Race Schools
Overview
A Drivers School is part of getting your SCCA® Competition License. The Drivers School requirement can be satisfied in four ways. Choose the option that best matches your experience:
- SCCA Regional Drivers’ School — hosted by SCCA divisions and regions throughout the year.
- SCCA Race Experience — wheel-to-wheel racing events that double as drivers’ school credit, run in a lower-pressure environment with capped car performance and instructor support.
- Professional Accredited Drivers’ School — run by an independent racing school on the accredited list below, at the credit level that matches the license you’re working toward.
- Alternative Drivers’ School — for drivers with experience in other series or track-day programs, arranged directly with your Divisional Licensing Administrator.
One thing to keep in mind: if you complete a Drivers School before your Novice Permit or Full Competition License is issued, the school must have been completed within the previous year for the credit to count.
Race Experience
Race Experience is SCCA’s lower-pressure entry to wheel-to-wheel racing — and it doubles as a path to your drivers’ school credit. Two formats are offered: Club Racing Experience (short sprint races) and Endurance Experience (longer races with driver changes and pit stops). Car performance is capped to minimize speed differentials, and a Chief Instructor runs classroom sessions and post-session debriefs, similar to a competition drivers’ school.
Race Experience is open to any annual SCCA member, with or without prior racing experience or a race license — you’ll just need to self-certify that you have no disqualifying medical issues.
Get signed off at a Race Experience event and that drivers’ school credit is recorded against your Novice Permit exactly like a Regional school’s credit would be. From there, the path to a Full Competition License is the same for everyone: run 3 successful regional weekends and convert.
Regional Drivers' Schools
SCCA divisions and regions host drivers’ schools throughout the year. Scheduled dates appear below as they’re finalized and are also listed on the events calendar.
- February 19 to 21, 2027
- Bloomingdale, GA
- February 27 to 28, 2027
- Willows, CA
- April 16 to 18, 2027
- La Junta, CO
- April 30 to May 2, 2027
- Sebring, FL
- August 28 to 29, 2027
- Garrettsville, OH
Professional Accredited Driver's Schools
Students must obtain a “Certificate of Compliance” as having successfully completed the driver school program with a clear recommendation of license level. Students have 365 days after completion of the course to obtain their SCCA Novice Permit or Full Competition License.
Credit Level | What You Get |
|---|---|
| Full Competition License School | Covers your drivers' school requirement AND all on-track experience requirements in one shot — skip the Novice Permit stage entirely and apply straight for a Full Competition License. |
| Novice Permit — School + 2 Events | Covers your drivers' school requirement AND 2 of the 3 regional events needed to upgrade to a Full Competition License. Your Novice Permit is issued with those 2 events already credited — only 1 more successful weekend required before you can convert. |
| Novice Permit — School + 1 Event | Covers your drivers' school requirement AND 1 of the 3 regional events needed to upgrade to a Full Competition License. Your Novice Permit is issued with that 1 event already credited — 2 more successful weekends required before you can convert. |
| Novice Permit — School Only Credit | Covers your drivers' school requirement only — no events are credited. Your Novice Permit is issued with the school box checked, and you'll need to complete all 3 successful weekends before you can convert to a Full Competition License. |
Alternative Drivers' Schools
For drivers with experience in other series or programs (like track days) it is possible to coordinate with your Divisional Licensing Administrator to schedule an “Alternative Driver’s School” this will consist of an interview, an online or in-person classroom, and observation of your driving at an event like a Test Day. (If you have questions, you can always reach out to [email protected] to find out more information.)
Alternative Drivers' Schools
There are no current Alternative School events on the schedule.
Check back soon for next season’s events!
