Newport County Driving School

Fantastic experience: Couldn’t ask for better instructors! My Son has gained confidence and knowledge behind the wheel to safety gain his independent on the road. All three of my children have successfully completed driving lessons through NCDS nothing but praise to these instructors.

Fantastic experience: Used Newport County Driving school for both my son's permit classes and driver training prior to his license test. Passed both with flying colors. His confidence and skill behind the wheel after classes was amazing. His parallel parking spot on. Couldn't be happier with Newport Driving schools Services. Highly recommend to anyone looking to learn how you drive.

Negative experience: **Don't do classes with John Leeds (all other instructors are fine)** TLDR: the owner yells at his students while they’re driving and seems to have an anger issue I know that the school replies to one star reviews so I'm happy to share my experience (and also warn other customers). I had a class with John Leeds (the owner) today at around 3pm today Tuesday Oct 15. I had been practicing the last two weekends in my dad’s car for about seven hours total and even drove through neighborhoods. My dad's car is more compact and a little smaller than the one I was driving at the school today. At the beginning of the lesson, my seat is a tad bit far from the pedals for my taste but John tells me to place my seat at that distance. We start driving on the main road and John is giving critiques which is helpful except he's more like shouting them. Am I an expert in driving? No. Am I driving like a drunk? Also no. I might have been driving a little awkwardly at first because the school's car is a bit larger than my dad's and I wasn't used to the car seat or steering wheel. But again, I'm still learning how to drive (I have been practicing with my dad but I'm not an expert that's why I'm in classes). I wasn't driving like a drunk, and if I was driving so crazy there is a brake on his side and he could've asked me to pull over and instead practice away from the main roads. The louder he gets, the more uncomfortable I am and worse my driving gets because (crazy concept I know), emotions play a role in how well a person drives. We get to a stoplight and that's when John starts yelling (yes I mean yelling) at me and calling me a liar (even slamming his fist on the notebook in his lap). I'm incredibly uncomfortable and try to state that I have been practicing, but again he yells that I'm a liar. We're on the main road and my body freezes (because a man thrice my age I barely know is yelling at me while driving), I finally just pull over to the roadside grab my things and walk out without saying another word. Emotionally, I was hyperventilating and knew if I stayed in that car any longer my emotional state would just get worse. You can call my behavior dramatic and rash but isn't the number one rule of driving to not drive emotional/over-stimulated or stressed? I'd assume that a driving school would know that. But hey, what do I know? Like John Leeds said himself, I'm just another liar :)

Fantastic experience: My kids ans I could have not gotten through the experience without the great help and guidance from this driving school. My daughter and son are both licensed drivers, thanks to Newport County Driving school. The instructors are flexible, and they do a wonderful job teaching these kids how to drive safely. I would recommend all parents, give their kids this experience. At the DMV it was nice to have someone there for us. Much appreciated and thank you again!!!!

Fantastic experience: John was very accommodating with a last minute request. John’s ability to make room for my son to squeeze in a lesson and be with him on the day of his road test, without question allowed my son to successfully pass his road test! Thank you John and Newport County Driving School.

Fantastic experience: The folks at Newport County Driving School are the BEST! So helpful, accommodating, knowledgeable and friendly. Great experiences for both of my teenage boys and with NCDS's help, both passed their road test with flying colors!

Fantastic experience: Both of my children took lessons with NCDS. The instructors understand teenagers and what they need to be successful drivers. Feedback to parents is timely and allows for improvement. The support they provide on the day of the road test is also appreciated! I would recommend to anyone looking for a driving school!

Fantastic experience: Great local driving school, 10/10 recommend!

Negative experience: The owner needs a psychiatric evaluation ! I Rented the driving school car to take the road test. His attitude was the worst ever since I stepped into the car. He also tried to convince me 5 minutes before my test that I wasn't ready to take it because I didn't take classes at his driving school! And that my husband should invest in me since he could afford those classes! The worst marketing strategy at the worst possible moment.... The instructor asked me not to talk to the car owner and yet the car owner who was sitting in the passenger seat managed to push the gear to the parking position in the MIDDLE OF MY TEST! That action was enough to disrupt my focus. I failed without even knowing what I did wrong, I was traumatized. On our way back he smirked and told me he was right and that I would fail the test again and again if I don't pay for classes. I was speechless, I should have stood for myself back then. I do not recommend it to deal with the owner of this driving school as he is the worst human you could ever encounter. Don't rent the car from him, take your own car or use a friend's car instead. BTW, I never opted for an interpreter that is a lie and I don't see the reason why I would.

Fantastic experience: Just got my licence today with the help of these guys. Amazing instructors, super helpful and great guys all around.

Fantastic experience: Thank you Newport driving school for successfully helping our two children pass the road test! We are so appreciative of how accommodating John has been for our son’s hectic academic schedule. The school is really an asset to helping young adults to be responsible drivers ! We highly recommend Newport Driving School. Thank you !

Fantastic experience: All the instructors were excellent and really helped our daughter feel confident and prepared for not only the test but driving in general. This was our 3rd daughter to take lessons at Newport County Driving School and we highly recommend them to everyone. Thank you John and Mr. JA for such a great experience.

Fantastic experience: We had a wonderful experience with Newport County Driving School! All the instructors were extremely helpful, patient, and knowledgeable. They made my nervous teen feel more confident and comfortable on the road. I highly recommend them and in fact will be sending my youngest there when she is ready to learn. I highly recommend adding the practice road test with the hour lessons. It was worth it for my daughter as she felt more prepared for the actual test itself. Great experience!

Fantastic experience: Excellent instructors and easy online process to schedule driving lessons. Highly recommend.

Fantastic experience: We had such a wonderful experience with Newport County Driving School. Great instructors, accommodating schedules and invaluable assistance on the day of the road test. Can’t imagine navigating the process without them!

Fantastic experience: John and his instructors were great! I would highly reccomend them.

Fantastic experience: Excellent experience! Extremely helpful with making your teen driver feel more comfortable on the road. The practice road test is wonderful and really makes your child feel prepared for the road test. Highly recommend Newport Driving School!

Fantastic experience: Many many thanks to the amazing service Newport County Driving School offered my son . The confidence behind the wheel and ability to pass the road test my son had was top tier because of you . I will be referring you to many upcoming drivers. Thank you again

Fantastic experience: Great experience! Works well with kids schedules

Fantastic experience: Grand opening was great! Looking forward to sending students over for driving lessons

Fantastic experience: I had to use their services as a last minute thing and they went out of their way to help! It was a fantastic experience and I passed :) Thanks guys!

Fantastic experience: We we're extremely happy with Newport County Driving School. My daughter felt comfortable with the driving instructors, and she was very very well prepared for her driver's test!! Highly recommend coming here!! Thank you Newport County Driving School!!

Negative experience: The man that runs this place has been so rude. I do not recommend this driving school. He’s admitted that they are short staffed. They have too many instructions on when and how to book an appointment especially if you’re paying hundreds of dollars. It should be very simple, you pay $600 for something then you should be able to simply book your appointments. You can only book on a certain day every two weeks. And the slots fill fast. He asks you to text him your driving test time and doesn’t respond. On my sons driving test day he said well good luck to him because he admits he didn’t prepare him enough despite $600 spent. He expects you to chase him down because he’s too busy. It’s not a way to run a business. He offers zero customer service. He comes up with excuses every time for his lack of professionalism and mistakes. He’s rude and obnoxious and I have a feeling he’s treating us differently for a reason. I do not recommend.

Fantastic experience: Fantastic experience for behind the wheel training. John Martins was excellent. Very patient, thorough, and professional and had us road test ready. John Leeds was encouraging and got us through test day. Highly recommend!

Fantastic experience: My oldest just passed his driving test yesterday, thanks to Newport County Driving School. He would not have been able to do it without the driving lessons and practice on their course. I am so grateful to them and will be sending the next two kids through for Drivers Ed and In Car driving lessons. Highly recommend!

Fantastic experience: Without this the test would have been much harder. I passed first try very easy with little nerves. I highly recommend that you go here if you are nervous for the test.

Fantastic experience: Excellent professional instructors. Well worth the investment.

Fantastic experience: John is very thorough and patient with his students! Used him for both my kids and they both passed with flying colors.

Fantastic experience: Super grateful for John ! His ability to take the anxiousness out of my daughter and allow her to feel confident for the drivers test was top notch. He thoroughly went over exactly what was needed and prepared her 100%. Receiving just that on her actual test, a perfect score!! I cannot thank him enough and recommend all parents with permitted children to take lessons at Newport County Driving School . Add on bonus is Jimmie, he is just the cutest !!!

Fantastic experience: Excellent experience with the entire team at Newport County Driving School. My daughter felt extremely comfortable and confident during her driving exam and passed! She was fully prepared thanks to Newport County Driving School!

Fantastic experience: "Reliable. Trustworthy. Excellent instructors. Great customer service. Highly recommend the Newport County Driving School!"

Negative experience: Absolutely horrible! I did lessons two years ago and needed my certificate they were hard to reach and ended up charging me twenty dollars for a piece of paper after spending hundreds on classes. Disappointing

Fantastic experience: instructors were great, they prepared me well for my test, I passed! highly recommend

Negative experience: Would not recommend. There are certainly more efficient and cheaper driving schools out there. Mr. Leads does not show to truly care for his students to pass their driving exam. He becomes easily flustered and expects the student to come with knowledge and hours already on the road.

Fantastic experience: John A. was an amazing teacher and very patient - I couldn't have passed my driving test without his tips and advice. He was even kind enough to answer a last-minute question I texted him before my test.

Fantastic experience: A fantastic group of people who really helped my nervous teen gain confidence in his driving abilities. They were patient, informative, and gave us great feedback. The practice test at their Tiverton location really helped prepare my teen for the nerve-racking exam (the exam seems to have a high failure rate-- 4 of the 7 teen drivers l watched did not pass.)All and all, once I figured out the website it was a breeze to navigate (Hint: if you take the driver's Ed with them, you'll need to create another log in for the Behind the wheel part) Overall, my teen passed his test the first time, and it was money well spent. Thank you!

Fantastic experience: It felt amazing passing my road test! This is all thanks to John A. And Mr. Leeds! Amazing teachers and people in general! Quality service and had a fun time. Thank you guys again for helping me be a safe driver!

Fantastic experience: My 2nd child in 2 years just got their license today. Both of them took the driver's ed class and the road lessons. They both enjoyed all their instructors and learned so much. They had patience and remained calm as opposed to me having a heart attack. Mr. Leeds knows the process and procedure to make this a painless experience. Thank you NCDS!!!

Fantastic experience: I highly recommend using Newport County Driving School for the entire process of getting your driver's license. The online classes needed to get your permit were very convenient. All of the driving instructors were very professional,and John Leeds is very helpful with the process of getting your license. Using the practice course makes taking the driving test much less stressful. I'll be using them again for my younger son too.

Fantastic experience: Good experience, really taught me alot about driving, helped me pass my road test.

Fantastic experience: Took the online classroom and driving lessons fantastic help and helped me pass the road test

Fantastic experience: Great Experience, Mr. John Leeds is a great guy, who is very firm with his instructions and attentive to any questions.

Negative experience: I was unable to find a class on their website that worked for my schedule and sent through an email today saying that I would like a refund if they do not have weekend availability. John called me back right away and I was initially pleased that someone had reached out so fast to me. He is the most condescending man I've ever spoken with. He belittled me for not reading instructions properly. Yes, I indeed did not read. I have a newborn at home, I work full time and I am just a frustrated customer who paid an entire paychecks worth without being able to schedule a class. Treat your customers better. I was by no means nasty to you in my email to receive this treatment

Negative experience: This is the worst customer service I have ever received! Not only were they not able to get my son in for an appointment but when I asked for a refund. This is what I got back.

Negative experience: Do not, i mean it, do not drive past one of these teachers going more than 5mph over the speed limit. You will get honked at I've had my license for over 13 years, no speeding tickets whatsoever but apparently these guys are the road police when you pass them going more than 5mph. Mind your business

Fantastic experience: Both of our kids have now successfully completed the course here and have both been passed thier drivers test with flying colors. Thanks to John and his wonderful staff. Would highly recommend thirty program. Thanks John for all you guys did. Leslie White

Negative experience: All the instructors were nice except for the owner. He was extremely rude not only to me but also to my mother. He is extremely immature and childish and was constantly making snarky remarks. This man really needs some mental help and I’d be happy to recommend some therapists to him. Hope he gets better soon, pettiness is a disease after all ✌

Fantastic experience: ⭐I absolutely would recommend NCDS!⭐ My son took his Driver's Ed course as well as on the road lessons. The owner/instructors are friendly and great with the kids. They make them feel comfortable and successfully prepare them for their "Big Day!" Thanks NCDS!

Fantastic experience: Best drivers Ed training I’ve done. John was extremely caring and nice. Will definitely be recommending this to all my friends!

Fantastic experience: I recently did 7 classes with 4 different instructors and passed my license test just a few days ago. I can say that every instructor from lesson 1 to the test was supportive, helpful, and patient, and their great communication while scheduling lessons made it quick and easy. Great driving school and instructors and I would highly recommend.

Positive experience: I'm giving three stars because two out of three experiences were great, and one was terrible. First, my son's driver's ed instructional classroom experience was great! Mr. DeArruda was knowledgeable, patient and funny. Ready for the permit test! We returned for driving instruction and were pleased that John Leeds returned our call right away, scheduled us flexibly, and agreed to pick up my son at the house for a lesson. The car ran well, had a backup camera, and was clean. My son said that although Mr. Leeds was "hard to read," and seemed irritated at times, the lesson went okay. Two follow-up lessons with Mr. Campion were top notch! Highly recommend Mr. Campion-- patient, encouraging, knowledgeable, and calm. Then came the day of the driver's test. Mr. Leeds was impatient with me and my son, argued with my son over putting a backpack with medical supplies in the back seat, "I don't know what to do with it, your mom does. Leave it with her." Mr. Leeds did eventually allow the backpack, but his tone was not professional and my son's medical condition was previously disclosed. Next, I heard, "Hurry up, we don't have all day. I have to get to Providence for some other appointments and they're waiting on you." Note: At this point, it was 45 minutes before our scheduled appointment and we had already been in the lot for an hour. I called Mr. Leeds the next day to thank him for his time and knowledge, but to share my concerns. He was dismissive and rude, interrupted often, and denied a comment I heard with my own ears. The closest I got to an apology was a snarky, "I'm sorry you feel that way, m'am." I spoke with a friend whose son reported similar rude behavior from Mr. Leeds. Disappointing, since it looks like others had positive experiences.

Fantastic experience: Amazing driving school. My son had lessons and passed his test .Great set up to practice new course for test due to covid.

Negative experience: We have heard bad and good reviews about this place from family and friends. We decided to give it a try with our first son. The instructors are nice and gave pretty decent lessons. Although my son wasn't very comfortable with the owner stating he was kind of rude when speaking to him. Thinking maybe our son was just feeling anxious we gave this company another try with our 2nd son. Again, the instructors he had were friendly and informative. BUT..... whenever we had to talk to the owner he was very rude and left me boiling. He has horrible customer service. Pretty much yelling at me on the phone about how lessons have changed because of Covid19. My son passes his test and now we need the driving certificate for our insurance and he yelled at me with such an attitude that he has printed out 2 of them and he's not printing out a 3rd. Well where are those 2 I have no idea. He says with an attitude to me on the phone that if I watch the news mail is down 20% of service and that he doesn't know what to tell me. I stated that I would have my husband drive by to pick up a copy and he with an attitude says to me well if I'm here and hangs up on me. What ever happened to having good customer service now a days? If you don't have good customer service and just HATE talking to humans then hire someone to do that part for you! I will NOT send my family and friends to this place! I have worked with the community and with customer service for over 27 years now and still love it, love people, and want people to come in and ask for me and come back again with happiness! We still need his 6 lesson certificate for insurance purposes! UPDATE.... A few hours later on the same day we recieved a phone call from Mr. L. LaPutka, The Marketing Director & Business Manager. He stated that he has read my review and has spoken with the owner about it. Mr. LaPutka was very apologetic and also made arrangements for us to pick up our certificate. My husband then drove the 20 minutes to go and pick it up. I would like to state again that the drivers we encountered with both our sons were friendly and reliable. Customer service is everything and I am glad I don't have to deal with the owner John again. Thank You Mr. LaPutka for bringing my boiling point down a little.

Fantastic experience: We were so happy that Newport County Driving School was able to offer the classroom instruction in a virtual format during this difficult time. It worked out perfectly for our daughter. Thank you!

Fantastic experience: Great business. Professional and easy going. Enjoyed the driving lessons and felt prepared for the driving test. Without them I wouldn’t have felt so confident in passing my driving test!

Fantastic experience: Highly recommend taking lessons with this driving school. The instructors were all friendly and knowledgeable. I passed my road test!

Fantastic experience: place was great. really helped me with driving and getting better with 3 point turns which i was stuck on. great place if your kids need help with driving, and everybody was super nice

Fantastic experience: Newport County Driving School really helped me understand the rules of the road. The lessons that were associated with the company helped me prepare for the road test and educate me to drive safely. Thank you Mr. Leeds, Mr. Campion, Mr. Almeida, and others for helping me the achievement of receiving my drivers license.

Fantastic experience: I highly recommend Newport County Driving School. Along with the extremely helpful lessons, you’re guided by friendly and experienced instructors who 100% have your back and want to see you succeed. Mr. Martins was my first instructor and he drastically improved my driving skills when I first got on the roads. Ms. DeSantis is an extremely reassuring individual and a calming presence who helped me gain more confidence in myself. Mr. Whoolhouse guided me on my first time up in Little Compton and made sure I was being precautious and safe. Mr. Lis was a great young man and he was extremely helpful and an all around great spirit to learn from. I had issues with road test scheduling at the DM located in Middletown. I was unable to take my test and I was looking at waiting for a couple months longer before my next opportunity. Mr. Leeds, the owner of Newport County Driving School, assisted me to get a test the next morning, a Herculean task when it comes to DMV waiting times. All in all, the Newport County Driving School is a great organization, extremely friendly, personable and helpful and they prepare young drivers not just to pass their tests, but for taking on the critical privilege of getting on the roads and conducting yourself in a safe and precise manner. I highly recommend Newport County Driving School.

Fantastic experience: The class was awesome and helped me gain new info I didn’t know before, it is a must take. The lessons are just as good and the instructors are very good at what they do

Fantastic experience: It was a great experience. The drivers ed was knowledgeable and helpful. The drivers lessons helped me a lot at getting better. Helped me get more comfortable behind the wheel and more confident.

Fantastic experience: Great establishment with an educational drivers ed class and helpful driving instructors.

Fantastic experience: Newport County Driving School is definitely a great establishment. The driving instructors were very helpful throughout my in classroom education and road lessons. Mr. Leeds is definitely one of the best driving instructors I have ever had. I totally recommend NCDS to anyone who needs road lessons or in classroom education.

Fantastic experience: Nice teachers and explain and teach everything in a good easy way

Fantastic experience: great experience, teaches you everything you need to know

Fantastic experience: The driving school was very helpful to me and helped me fix the problems I had. The instructors were helpful

Fantastic experience: Mr. Leeds is the best driving instructor I highly recommend him if you ever need an instructor.

Fantastic experience: The classes where nice with good information to help understand the laws of driving. The behind the wheel lessons where very helpful and helped me on my driving skills.

Fantastic experience: Took drivers ed and enjoyed the class and driving lessons. Very helpful

Fantastic experience: Classes were well instructed and made me fully prepared for my test!

Fantastic experience: Thank you Mr. Leeds for making the commonly nervous task of learning to drive a great experience! Taking the time to come all the way to Coventry and even taking me through the testing routes! It was a lot of fun and learned important things, will recommend in the future definitely, thank you.

Fantastic experience: They helped me become really well prepared for my test. They gave me all the things I needed and were very straight forward with everything.

Fantastic experience: I took Drivers Ed here and the instructors were so fun. They made the classes not seem as long as they actually were. I also took the 4 driving lesson package with them and the instructors for that were also just as great. Affordable and they’re very easy to plan around a busy schedule.

Fantastic experience: Great drivers ed program. The behind the whee lessons are very helpful. They prepare you very well for the drivers test.

Fantastic experience: I really enjoyed the behind the wheel lessons with Mr. Lis, he was a great instructor and the driving school picked me up and dropped me off. They were always on time.

Fantastic experience: Great teaching, great road lessons, and no problems going for license. Takes you to the place in the school car to do test and was very helpful,

Fantastic experience: I drove with Ed DeArruda and Melissa Desantis, they were both very good drivers and calm and patient. They are the kind of instructors a nervous person like me needs.

Fantastic experience: Thank you for helping me with my road test today! You are very helpful!

Fantastic experience: Taking the driving schools lessons helped me get ready for my driving test and prepared me for the rules of the road! 10/10 recommend

Fantastic experience: The instructors are friendly, funny and helpful. I passed the permit and road tests on my first tries. This place is awesome!

Fantastic experience: I had a great classroom experience and learned a lot in the class. I also took the in car diving lesson that taught me so much and helped me a lot with my road test, which I passed!!

Fantastic experience: The driving lesson were a big help with getting ready for the driver’s test and the class was helpful in learning the ways of the road.

Fantastic experience: Took 20hrs of driving lessons with them. Very satisfied.

Fantastic experience: The teaching in the classroom was great. They made me feel safe be the wheel.

Fantastic experience: Instructors were great, very helpful, and they helped me a lot. Driving lessons were awesome

Fantastic experience: The driver’s ed classes here are super helpful and the teachers are very knowledgeable. The driving lessons are awesome because you can practice taking the road test routes before the actual test. Becoming more familiar with the test routes made me much more comfortable on the day I took my road test.

Fantastic experience: Newport County Driving School is very, very helpful to help you learn how to drive.

Fantastic experience: Mr Leeds helped a lot with correcting my driving mistakes, I wouldn't be the driver I am today without him.

Fantastic experience: Doing the lessons with the instructor helped me understand what to actually do on the road more than drivers ed since there is no time spent on the road. It has helped prepare

Fantastic experience: Overall I had a great time with these lessons and they helped me greatly in overcoming my anxiety about driving

Fantastic experience: Everyone was so lovely and fun! For the most part they are teachers outside of just teaching driving and it’s super helpful. They really got me ready in a short amount of time.

Fantastic experience: Very good driving school just got my license if you want to learn how to drive almost all over the newport county area highly recommended

Fantastic experience: The classroom was very informative and it taught me very thoroughly! In the behind the wheel lessons, the instructors were very nice and taught me well. They helped me feel ready for my road test!

Fantastic experience: Was great help I didn’t think I needed it but I was completely wrong mr.leeds was a great help and amazing at constructive criticism thanks mr Leeds I only passed cause of u

Fantastic experience: The class was amazing and very fun! And the driving lessons were very hopeful and helped me pass my driving test! Highly recommend!!

Fantastic experience: The classes where very helpful when it came to the test and and I truly recommend to go here.

Fantastic experience: Took the classes, they helped me so much and got my ready for my road test. All the inturucters are wonderful and very helpful. Thank you Mr.leeds!!

Fantastic experience: Great lessons and prepared me well for the test

Fantastic experience: I felt very prepared to take my test and was much more confident driving the company car!!

Fantastic experience: Mr Leeds was a great teacher and now i better understand how to drive and have learned a lot about driving. Would recommend to friends& family