Pinellas Driving School
Información sobre Pinellas Driving School
33710, Saint Petersburg
Horario de apertura
- Domingo: 10h-19h
- Lunes: 10h-19h
- Martes: 10h-19h
- Miércoles: 10h-19h
- Jueves: 10h-19h
- Viernes: 10h-19h
- Sábado: 10h-19h
Looking to get your teen driver started driving the right way? We pride ourselves on teaching drivers to be aware of the laws, courteous to others, and confident behind the wheel.
We're happy to teach a new adult driver! We'll start with the basics and move forward at a pace that suits you. We'll prepare you for your road test AND for the real world!
Already have your license, and want to improve? Had your license before, or had a license in another state or another country? Not comfortable in big city traffic? We're here for you!
Learning to drive an automobile in the modern age can be intimidating, especially when you live in the busy metropolitan area of Pinellas County! We’re here to help ease the transition from “nervous beginning driver” to “confident experienced driver.” At Pinellas Driving School, we believe that it all starts with the basics.
A lot of folks who teach driving, whether they be your Uncle Ernie, dear old Grandad, your Mom, or sometimes even a professional driving school — they have the tendency to push a new driver out into the world before they are ready. “Here are the keys, that’s the steering wheel, gas is on the right, brake is on the left, let’s go drive across town!” In addition to being potentially very dangerous, it’s completely overwhelming to the student, and it’s a sort of backwards approach.
Sure, the sink-or-swim method can work… eventually (if you don’t end up with a crashed car, or a mentally traumatized student first). Unfortunately, you end up with drivers who know how to navigate city traffic (sort of), but still have no idea what their car can and can’t do. How big is the car? How quickly can it stop? How quickly can it turn to avoid something? How quickly can it NOT stop? What happens if I try to turn too sharply too fast, or try to pull a lane change too fast at 60 mph? These are things that a LOT of people learn “by accident,” and this is why your auto insurance rates for the first 5-10 years of driving are so expensive! Pinellas Driving School is here to help you avoid those pitfalls.
The Pinellas Driving School approach is to spend the time necessary to ensure that the student is fully comfortable with the car before getting them out into traffic. We try to build confidence with skills such as negotiating turns, smooth acceleration and braking, smooth and confident quick stops, emergency stops, and looking far enough ahead to avoid most of the surprises on the road. Once a driver has mastered those things, then when they get out into traffic, they’re no longer thinking about “the car,” and they can more easily focus on “the traffic.” As a result, we find that students who have completed our driving school course become safer and more confident more quickly than just dumping them into traffic and hoping that they figure everything out while every other driver on the road is trying to kill them!
Pinellas Driving School is a Florida state certified driving school, and we employ driving instructors who are both Florida state certified and trained to teach to our strict standards. But we’re not just teachers, we are driving enthusiasts! We appreciate the privilege of driving a car, and everything that entails. We want to share our enthusiasm for driving PROPERLY with a new generation, and that is why we do this. As a result, we’re teaching more than just the bare minimum of “how to drive a car” or “how to pass your license test.” We teach our students how to be safe, confident and courteous drivers at their core.
We presently have three instructors. Steve and Loren are the owners of the school. Each of our instructors constantly share their teaching experiences with each other and strive to provide the best learning experience for each student, regardless of their driving history, their skill level, or their background.
Loren’s passion for driving dates back to his youth. Like many teen drivers, he made his share of expensive mistakes, and learned from them. One of his goals is to thoroughly teach new drivers so that they can AVOID such mistakes! He understands the physics and psychology of driving, and tries to teach on a deeper level. The more you understand what the car is doing and how your brain relates to what the car is doing, the better you’ll be at driving!
He has been teaching driving since the late 1990’s, and has been a Florida State Certified Driving Instructor off and on since 2006 and has taught behind-the-wheel driving for two of the major driving schools in the area. Most recently, he’s been teaching driving consistently since 2015 and started Pinellas Driving School with Steve Frank in 2017.
Steve also has a great passion for driving dating back to his teen years. As a 30+ year resident of the Tampa Bay area, he really knows his way around and is familiar with the rich history of Pinellas County.
He started teaching people about driving in the mid 2000’s, and became a State Certified Driving Instructor when he and Loren Williams started Pinellas Driving School in 2017. Having absorbed some of Loren’s driving instruction wisdom in addition to his own experience, he has become an outstanding driving instructor!
He brings with him a strong background in psychology, with over 25 years as a psychologist specializing in helping folks recover from brain injury. This is part of what makes him extremely compassionate of not just his students, but other drivers on the road. He’s good at teaching his students that “it’s not all about you.”
Steve shares Loren’s hobbies of amateur motorsports and sports cars. In fact, it is how the two of them met, and they also share ownership in a motorsports club!
Jim comes to us with over 30 years of experience as a public school teacher in Michigan. He taught physical education, health, and driver’s education. He was also very active coaching a variety of sports, including high school football.
The Pinellas Driving School approach to driver education is a personal and practical one. Our in car lessons emphasize driver confidence and safety. We start by evaluating the actual skills and abilities of the student in the car with them driving. Students who have never started a car before, much less driven one, are going to need a far more basic approach than other students who may be looking to fine-tune their skills before taking the road test for their license. A student who is already licensed and may be looking to enhance confidence or general skills will require yet another approach. No matter what, we’ll adjust the flavor of our in car lessons to match students’ experience and goals.
So, if we’re teaching an in car lesson with a student who is a new driver, we’ll spend the time necessary to ensure that the student is fully comfortable with the car before getting them driving. Proper seat and steering wheel adjustment, hand placement, and mirror adjustment might be our starting points. For a more experienced student, we may try to build confidence with skills such as negotiating turns, smooth acceleration and braking, smooth and sure quick stops, emergency stops, lane management, and looking far enough ahead to avoid most of the surprises on the road. The only way to learn these things is with in car lessons, behind the wheel, with an experienced and patient instructor.
As a result, we find that students who have completed a course of in car lessons with us become safer and more confident more quickly. Teach a driver thoroughly from the beginning, you get a better driver!
Our services are simple, we offer driving lessons! We teach folks to drive. We primarily do in-car behind-the-wheel driving instruction throughout Pinellas County. You can purchase a package of lessons, or just do individual lessons, you decide how many lessons you want your driving course to include!
If you’re unsure of how many lessons you might need to take, check our aptly named How Many Lessons page for our recommendations! Feel free to give us a call or email if you have questions.
We mostly teach beginning drivers (of any age). But, we’re happy to offer refresher lessons to experienced drivers, or to anyone who wants to improve or expand their driving skill set. We teach everything from beginning to advanced, parking lots to interstates, and everything in-between!
If you’ve been in a car crash (whether you were at fault or not), we can help you understand what went wrong, and what actions you might take in the future to help prevent future crashes.
We do offer/allow/recommend occasional back-to-back lessons for more experienced students. This gives us a 3-hour block of time to work with, and allows us to go places and do things (back roads, interstate driving, short trips to unfamiliar places, etc) that are often extremely difficult to accomplish in 90 minutes.
We do require pre-payment to schedule a lesson, so have your credit card ready. Also, you must consent to our Student Agreement when you register for lessons, so you should go ahead and read that now.
We try to keep things as simple as we can. But, it still gets a little complex. We’ve done our best to explain and answer most of your questions below.
Please understand that we are typically very BUSY, as is every other driving school in the area. It would be wise to plan and schedule your lessons EIGHT WEEKS in advance. Yes, we are often scheduling that far out. Plan ahead! Way ahead!
Yes, we can sell driving lesson packages! To purchase lessons as a package, you must purchase at least 6 lessons and you can do it right in the scheduler. You decide how many lessons you want! Here are our recommendations on How Many Lessons to take.
Once you’ve decided how many lessons you need, you can purchase your package through the scheduler and schedule your first appointment immediately! Or, if you’re purchasing a package as a gift, get with us to arrange that. (see below)
After payment for the package is received, we will set up your Coupon Code that you will use when you schedule your lessons. (this is a manual process, it might take a day or so) We will email this code to you, please don’t try to schedule package lessons beyond your first lesson until you have received your code! The code will be unique to you, and can be used to pay for complete lessons up to the number of lessons in your package.
This makes it super-easy for you or anyone you share your Coupon Code with to schedule a driving lesson. It discounts the full price of the lesson, and bypasses the checkout process.
We offer significant discounts for packages of 6 or more lessons! Example packages below. Single lessons, and 6, 9 or 12-lesson packages are easily purchased through our online scheduler. Custom packages of 6 or more lessons are available if you call first.
Scheduling lessons is easier. If you schedule individual lessons, you have to go through the payment process each time, and it’s a hassle. With a package, you just enter your code when you schedule, and you’re done!
Having a set number of lessons aids the instructor (and the student) because we know how much time we have, and can more effectively plan and prioritize our lessons.
Pinellas Driving School: Opiniones
5 months ago Experiencia negativa: I changed my review to one star. I wrote my original feedback out of goodwill, just to share my honest experience. But their reply felt passive-aggressive instead of understanding. I didn’t expect sarcasm in response to something so genuine. I took lessons here back in early 2023 — about 14 sessions over a few months as a complete beginner. I didn’t have any car to practice with during that time. In early 2024, when a friend finally let me use their car for a few days, I took the road test and passed on my first try. I’m now a safe and confident driver, and looking back on that experience, I wanted to leave an honest review. My instructor Jim and Steve were patient, knowledgeable, and truly cared about safety — I could tell he wanted his students to become careful, responsible drivers. I really appreciate that. But for me, things were quite hard. I was living alone in St pete, working full time, with no access to a car and a learner’s permit that is expiring. I explained my situation several times and asked if we could prepare for the road test, but he insisted that I shouldn’t rush and should keep “polishing my driving first.” After 8 Or 9 classes, when I felt I am ready to practice and pass the test, he insisted that he wanted me to be a good driver and kept teaching me skills that were not for exams. I completely understand his point, but it left me feeling stuck and helpless. Their slots were fully booked at that time and it was hard to make appointments for continuous practice, especially the price was not cheap and I couldn't take so many time off from my work. so I really want to finish the test first then practice my driving slowly afterwards. Sometimes, getting the license first isn’t about being impatient — it’s about having a chance to keep learning and to finally move forward. I wish there had been a bit more understanding and flexibility in my case. Overall, a caring instructor and a good school, but not the best fit for someone who’s on their own and trying to make things work with limited time and options.
Thanks for the feedback! We're going to continue to focus on safety.
1 year ago Experiencia fantástica: Steve was an amazing instructor! He was very patient with me and helped me sharpen my skills. Because of him I got refreshed on all the basics while also getting accustomed to driving in Florida. I passed my driving test with flying colors because of pinellas driving school. Thank you and a big thank you to Steve!
Thanks! Glad we were able to help.
2 years ago Experiencia fantástica: Excellent experience with everyone I've been in contact and lessons from! Would reccomend for anyone interested in lessons. Easy to make schedules, easy to change times if need be, amazing instructors making it possible for anyone to learn how to drive.
Thanks for the kind words, Katelyn! Glad you're enjoying the process.
2 years ago Experiencia fantástica: My experience with this company was great. My instructor Loren Williams was wonderful and made sure i understood everything fully by explaining in different ways without making me feel judged at all. I not only can drive correctly now, but smoothly as well. Thanks a bunch
Thanks for the feedback!
2 years ago Experiencia negativa: No.
2 years ago Experiencia fantástica: I chose 8 classes because I was a beginner driver. As in, didn’t even know how to turn the ignition on. The website is fairly easy to navigate and the scheduling was also a breeze. I was paired up with Loren based on location, and couldn’t have been paired with a better teacher. Not only did Loren help me get over my fear of driving but with his style of teaching, I was able to get my drivers license, something I found unimaginable before even booking my first class. I highly recommend Pinellas Driving School
Thanks! We got you pretty far with 8 lessons over almost 12 months. Keep practicing and gaining confidence and experience. We'd still like to see you do some highway lessons when you are ready for that.
2 years ago Experiencia fantástica: Had a great experience learning to drive stick! Scheduling was very simple. Steve as the instructor was super calm and patient through the initial jerky shifts and stalling out - his demeanor was perfect for my nervousness/embarrassment! Was up and running and 100% comfortable doing it by the end of the lesson!
Thanks, Mike! Steve is awesome, and we love teaching manual transmission. It usually takes 2-3 lessons and a lot of practice to REALLY get all of the nuance, but we can often get an experienced driver up to a basic level with one lesson.
2 years ago Experiencia fantástica: This driving school helped me get my license!!!! I had tried getting lessons from some wonky guy from my church and I failed the first time (he said he knew I wasn't ready and still made me set my appointment and take my money ). But Jim and Steve were highly professional and helped me learn the specific techniques on the exam to set me up for success! They were there for me the whole way even during the exam, they walked me through and guided me. I felt well prepared and supported. 10/10 would recommend and would say the classes are worth every penny!!!
We're very glad you passed your road test and got your license! But, we'd like to point out that we didn't JUST teach you to pass the road test. We don't do that. If you'd asked us to do JUST that, we'd have declined. We spent a lot of time working on real-world driving skills that are not addressed on the State of Florida's road test. The road test is easy, real world driving is not!
3 years ago Experiencia fantástica: We purchased a package plus some extra additional driving lessons for our son, Loren Williams was my son’s instructor and was simply amazing in every single aspect from start to finish! Thanks to Loren we now have a safe and well informed new driver on the road and our sons confidence and skills he was taught will last a lifetime! We can’t thank Loren enough! :) Highly recommend him!
Thanks for the kind words! He proved to be a quick learner, and the practice time that you spent with him helped a lot.
3 years ago Experiencia fantástica: I have tremendous progress with my younger brother after working with Pinellas Driving School. Some need extra assistance. I appreciate these instructors.
Thanks for the kind words, Stacey! Sometimes it does take some extra time to help a new driver become proficient. It helps if they can get ample and appropriate practice between lessons, though we accept that sometimes that isn't possible. We do our best! He's been making consistent and significant progress throughout his lessons.
3 years ago Experiencia fantástica: Loren is an excellent, calm and competent teacher. He taught both of my teens to drive ( both were quite nervous at the beginning). I highly recommend Pinellas Driving School
Thanks, Trena! They were both great to work with.
3 years ago Experiencia fantástica: I had a very pleasant experience with the Pinellas Driving School. I only did three lessons and for the last two I had Steve Frank. I took my test a few days ago and passed. Steve made sure that I was ready and knew everything I needed to in order to pass. Each lesson I had with Steve, I felt that he always gave detailed explanations, suggestions, and tips. I was struggling with my parking technique right before my test, and I had a lesson with him where we practiced parking quite a few times. With his help, I was able to easily pass the parking on my test. I would certainly recommend him to anyone looking to use this school for driving lessons because he was so helpful and very kind every time.
Congratulations on passing the road test! Your situation was unusual for us in that we usually do more than 3 lessons. But, your parents did a good job of practicing with you between your 3 lessons, and they were spread out over almost 6 months. With that, we were able to get you comfortable and safe in local multi-lane traffic and ready for the road test with those three lessons. Do consider that we did NOT have time to get beyond that. Highway driving is a different level, and there's a LOT that we didn't have time to teach with just 3 lessons. If your parents can handle that next level, that's great! But, don't think that you can't take more lessons and continue learning after you've got your license. We're always here if you need us.
4 years ago Experiencia fantástica: Excellent driving School. Loren is an awesome instructor and is very knowledgeable. We particularly appreciate the regular progress updates. We purchased a driving lesson package for our son, and we are glad we did because he learned how to drive with confidence and become a safe driver. He was able to recently pass his road test. I highly recommend Pinellas Driving School!
Thanks, Marc! Had a lot of fun working with Dylan, and your practice between lessons really helped move things along. Congrats on passing the road test!
4 years ago Experiencia fantástica: Took a stick shift review lesson with Steve. He was very patient and clear with his instruction. He had me drive in several different areas and at the end we practiced parking and backing out of a parking space.
We always enjoy teaching manual transmission lessons when we can! Glad Steve was able to refresh your skills. It definitely takes a lot of practice to reach "expert" level. Let us know if you'd like another lesson or two to work on the finer points.
4 years ago Experiencia fantástica: Vinny Parisi is the best. He helped me with the three point turn and proper ways to park things I’ve been struggling with. Yesterday I took my drivers test and passed it my first try. He’s really patient and will continue to push you until you feel like you have it down pack. I never once was frustrated or wanted to quit thru the whole process ! Thank you again!
Tarobia, we're glad you had a good experience, but I have to be honest, Vinny doesn't work for us! There's another school going by the name of "Pinellas County Driving School", maybe that's who you took lessons with?
4 years ago Experiencia fantástica: Did a 4 lesson package and it was extremely helpful! Both Steve & Jim were very kind and made me feel calm. Passed my drivers test today! 10/10 recommend.
Congratulations, Brandon! Steve and Jim enjoyed working with you, and we're glad to have had the opportunity to expand on what you're parents had already taught you. Seems like you learned a lot. Be safe out there!
5 years ago Experiencia fantástica: HIGHLY RECOMENDED. I had three of their instructors- Steven, Jim, and Derek- and all where phenomenal! The instructors are very communicative and are commited to making sure you learn how to be a defensive driver and that you pass your DMV test. The lessons are also well priced (the best rates in Pinellas county) and are definitely worth their value. Based on my experience, they are the best place to learn how to drive.
Glad to hear that your road test went well! We've really enjoyed our time teaching you and appreciate your feedback.
5 years ago Experiencia fantástica: Moved to Florida without a license and about 8 seconds of driving behind the wheel. After 9 lessons (and practice in between) I was able to get my license easily on my first try, and more importantly I feel comfortable driving safely thanks to the coaching received. Shout out to Jim - best instructor in Pinellas!
Thanks, Michael! Glad to hear that your test went well. You made great progress in just 6 weeks, well done! Jim is great, and we train all of our instructors to that same standard. Keep practicing, and we'll be here if you want to take your driving to the next level.
5 years ago Experiencia fantástica: We purchased a driving lesson package for our daughter and the experience has been wonderful. Loren is a great instructor (patient, knowledgeable, kind, and calm) and has given our daughter both the confidence and the skills needed to become a more safe driver. She recently passed her road test, and we intend to schedule future lessons once she has been driving a bit more. When it comes time for my 14-year-old to start learning, we are thankful to have such an excellent resource.
Thanks for the kind words. Raven has been a joy to work with!
5 years ago Experiencia fantástica: Best driving school, with such amazing instructors thanks!
Thanks, Edgar! Glad we could help you improve your driving skills.
5 years ago Experiencia fantástica: I took 8 lessons from them. All the instructors are very professional, nice, and they take the time to teach you what you need to work on. The feedback I got from them was really useful and I recommend anyone try them out! I will have to take a few other lessons with them in the future to become the best safest driver I can be. Thanks guys! I feel more than ready to pass my road test tomorrow.
We enjoyed working with you over the past month! We look forward to the opportunity to take you to the next level when you are ready.
6 years ago Experiencia fantástica: Had a lesson with Steve today to learn manual transmission. Super helpful, got me up and running to drive competently in one lesson. Definitely recommend Steve for driving lessons.
Thanks, Jon! We're glad Steve was able to teach you the basics of manual transmission driving in one lesson. This is one of our favorite things to teach! Maybe after a bit of practice, you might consider another lesson to be sure you're not picking up any bad habits, and learn some more advanced techniques.
6 years ago Experiencia fantástica: Great driving school. Jim, Derek and Steve helped me relax behind the wheel as I was extremely nervous. They prepare you well for the road test. Give them a try as you will not regret it. Thanks guys!
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review, Bonnie! The guys really enjoyed helping you get past your initial anxiety about learning to drive.
6 years ago Experiencia fantástica: I’ve had 6 driving lessons with Pinellas Driving School, all with Steve. As a mid-20’s first time driver with no prior experience outside of parking lots and the occasional side road, tackling the roads in Pinellas County seemed like the impossible, but in a matter of weeks my driving skills have improved drastically and I feel much more comfortable behind the wheel. Steve was a patient, thoughtful instructor who did a great job of tailoring lessons to my specific needs and remembering the things that I needed to work on. He gave plenty of little critiques and tips on the road test that I would have definitely overlooked had I tried to practice driving without a professional instructor. Also, he was very punctual and always arrived at my pick-up location at approximately the scheduled time. I would absolutely recommend this school to anyone in the area who is learning to drive for the first time, or anyone who would like to brush up on their skills.
Thanks for the kind words! We're glad we were able to help you find that confidence.
7 years ago Experiencia fantástica: These guys are good. First of all, I contacted multiple other driving schools, but they were either booked, didn’t answer or just didn’t call me back. The guys at this school responded to me within minutes and explained step by step how set up my account and get me going. They also have online scheduling which is super easy and convenient. I scheduled all my appointments that day and was able to start the very next day! The instructors were very knowledgeable and cool, so I actually had fun while learning a lot. Overall great experience. Probably the best driving school around 10/10 would recommend!
Thanks for giving us the opportunity to bring your driving to the next level!
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