There is no fee to participate in the CCS Driver Education Program. However, attendance is mandatory for behind-the-wheel lessons.

Failure to Attend:

If you miss two scheduled behind-the-wheel sessions, you will be automatically dropped from the program and considered a failure.

Cancellations:

• You must notify your instructor at least 24 hours in advance to cancel or reschedule a session.
• All absences must be excused to avoid a penalty.

Failure to follow these guidelines may result in removal from the program.

To support student health, safety, and a focused learning environment, all participants in the Cumberland County Schools Driver Education Program must follow the district's Code of Conduct and dress guidelines.

Required Dress Code:

• Shoes:
  • No Crocs or slides allowed.
  • Students must wear closed-toe, form-fitting shoes that provide secure footing.
• Tops:
  • No tank tops.
  • Tops must not be revealing, sheer, thin-strapped, or see-through.

Students not in compliance with this dress code will not be allowed to participate in driver education activities.

If you are moving into Cumberland County from another state and have already completed driver education, you must provide official proof of your prior instruction.

Required Documentation:

• A letter on official letterhead or a certificate from the school or driving company where you completed the program.
• The document must include the number of classroom hours completed.
• The number of behind-the-wheel hours completed.
• Confirmation that the instruction was given by a licensed driving instructor.

How to Submit:

Scan and email the documentation to: morrishargrove@ccs.k12.nc.us

Incomplete or unofficial submissions will not be accepted.

If you are moving out of North Carolina and need to transfer your Cumberland County Schools Driver Education records to another state, follow these steps:

Step 1: Contact Your New Program

• Check with your new state's driver education program to find out what documentation they require. Each state has different rules about accepting out-of-state driver education credit.

Step 2: Request Documentation from CCS

• Email the CCS Driver Education office to request an official record of your completed instruction. Include:
  • Your full name
  • Date of birth
  • The name of your driver education instructor
  • The school you attended
  • The new school's name and contact information (if available)

Send your request to: morrishargrove@ccs.k12.nc.us

Step 3: We Provide:

• CCS will issue a document on official letterhead that includes:
• Total classroom hours completed
• Total behind-the-wheel hours completed
• Confirmation that instruction was provided by a licensed instructor under the NC DMV-approved curriculum

Important Notes:

• CCS does not guarantee that other states will accept North Carolina driver education credit.
• It is the student's responsibility to confirm acceptance with the receiving program or DMV.

If you are moving into Cumberland County from another North Carolina county and have already completed driver education, you must submit official proof of your previous instruction.

Required Documentation:

• Submit one of the following from your previous driving school or program:
  • A letter on official letterhead
  • A certificate of completion
• The document must include:
  • Total classroom hours completed
  • Total behind-the-wheel hours completed
  • Confirmation that instruction was provided by a licensed driving instructor

How to Submit:

Scan and email the documentation to: morrishargrove@ccs.k12.nc.us

Incomplete or unofficial submissions will not be accepted. All transfer records must be verified before a student can continue or complete driver education in Cumberland County.

• No Refunds for Dropouts or Failures: Students who take a seat in the class and then drop out or fail will not receive a refund.
• Refunds for Unforeseen Circumstances: In cases where a student cannot participate due to valid, unforeseen issues (e.g., illness, lack of transportation), a refund may be issued upon request.
• Wrongful or Duplicate Payments: If you accidentally make multiple or incorrect payments, contact the CCS Driver Education office directly to request a refund.
• Do Not Dispute Charges Through Your Bank: If you initiate a chargeback through your bank or credit card company, you will be required to pay the chargeback fee before the student will be allowed to enroll in any driver education class.

Important: All refund matters must be handled through CCS Driver Education, not through your financial institution.

• School Closures: If Cumberland County Schools close due to inclement weather, all driver education classes and behind-the-wheel lessons are canceled, including for public, private, and home school students.
• After-School Activity Cancellations: If after-school activities are canceled at your school, driver education classes and behind-the-wheel lessons are also canceled for that day.
• How We Notify You: In the event of a cancellation, instructors will make every effort to notify students via:
  • Phone call
  • Email
  • School announcements
  • WRAL Closures Listing (online and broadcast)

Please check these sources regularly during adverse weather conditions or periods of uncertainty.

Contact the CCS driver education office at 910-678-2526.

A Driving Eligibility Certificate (DEC) is a required document for applying for a learner's permit or driver's license in North Carolina.

The DEC certifies that:

• You are currently enrolled in school
• You are making adequate academic progress toward graduation
• It is issued by your school principal or their designee.

Important Details:

• The certificate is valid for 30 days from the date of issue.
• If you lose it or if it expires, you must request a new one from your high school office.
• You must present a valid DEC when applying for your permit or license at the DMV.

To register, students must be at least 14 years and 6 months old on or before the first day of class. This is a DMV state law, and no exceptions are allowed.

If you're 18 or older and still enrolled in a public, private, charter, or licensed home school in Cumberland County, you're eligible for driver education.

Before scheduling behind-the-wheel lessons:

• Apply for a learner's permit at the DMV.
• Make a copy of your permit.
• Give the copy to your high school's driver ed instructor.
• Bring your permit with you to every behind-the-wheel session.

If you're referred for a medical review, your physician may need to provide details about your condition to the NC Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for evaluation. Final licensing decisions are made by the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

About the Driver Medical Evaluation (DME) Program:

• Administered by the DMV
• Medical reviews handled by DHHS medical professionals
• Referrals can come from doctors, family members, license examiners, or law enforcement

If You're Referred for Medical Review:

• A local DMV representative will contact your parent and provide forms for your physician to complete.
• Your physician submits the completed forms to the DMV Medical Review Board.
• Once a decision is made, a letter will be sent to both your parent and the referring DMV representative.

If You're Approved to Drive:

• The DMV will issue a Restricted Permit Form and Medical Clearance Form to the Cumberland County Driver Education Coordinator.
• Once processed, you'll be contacted to schedule your driving lessons.

Questions?

Call our office at 910-678-2526.

If your preferred class is full, we cannot transfer your student to a different class. You will need to wait until the next registration session to enroll.

Approximately 16 weeks to complete the entire program.

If you fail or drop out of a Cumberland County Schools Driver Education course, you are not eligible to re-enroll in the public program.

To complete your driver education, you will need to attend a state-approved commercial driving school at your own expense.

There are no exceptions to this policy.