterCard or Visa debit and credit cards, and Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay.
Under Michigan law, insurance companies use a separate point system for evaluating violations. If you take and pass the optional BDIC, the Secretary of State will not disclose the ticket to your insurance company.
Please remember, you may only take and pass the BDIC one time to avoid having the information made available to your insurance company.
