Driver’s Education – Northfield Public Schools

Attention :

Kindergarten enrollment for the 2026-2027 school year is open! Click here for information about our kindergarten open houses. Click here for enrollment information.

Driver Education

A complete drivers education program conducted by certified instructors with a combined 100+ years of teaching experience.

Our Drivers Education program has two phases:

Phase 1:

30 hours of in person Drivers Education Classroom instruction

Phase 2:

6 hours of Behind the Wheel training

Why We Offer In-Person Driver’s Education
Research shows students learn and retain critical safety information best through in-person instruction. Our instructors see this impact firsthand in how prepared students are for Behind-the-Wheel training, and in higher first-time permit test pass rates. For this reason, we offer Driver’s Education exclusively in person—so every student is confident, capable, and ready for the responsibility of driving.

Phase 1:

Classroom Training

Start Your Teen’s Driving Journey with Confidence

Did you know students who take in-person Driver’s Education classes are more likely to pass their permit test on the first try compared to those taking online classes?

Here’s how it works:

Driver’s Ed Classroom is the first step toward getting a driver’s license.
The class meets Monday–Friday for two weeks, three hours each day (total of 30 hours).
After completing the class,
- Students who registered for the Combo package (both DE Classroom and Behind the Wheel) will receive a “blue card”, which they’ll bring to the DVS when applying for their instruction permit.
- Students registered for DE Classroom only will receive a Letter of Completion. The Letter of Completion acknowledges that the student has completed the classroom portion of Drivers Ed. In order to receive a blue card, your student must be registered for Behind the Wheel.

Please note: The city of Northfield does not have a Drivers Permit or Drivers License testing site. The nearest testing locations are in Faribault or Eagan.

After Getting a Permit:
All students age 18 and younger are required to hold their permit for at least 6 months before they are eligible to take the road test for their driver’s license.

Attendance Policy:

Students may miss one class and still pass. Homework will be assigned and needs to be returned in order to receive a blue card or Letter of Completion.
If more than one day is missed (for any reason), the student will need to repeat the class.
If you communicate with Community Education before the second absence, we can transfer payment to a future session.
If no communication is received, the family will need to re-register and pay the full fee.

Ready to register?
You can sign up for both Classroom and Behind-the-Wheel online.
However, to schedule Behind-the-Wheel appointments, please contact:

Marianne Moser
Enrichment Coordinator
mmoser@northfieldschools.org

507.664.3648

Printable Classroom Registration Form

upcoming Driver’s Education classroom sessions

March:

March 2-13, 2026, 6-9pm – Monday-Friday

Summer:

June 11-25th, 2026 – Monday-Friday (no classes June 19)- 2 sessions

8-11am or 12-3pm

August 3-14, 2026 – Monday-Friday – 1 session

8-11am

Fall:

Our Fall session usually begins the Monday after MEA break. Dates and times to be determined.

January:

Our January session usually begins the Monday we return from Winter break. Dates and times to be determined.

Students must be 14 years, 9 months old before the first day of class.

All classes are held in person at Northfield High School.

Call 507.664.3648 with questions about the Northfield Community Education Driver’s Education program or to schedule your student’s Behind the Wheel appointments.

Phase 2:

Behind-the-Wheel Training

Behind-the-Wheel (Phase 2): What Families Need to Know

We offer Behind-the-Wheel (BTW) driving lessons 5–7 days a week, year-round. Appointment times vary by season (after school + some Saturdays/Sundays during the school year; day & evening options in summer).

When to Schedule

Minnesota law requires all drivers under age 18 to hold an instruction permit for at least 6 months before taking the road test.
For the best test-passing success (research supports this), schedule your student’s Behind-the-Wheel lessons 2–8 weeks before the road test; many families aim for about 6 weeks out.

Before Scheduling: Your student should have most of their Supervised Driving Log completed so your BTW lessons can focus on polishing skills, test routes, and confidence.

Getting Started: 3 Steps

Complete Phase 1: 30-hour Classroom Training.
Register & Pay for Behind-the-Wheel.
Request the Scheduling Link: Contact Marianne Moser to unlock the BTW calendar when your student is ready to drive. mmoser@northfieldschools.org or 507.664.3648.

Combo Driving Package?

Choose the Combo Drivers Ed Package and save $50—your student is automatically registered for both Classroom (30 hours) and Behind-the-Wheel. When registered for the Combo Driving Package, after finishing the classroom course, students information will be entered into the DVS system which allows students to take their permit test. Note: they must still hold a permit for 6 months and be 16 to take the road test. When your student is ready for Behind-the-Wheel training, please contact Marianne Moser – this is usually about 2–3 months before their 16th birthday (or after having their permit for 3-4 months) – to schedule appointments.

Printable Combo Package Registration Form

BTW Lesson Details

3 lessons per student, each 2 hours.
Students drive a Northfield Public Schools BTW vehicle with a licensed instructor.
BTW schedules are posted 6–8 weeks in advance (e.g., December = February calendar).

After You Finish

When all three lessons are successfully completed, your student’s information will be entered into the DVS (Department of Vehicle Services) system. They’ll need their information entered and their completed Supervised Practice Driving Log to take the road test and apply for a driver’s license.

Questions or Ready to Schedule?

Marianne Moser, Enrichment & Driver’s Ed Coordinator
507.664.3648
mmoser@northfieldschools.org

Printable BTW Registration Form

Supervised Driving Log

MN Driver’s Manual

practice Cones Available

Cones are available for your family to use when practicing driving skills. Visit our office between the hours of 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. to check out cones for two days at no charge. Please call 507-664-3649 for more information.

Driving Log State Requirements

Effective January 1, 2015, every driver under the age of 18 who completes behind the wheel instruction and is testing for a provisional driver’s license must submit a driving log. Parents/guardians have two options regarding the supervised driving log (see Option 1 & 2 below). The driving log must be presented at the time of the road test and submitted with the application for the provisional license.

Option 1: Complete a supplemental parent class provided by a driver education program approved in Minnesota (see Parent Awareness Presentation information), and then submit a supervised driving log showing their teen has completed at least 40 hours (2,400 minutes) of supervised driving, 15 (900 minutes) of which are nighttime hours.

Option 2: If the parent/guardian chooses to not complete the supplemental parent class, the driving log must show that their teen has completed at least 50 hours (3,000 minutes) of supervised driving, 15 (900 minutes) of which are nighttime hours.

Parent Awareness Presentation

Point of Impact is a free, supplemental curriculum night for parents held by Community Education. Presenters include the Rice County Sheriff’s office and one of our Community Education Driving instructors. We ask that parents register for the free presentation so that your certificate can be prepared in advance. Register here.

Bienvenidos a Northfield Public Schools!