Driving School - FAQ and Winter Driving Lessons

Are you certified by the RMV?
Yes, we are Professional Driving School #9172.

If I take your course do I get an insurance discount?
Yes. Graduates of our full driver's ed program automatically receive a 10% insurance discount, no extra courses required!

Do you offer winter driving lessons
Yes, students who desire lessons in the snow may take winter driving lessons with us at no extra charge, except under the conditions listed below.

Do I have to drive in the snow?
Absolutely not. On days when we have a storm that is more than just a "dusting", we give students to option to cancel their lessons at any time without a penalty. Thus there is no reason to avoid driver's ed in the winter.

At what point due you cancel road lessons due to winter storms?
Due to safety and legal considerations, we will cancel road lessons when one of the following winter storm advisories are issued:

State of Emergency
Blizzard Warning
Winter Storm Warning

To check our policy during or immediately after a storm, go to our winter storm cancellations page.

How do you prepare your cars for winter driving conditions?
When the weather turns snowy, we are especially careful about maintenance, and we equip all of our vehicles with winter-specific tires such as Bridgestone Blizzak, Michelin X-Ice, and General Altimax Arctic. Half of our fleet is all-wheel drive. These factors enable us to get you home more safely if it starts to snow during your lesson.

Is Gilmores Driving School and Boylston Auto School the same company?
Yes, nothing has changed except we're asking students to use our owner's last name when referring to the school. Boylston Auto School, Inc. is the parent company.

What do you teach in the course?
Our curriculum is very closely based on RMV course guidelines, and we are highly focused on teaching safe, effective driving techniques. Our instructors are among the most experienced, professional, and ethical in the business. You can count on Gilmores Driving School to provide a quality driver education experience.

How much does it cost?
See our prices page for current tuition rates. We provide a quality program at some of the lowest prices in the area.

How can you offer a superior-quality program at such a low price?
Our driving school was founded with the goal of providing a better choice to students foremost in mind. You're not paying for 6-figure salaries, lavish expense accounts or long vacations.

Are there any per-lesson fees or hidden charges?
Absolutely not! Your tuition includes all classes, lessons and the parent class. The only expenses that are not included are: optional Saturday road test sponsorship, a $15 RMV certificate fee, and license fees that you pay directly to the RMV.

What about skid school?
You might want to read this exposé of the possible dangers of skid school before deciding if you are still interested.

Do I have to take skid school to get a license?
Absolutely NOT. Anyone who tells you that is seriously misinformed!

Do you have the optional Saturday RMV road tests?
Yes, and the sponsorship fee for our driver's ed students is less than what our competitors charge.

What are my chances of passing the Saturday road test?
Good. Due to the thorough training that we provide, the majority of our Junior Operator License (JOL) students pass on the first try. The passing rate on a given Saturday often reaches 100% for JOL students who took the warmup lesson.

Do you pick up at my high school?
Yes, during the school year we pick up at high schools within our service area, with the most lessons available at schools where we have the most students.

What types of cars do you use?
Our fleet consists of high safety-rated vehicles including hybrids and all-wheel drive SUV's. We have the safest and lowest-mileage fleet in the driver education business. We're extremely diligent about maintenance, which is performed by ASE master technicians. All cars are equipped with dual controls, ABS, and quality name-brand tires.

Before giving your money to a driving school, take a good hard look at their cars first!

How old do I have to be to get started?
You can take our driver's ed classroom at 15 years, 9 months old. We recommend taking the classroom session shortly before turning 16. The permit test at the RMV will be easier as a result (but you should still study the driver's manual).

Do I need a learner's permit to get started?
You do not need a permit to register for a class or to start the classroom sessions with us (see above). To avoid licensing delays, we advise you to obtain your permit as close as possible to your 16th birthday.

Can you explain the various terminology?
Most students begin with the classroom session, where students come to the driving school and attend a total of 30 hours of classes while sitting at a desk. There is no driving done during classroom sessions. Once students have a learner's permit, they can begin the 12 hours of road lessons, which is the on-road driving portion of driver's ed. Road lessons are ongoing, you may start anytime. The road test is the examination that you take when you are going for your license.

What is done in the parent class?
It is an information session which is two hours in length, either on a weekday evening or a Saturday morning.

How do I obtain my learner's permit?
You should study the driver's manual and then go to the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) to take the permit test. No appointment is needed, but you must arrive at least 1 hour+ before closing. Bring your birth certificate and Social Security card. Driving schools cannot give permit exams, you must go to the RMV. The knowledge from our class should make the permit test easier, but there could also be obscure questions unrelated to our curriculum.

When did you guys open the new office on Route 140 in Boylston?
Boylston Auto School, Inc. is a new concept in driver education which opened in May 2010. We are completely unaffiliated with another driving school located in a different town known as [West] Boylston.

How often do you add lessons to the schedule?
We add new lessons several times per week, therefore you should check Schedule2Drive as often as possible!

Why does RMV say my Saturday road test time is 9AM, but you're telling me a different time??
The RMV lists every Saturday road test applicant as being scheduled for the same time, usually 9AM or 10AM. We make up the actual schedule, which typically begins at 7 or 8AM and ends around midday.

How do I register for your course?
Call us at 508-869-2500, come see us in person at 81 Shrewsbury Street, or click the Registration link.

I missed a classroom session, what should I do?
You will need to make up the time during the next available course session on a space-available basis. Please consult the Online Schedule and then give us a call to find out when this might be possible. Please note that we do not guarantee the availability of make-up classes, therefore students are strongly urged to attend their regularly-scheduled classes in full.

How do I schedule road lessons?
JOL students should go to our scheduling instructions page and then use the school code that was given to you in class to register. Once you have registered, please wait to be activated (usually 3 days or less) and then use your student login.

How long will it take to complete 12 hours of driving?
It depends on your priorities, your availability, and the time of year. We provide at least 10% more lessons weekly than required based on annual enrollment, but demand for lessons varies widely depending on the season (summer is busiest). Please plan ahead, and don't procrastinate. To prevent stress: begin early, and make room in your life for driver's ed.

Where will you pick me up and drop me off?
The pickup and dropoff locations are clearly designated on all lessons found on Schedule2Drive.

How do I get 12 hours of driving but only 6 hours observation?
Focus on your drive times with us and supervised (at home) driving, and don't worry about observation time, which usually just takes care of itself.

I am under 18, what do I need to do, when can I get my license, etc?
You will need to meet the following criteria before taking a road test:
1) Have a clean permit for 183 days by the road test date, with no surchargeable offenses.
2) At least 2 weeks before the desired road test date: A parent or guardian must complete a 2-hr parent class, or submit to us a copy of the certificate from a previous parent class taken within 5 years. If you don't submit a copy of a previously taken parent class, we cannot process the driver education certificate, and licensing will be delayed
3) The driver education certificate must be ordered by us with the RMV at least 2 weeks in advance, which requires that you have fully completed all classroom hours, driving hours and the parent class.
4) You have completed 40 hours of supervised driving in addition to 12 hours with us.

Once you pass the road test, your permit becomes a license if you prepaid the RMV fees (total of $70). You may pay the RMV fees by phone at 617-351-4500, or in person at any RMV branch.