I am shocked to see so many negative reviews! I was recommended by a friend hence i thought i will give Michael a try. He is one of the best instructors in town and quite affordable. He charges for 2 hours min and books a test for u at the dmv. There is a separate pricing model for the test day because he will give you some practice session right before ur test. He explains things quite well. To make things easier, he draws stuff on notepad and has little toy cars to explain any scenarios!!! He was also super excited when i passed the test :) read more

I was recommended to Michael through a friend. Michael is a great instructor. He is very easy to schedule appointments with. I texted him to ask for rates, and he responded right away and booked three lessons with him. His rates are very affordable, and his requirements are a minimum of 2 hours each lesson. He was able to change my the behind the wheel test at a different location, and a better time, which was super convenient. He let me borrow his car for the test, and also gave me an hour lesson before testing, and charged me an affordable rate for that day. Michael was always on time to all my appointments. He gives out great tips and techniques to ease driving. He did take me on the freeway on the first day, and yes I nervous as hell, but he was able to calm me down. And after that, I wasn't afraid to drive on the road. Didn't realize how easy it was to drive until Michael started teaching me. His car is equipped with emergency brakes and gas pedal on the passenger side in case of emergencies. I fully recommend Michael, and I also passed on my first try with only 7 mistakes out of 15. * Ignore the negative reviews, Michael is a great instructor! read more

San Francisco Driving School - Driving Schools Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is an unreliable driving school. After a few classes, my driving instructor stopped responding to my texts and calls without any explanation and the school is not returning my calls either. With my DMV driving test coming up, I am forced to look for a new school. read more

I had a terrible instructor !! Her name was Jennifer. First of all, she had a terrible thick accent and I could not understand anything she said. Also, she was yelling the whole time. Her voice was so loud and I had to cover my ears, when she was yelling at another student. When it was my turn to drive she started yelling at me too. She wouldn't tell me to change lanes or turn until the very end. When I hesitated to turn because she told me so last minute, she would yell at me "BAD, BAD YOU DON'T PASS TEST" What was most irritating of all is that she used her cellphone for over 30 minutes. Not only she was yelling, but she was yelling in Chinese, I think, it was very distracting and irritating. It was also, it was scary because she wouldn't answer any of my questions. Instead, if I made a wrong turn she would just take control over the vehicle with cell phone in her right hand and the steering wheel left hand. DEAR DRIVING SCHOOL: THAT IS ILLEGAL!!!! AND THERE IS MY INSTRUCTOR TRYING TO TEACH ME THE RULES OF DRIVING AND TELLING ME I'M GOING TO FAIL THE TEST! I had to ask her to hang up the phone because she was stressing me out. The other student that we picked up after had no patience for her bad driving instructions and called her out immediately. He seemed very upset, but luckily they dropped me off soon after. read more

I can not speak to the fact that this is neither a "safe", "fun" nor educational place to learn to drive a car. I can however tell you 4 days ago I made an appointment for my first driving lesson (long story) for this morning at 11am. They said they would come and pick me up and teach me some driving for 2 hours for a very reasonable price, and then drop me back off at home. I was really excited, and a little scared. Been a really long time since I've driven and I' ve never had a license (long story). So 11am comes. and goes. 11:30 I call the place and ask where my instructor is. He asked for my name and number then told me he'd call me back. This is how the call back went: SFDS: Ya, uh, ya he's got a flat tire and he's on the side of the road. Just wait for him. Who is this? MW: Oh. My name is Marcia and I have an appointment for today from 11am - 1pm. SFDS: Are you a teenager or an adult? MW: Adult SFDS: Where do you live? Do you have a permit? Have you driven before? MW: We just had this conversation 4 days ago, do you not have the information? SFDS: UH, ya, ya. He'll be there in half an hour. No an hour. MW: I'm going to need to reschdule as I have other things I need to do today. SFDS: I can have somebody there in 20 minutes. No. 25 minutes. No 35 minutes. NO 45 minutes. I was planing on rescheduling because people get flat tires, things happen unexpectedly. But they were really unprofessional not calling me to tell me the instructor was running late, and now, at this point it was so evident that the appointment was never written down and you could tell from all his backpeddling that he was clearly lying. MW: I will no longer be needing your services. Thanks. (click) Annoying, but mostly I am just dissappointed. I really wanted that driving lesson today. They may be good...they may be bad once they actually keep an appointment. I will never know. read more

Low prices right? As the saying goes, "You get what you paid for." I was NOT a fan of this driving school. When I first called up the school, they talked to me and answered my questions in a very polite manner. However, the driving instructor I took... HORRIBLE. I was assigned to Jennifer. At first, she was very nice and taught me about road signs... But then when I drove it was nothing but screaming. "YOU WANT TO HIT THAT CAR?" "NO." "THERE YOU GO AGAIN, YOU WANT TO HIT THAT CAR?" This was my VERY FIRST LESSON and that's all I could hear her saying. I thought nervous drivers were welcomed... I was WELCOMED to be even MORE nervous. She was NEVER patient and when she tried to explain things, it NEVER made sense. Another girl was taking lessons with me and she too had the same issue... It took her and I about thirty minutes to understand how to pull over from this instructor... At first, I thought it was the driving instructor... I was totally wrong. I took lessons with another instructor associated with this school. His name was Sam Y. Liu. At first, it was okay. He never yelled at me or anything... But he also never taught me anything. Most of the time I just drove and made turns... He didn't say anything so I assumed I did nothing wrong. Four lessons pass and I'm STILL doing the same thing. I learned my lesson. I will not recommend this driving school. read more

I took a one-hour lesson just before my driving test near Okland/Berkely and it was not a good experience at all! The instructor was not polite and even refused to answer some of my questions (example: can you show me where the high beam lights are on your car-his answer was: you don't need to know). He even explained the speed limit was 25mph all around the DMV whereas it was 30mph on some roads. If you need a little bit of comfort and specific advice before your driving test, don't ask for Tony. The only positive point is that it's cheap. read more

Michael was professional and patience. He taught my daughter from zero driving experience to passing her driving test in a smooth time schedule. I will recommend Michael for sure! read more

I hardly ever write reviews - but I had to this time - reason being that Joanne at San Francisco Driving School is by far the best driving instructor ever (and yes, I've had experiences with other driving schools/instructors - and they weren't as pleasant). Joanne is sweet, calm, and extremely patient - at the same time, she gives you the best instructions, guidance, and tips on being a good driver and to pass your driving test! I had a fear of driving - she has helped me overcome it!! I couldn't be more thankful to her....and yes, I passed the driving test at Daly City the very first time around :) As for the San Francisco Driving School - they offer the best rate possible - $56 for two hours - pick up and drop off included - Can't beat that eh!!!! read more

Ok so I got my license like 2 years ago and I used this dirving school to get it. I just randomly flipped through the phonebook and found their number and I called them up. Prices were VERY reasonable. I was lucky and got a special for $25/hr. So $50 for each lesson (2 hours each lesson). When the instructor he was very asian (not trying to stereotype). Now I never driven a car before in my LIFE so he just made me drive. I was scared as hell and when we were on the road HE FELL ASLEEP. So when I got home, i called the manager RIGHT AWAY and told him i wanted a new teacher. So Jonathan the manager was my teacher. He was great, pretty blunt, told me what I did wrong. I think I took 4 lesson with hims and 1 with the other dude that keep falling asleep. and I got my license on the first try. I totally recomend them, just what out who you get. Make sure your teacher doesnt fall asleep. read more

I wish I had seen these reviews first before I even wasted my time trying to call them. The first time I called I made an appointment with them for the next day. Next day came... yet no one showed up at the door. I waited and waited and WAITED, 2 hours later, the guy called and said he was sorry the "computer system forgot about me". Seriously?! I was so pissed off. And he had the courage to even asked when was the next time I was free! I told him to forget about it, I'll find someone else. They are just not reliable at all. read more

This person is UNTRUSTFUL, IRRESPONSIBLE, and very doubtful for being a qualified driving instructor! Because he was ignoring my call on purpose after making an appointment with him. After waiting for half an hour at our planned meeting location, HE DID NOT SHOW UP. I understand people can vary their plans on a weekend night, but at least he should have called and let me know about it. I could have time to find another instrutor to help me before the driving test. I really HATE people who does this without any advanced notice because It could crew you up, and this time it did!! BE WARE, IF HE CAN DO THIS TO ME, HE CAN DO THIS TO ANYONE! Save your time and go to another driving school! read more

Yeah! I got my Driving License today! Highly Recommend to teenager and the one who panic or not too comfortable behind the wheel... He is really patient and kind with student! My instructor was Michael, who is a friendly and reliable teacher with a reasonable price ($28 per hour/ 2hours per session). I finished my 4lessons in 1month and took him 2 weeks to scheduled the DMV test for me.. ONE SHOT PASS! WOW! He is awesome! Thanks! read more

Michael has taught my mother, 3 siblings, friends, and now me how to drive! He's friendly, and will help you get your license fairly quickly. I've had about 8 lessons give or take and passed with flying colors today. read more

I took my first lesson with them. At first they had to keep rescheduling because things keep coming up, and they dont call you to let you know. So my advice is call them that same day just to be sure, you have to CONFIRM, or you will sit and stand there waiting. I had Joanne, she was nice and very good as an instructor. I was pleased with the lesson. They do have a 3 star customer service, I haven't had anything really unbearable happen to me when dealing with them, maybe just a bit annoying but not unbearable. read more

DO NOT USE THIS DRIVING SCHOOL. OWNER HAS LIED SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT SENDING US THE PAPERWORK WHICH WE PAID FOR AND WERE PROMISED. His voicemail is always full so you cannot leave a message and when you keep calling and finally get him he lies to you about mailing the promised documents. When I did finally reach him 3 days ago he promised to email me the documents that day or the next and I have still not received them. I finally reached him today and he said today for sure and still no documents. You pay him cash and get no receipt. We paid him extra to receive the written documents and after 3 Weeks and several phone calls have still not received them. RUN THE OTHER WAY! read more

I am sooo happy I found this school. I had Keith as my driving instructor throughout. I can tell you from having two other driving instructors that didn't work out - that Keith is super good! When I first started driving I was soooooooo nervous, and he was very calm which is one of the most important things as an instructor is to stay CALM even when your client isn't. He has been very helpful and I was able to pass on my first try at the SF DMV! Whoo Hoo. I definitely recommend this school but get Keith! You wont regret it! Also 75 for a 2 - hour lesson, cant beat that! read more

COMPLETELY UNPROFESSIONAL AND UNRELIABLE. If possible I would give lower than 1 star. After canceling the first appointment supposedly because he got caught up at SF DMV we rescheduled my daughter's driving lesson. After waiting 2 hours for the rescheduled appointment, he never showed up. No text, email or phone call. Just never showed up. Left a message to ask why he never showed and never notified us. Still have not received a response. If this guy is this irresponsible I don't think he should be allowed to have a license much less be teaching people how to drive. DO NOT USE THIS PERSON. read more

Let me start by saying that I am new to the bay area and I wanted to take a few lessons to help me with driving in a busier area compared to my home town. What can go wrong? All the other schools seemed pretty booked until I found this one. So I talk to this awkward studdering man(not sorry for saying that) who gets me a lesson. About 15 minutes before he calls saying the instructor was reacting badly to their covid shot(obviously bogus) and books me with Mr. Nelson. So the guy shows up and I tell him my story and goals. And I also was clear that I wasnt interested so much on practicing on the freeway and I want to focus more on the fundamentals and practice in quiet spots. Nelson was inconsiderate of my needs which was one of my main problems. Also he didnt seem to offer any positive reinforcement. He's more of a grumpy man who rants at any flaws in my performance. So the time was up and he drops me off and reluctantly I schedule for one more lesson. Little did I realize at the time I left my jacket in his car. Didnt tell me the whole time between lessons! I thought I lost the thing! Besides that the 2nd lesson was no better. At the end Nelson asks If I want to schedule yet another and I said id let him know(knowing I'm done with him). The last thing he said to me was: "hopefully that helped, or maybe it didnt". Pretty much sums up the whole experience. The only comforting thing is at least I'm not the only one whose suffered from this business. read more

What's not to suck. The guy falls asleep while the person is driving. He is cheap for a reason.

I finished my 6 hours of training long time ago and no one inform me about the certificate for drivers training until I made an appointment to dmv to take the driving test and found out that I needed that. Now I can't take my test until next year. How fantastic is that???????? read more

I wish there was an option for no stars, but I'll give my instructor credit where it is due. TL;DR: DO NOT USE THIS PLACE WHATEVER YOU DO I tried to call a week in advance for a lesson the following Sunday, and it took THREE days before someone at the office picked up. We set the appointment and we thought everything would work out. On the day of my appointment, the Manager, whose name I believe is Jonathan, called me 5 minutes before the scheduled time and said the instructor could not come at that time due to a sound the brake was making. He, Jonathan, said he would make a few calls in order to see if another instructor was available. A half an hour later Jonathan calls back and says it'd be best to reschedule closer to my test date, a fact I did not argue with, however, he proceeded to barrage me with "You should book now!" "Book your appointment now!' and other similar phrases, until I said, "HOLD UP, let me ask my parents." Jonathan then called me "difficult" and I called him out on his attitude and he then went as far as to verbally assault me and say "I'm not your parent, I don't have to take this." and hung up. I called back and said he was rude and yet another string of insults and didactic verbiage until I asked to speak to the manager (at that time I did not know he was the manager) and he said to have my parents call back. My mom called back and she got the same attitude until we were able to just book an appointment. So, the one star rating is for: -extremely poor customer service -extremely rude customer service -my instructor was late almost all three lessons -one of my instructors was extremely rude as well -fails to prepare properly for instructional appointments. read more

Highly recommended, Michael made driving easy for me. Very affordable prices. Well worth it.

Horrible. Truly an unprofessional school. My instructor Nelson scheduled a lesson at 1:30 a week in advance, and did not show up. I gave him a call, and he said he would call me in a half hour, because he was eating. He has no regards towards other's schedules. Pick another school, this one is not worth the hassle that ensues. Chip out an extra 30 bucks, and go to another school. Horrible experience. read more

My son took lessons from SF Driving School at the start of summer. He had three 2-hour lessons. His instructor was a young man who related well with him. My son had a great experience. After each lesson he told me what he learn. I was impressed. My son has been driving with me every day practicing his skills he learned from SF Driving. I have been impressed with the skills and understanding of safe driving he learned. My son is a better driver for having taken lessons from SF Driving. read more

I never ever write a review but this time I had too. When I first seen this school on yelp I was hesitant because of all the bad reviews but they were the only driving school that matched with my schedule . My driving instructor was Edwin he is the BEST ... After being scared of driving I finally had the courage to try to get my Ls again. And I passed the first try I'm so happy Edwin will teach u all the basics in how to get ur license he is very knowledgeable and he never yells and always calm in any situation. If you guys ever choose this driving school u should ask for Edwin and you'll have your drivers license in no time read more

To tell you the truth, I went on yelp.com to find what good driving schools there were. XD I'm trying to get my license for the first time, at the ripe old age of 25. And these reviews kind of scared me, as I had already booked my very first appointment despite these reviews. But hey, these lessons are cheap. And money does not come easily to me, as I gotta pay everything for myself. (And thus cheaper = better for me, as I need to learn how to drive no matter who the instructor is) Suffice to say, my driving lessons were actually fun and informative! It's one thing to know what to do for the written permit test, but to actually do it is very different. So far, I've taken 2 2-hour driving lessons. My instructor, Michael, is very nice and professional. The most he has stopped for was gas, which is pretty crucial when I've been driving around the city for a while. He's very helpful and tells you your faults and controls the car very smoothly should you mess up. So far, I'm loving my lessons despite I am still a bit nervous. I will be doing my last 2 hour paid appointment tomorrow (and will practice for a month before actually taking the driver's test) and will give another review then. But so far, it's great! read more

Michael is a great instructor, very professional and has a very good sense to learn how to drive. I'm from Paris and I had to pass my driving licence for the first time here in California so Thank you very much Michael for your lessons ! I got my licence driving with few lessons. Michael show me exactly how to do it, he taught me so very easy to do this in all situations and always keeps his calm and humor to overcome my stress ! he has very good learning methods, eg, we did the same driving exercise until I feel confident. I recommand him to pass your driving licence ! Good luck ! read more

I scheduled a driving lesson a few days before my driving test in Daly City. I wanted to review the test route and ask for tips on how to prepare for the test. The price was $28 an hour (I live in the Sunset), which is extremely reasonable considering I know people who are paying $50+ for their lessons. I had a guy named Ricky, who was pretty helpful. He took me around 3 possible test routes and told me what the test instructor expected from me, such as what the streets mph limit was. He also gave me tips on how to work on my backing up and what would happen if cars were double-parked (signal, mirrors, look back, pass, signal, mirrors, look back). We talked a lot about different things. He was really nice and easy-going. He told me about the instructor who fell asleep (the one previous yelpers are talking about) and he said that guy has left the company awhile ago and now works for a different driving company. So don't worry about anyone falling asleep on you while you drive! Overall, the experience was good. I'm glad I had the lesson because I was able to become familiar with the route and do some last minute practicing. Needless to say, I passed the test. :D I promised Ricky I would make a yelp review, so if you're reading this Ricky, here you go! Thanks for the help! read more

Wha? There are driving schools in San Francisco? ! I hope they're right next to the San Francisco School of Sarcasm and also the Institute for Anger Management. read more

I highly recommend Jennifer at San Francisco driving school, It's not necessary to call the school directly, you can just call Jennifer at 415 699 8288, she will make you an appointment, reschedule if you need to, the most important she will tell you how much practice you need for you to take the exam and pass on the first time. Its amazing for the price, also if you call Jennifer directly she might hook you up. Altogether its an good deal for a good instructor, me personally I passed the driving test on the firs time without having any driving experience and didn't have to take as many lessons as the other driving schools told me I would need. read more

Michael was very honest to tell me I am ready for the test even if I wanted a few more sessions for assurance, he told me I was ready and true enough... I got my driver's license yesterday!!!!! He did not take advantage. He has clear cut instructions to make everything easier to learn and was very patient. Very reasonably priced! Worth every penny. Thanks, Michael! read more

Edith C. 04/09/2013 I just passed my driving test today this morning, and my driver instructor was Tim C. Chu. I think he is a great driver instructor. He is very patient and has a good sense of humor. He never got tired of explaining to me the same thing all over again, and he never made me feel bad either when I made mistakes. I am 58 years old and I am finally got my license due to having a good instructor such as Tin, instructor of San Francisco Driving School. I highly recommend him specially if you are an older person or to anyone that need to learn how to drive and is having a hard time learning. If you want to have a good instructor, ask for him. read more

I desperately wanted the driver license, so I just search through yelp and found them. My instructor is Jennifer, and she is absolutely awesome. I don't know whether other instructors do the same, but Jennifer taught me the basic knowledge first before we started driving. And her explanation was so detailed , she even drew me some notes!!! Can you image that? I forgot how many lessons I had with her, but I just remember I pretty enjoyed having lesson with her, coz she is so nice and lovely. Anyway, I got a pass !!! It's so lucky to have her as my instructor. Luv her! I just wanna recommend her to u guys, luckily , i still had her number with me,: 4156998288 read more

Michael is one of the most patient and nicest teacher money can buy. He's very engaging and takes his time making sure the student fully understands everything. He's also easy to talk to and fun to be around. I started with near zero experience and within a couple lessons I was test-ready. Keep in mind he also isn't shy and wouldn't hesitate to tell you his honest opinions. But that's what makes him an amazing teacher. Thanks for helping begin my journey on the road! read more

this place is a scam!!!! he takes your appointment but when the day comes, he dodges your calls and not show up!!! i made an appointment for may 11, 2015 @ 7am. i called him the day before to confirm it with him. now, im literally sitting here writing this review while waiting for him. i have called him many times and still no answer. what a waste of time!!!! i woke up early for this shit and i even asked for this day off particularly for this lesson! i went back on the reviews and saw that the lastest review had the same issue as me. please do yourselves a favor and save your time and money!! do not fall for his cheap prices !!!! read more

i had a total of 2 instructors from this place. the 3 stars is for edwin. BEST driving instructor ever. too bad he only works on the weekends. but he tells you when you are doing good and when your not, he would say 'not quite' and then corrects you. his methods work with everybody and not just himself. he encourages people and does not yell at people. jennifer was my instructor on the weekdays. and she is so fucking rude. first of all, the way she teaches to drive only works with herself and not anyone else. when i had my lesson on how to back up, she was teaching me how to in her perspective. which is totally stupid because i am a lot bigger and taller than she is. when i was doing it her way and of course its wrong, she would be like ' your too close/ too wide, dont you remember what i taught you.' and this went on for a whole 15minutes. i was so close to crying and so i talked back to her. and she is like oh maybe every time you move your head its different blah blah blah. now i am in the process of changing instructors again and rescheduling my drive test to a week later because she is incapable of teaching me the correct way to drive. read more

Had positive experiences first two lessons. When trying to schedule a third lesson, I tried three different numbers, email, and even texted my previous instructor and couldn't get a response back. Stressful and annoying experience. read more

Michael is an amazing teacher, a cool guy, patient, understanding, nice--and his lessons are super cheap. To be honest, I'm one of those people who you think will never learn how to drive because I have the unfortunate combination of nervousness and bad motor skills! Before meeting Michael, I had only circled abandoned parking lots a few times with friends. Earlier this summer, I couldn't imagine driving on the streets or with other people--and even now I'm still pretty shocked at how much I've learned with Michael in only three lessons. The first morning I met Michael, he had me driving on the streets immediately. It only took a few minutes before I felt safe--he has this crazy ability to steer the wheel and drive the car from the passenger seat, when the situation calls for it (impressive, huh). I realized immediately, after working with Michael, that I had wasted a lot of time taking driving lessons from friends. Sure, friends are a good way to save money, but I was essentially circling a parking lot for an hour on the weekends, and an empty parking lot really can't simulate real driving--it's much too forgiving. Driving is as much about developing an instinct for reacting safely to moving obstacles (i.e. old ladies crossing the street, fast cars in the next lane) as it is about making a series of mechanical turns...Anyway, I recommend going to a professional...Before meeting Michael, I had about three hours of driving practice with friends. Day 1: After briefing me on the inside of the vehicle and questions that I would need to know for the driving test, Michael had me driving on the streets immediately. For the first hour and a half I made my rounds in the Richmond district, so that I could practice driving at a constant speed, controlling the vehicle and brakes, changing lanes, turning, and pulling over. Towards the end of my lesson, I got to drive from Ocean Beach to Chinatown and this was pretty exciting considering the fact that I've never driven in the streets before (just empty parking lots). Day 2: For my second lesson, Michael had me driving through the Great Highway to get to the Sunset District, where we stayed near Nineteenth Avenue for about an hour, so that I could practice translating the basic skills that I learned a day before to a more difficult traffic environment. Essentially I was driving at a much higher speed with more cars around me. Michael also introduced some new skills, including how to make safe U-turns, how to make three-point turns without receiving point deductions on the driver's test. We also spent some time refining my left turns because I had a habit of stepping on the brakes to slow down the car in the middle of the intersection (dangerous!)...I also turned too early (which risked clipping a car in the next lane), and was afraid of the steering wheel after intersection turns. As you can see, it took me a while to learn these skills, but Michael was super patient, super understanding, and he was able to break down the process of driving into a series of manageable steps...We ended the lesson with a quick drive through a highway. If you take a lesson from Michael, he'll probably leave you with these intricate diagrams of how to maneuver your car to complete specific skills...for instance, his sketches might show you the precise angle at which you'll need to turn your wheel (i.e. 45 degrees clockwise until the center of the vehicle crosses the edge of the curb; and then 90 degrees counter-clockwise until the vehicle is parallel to the curb) to park your car perfectly against the curb. I know these drawings sound like a small thing, but actually they're incredibly helpful. Day 3: On the third day, I practiced driving around St. Francis before entering the freeway. Michael had me driving along a series of winding streets to allow me to become comfortable with making gradual switchback turns, and taught me how to control my speed while driving up and down hills (important in the city). Afterwards, I went straight to the freeway so that I could get used to driving at much higher speeds (65) and again, I was essentially using all the older skills that I've been accumulating in a different traffic environment. At the freeway, I was sweating all over the steering wheel and pretty scared of driving that fast, but I trusted Michael and had a lot of fun. ... I would have taken more lessons with Michael but I had to fly back to the East Coast. Compared to the East Coast, lessons with Michael are very very cheap. Thanks for everything, Michael! read more

thank u michael for being a very good teacher..highly recommended..he' is really good and the price for driving is really affordable..