Five O Driving School, Llc

What Five O Driving School, Llc does

Five O Driving School, LLC is a family-owned, first-responder-operated driving education company headquartered in Bakersfield, California and operating across four regions — Bakersfield (Kern County), the Central Coast (Arroyo Grande / San Luis Obispo / Santa Maria), Santa Clarita (Los Angeles County), and Clovis/Fresno — with public-facing claims of additional coverage in Antelope Valley, Simi Valley, and San Fernando Valley. The company was co-founded in 2017 by retired California Highway Patrol Sergeant John Rhoades and active law enforcement officer James Barnard, and its core differentiation is an instructor roster composed almost entirely of current or former first responders (CHP, municipal police, sheriff's departments, corrections, fire/EMS), each with decades of public-safety driving and instructor experience.

The product is a paired offering: a 30-hour online driver education course delivered via fiveodsonline.com (required for California learner's permits under 17) and in-person behind-the-wheel training delivered through region-specific tiered packages (Bronze/Silver/Gold/Diamond in Santa Clarita; Standard/Gold on the Central Coast; three- and five-lesson packages in Clovis/Fresno) plus a la carte 1.5- or 2-hour lessons and a DMV Test Concierge service. The technology stack is modest — an online scheduling and student portal with calendar sync (Apple, Google, Microsoft), in-vehicle audio/video recording for quality assurance, and dual-control five-star safety-rated Dodge Chargers as the training fleet. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via self-serve online registration, with door-to-door pickup/drop-off from home or school, and a partnership/sponsorship program covering 60+ California high schools that anchors teen-driver lead generation.

Revenue is generated entirely through prepaid lesson packages (one-time fees ranging from ~$399 to ~$1,029) plus a la carte lessons and the concierge DMV test service; there is no disclosed subscription, enterprise contract, or external funding. Pricing is regionally differentiated and includes first-responder/military discounts, split-payment options on select packages, and a $100 cancellation fee policy. The company holds California DMV certification (#E2112), is fully licensed, bonded, and insured, and operates a small core administrative team (1-10 W-2) supplemented by ~20+ contractor driving instructors.

Name

Five O Driving School, Llc

Legal name

Five O Driving School

Website

https://fiveods.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Five O Driving School is a family-owned California driving school that delivers 30-hour online driver education and behind-the-wheel training across Bakersfield, the Central Coast, Santa Clarita, and Clovis/Fresno, using instructors who are current or former first responders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Arroyo Grande

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Behind-the-Wheel Lesson Packages: Prepaid lesson packages ranging from 3-6 sessions (6-12 hours total) with certified instructors. Packages include various lesson counts and some offer split payment options. Revenue recognized upon service delivery.
2. A La Carte Individual Lessons: Individual 2-hour lessons available for students wanting additional practice or who did not prepay for full packages. Higher per-hour rate than package options.
3. DMV Drive Test Package: Includes use of Five O vehicle for DMV test, pre-test refresher lesson, and transportation to/from DMV. Requires minimum 2 lessons with Five O. Additional revenue stream on top of training packages.
4. DMV Test Concierge Service: Full-service DMV test support including scheduling, pickup/dropoff, warm-up lesson, vehicle use, and guidance through DMV procedures. Premium service for Santa Clarita region.
5. Beyond The Wheel Add-on: 2-hour add-on lesson focused on real-world driving tasks including fuel stops, parking garages, drive-thrus. Supplements standard DMV-focused curriculum.
6. Online Driver Education Course: 30-hour online driver education class for initial permit requirements. Separate from behind-the-wheel instruction, offered through fiveodsonline.com.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Five O Driving School provides a 30-hour online driver education course (delivered via fiveodsonline.com) and in-person behind-the-wheel driving lessons with first-responder instructors using dual-control Dodge Chargers, delivered through region-specific lesson packages across Bakersfield, the Central Coast, Santa Clarita, and Clovis/Fresno. The company also offers a DMV Test Concierge service that supplies the vehicle, transportation, and pre-test warm-up for the California DMV drive test.

Product overview

Five O Driving School is a family-owned, first-responder-operated driving education company offering both online driver education and behind-the-wheel training across California regions including Bakersfield, the Central Coast, Santa Clarita, and Clovis/Fresno. The core offerings consist of the 30-hour online driver education course (fiveodsonline.com) and behind-the-wheel instruction using dual-control Dodge Chargers. Behind-the-wheel training is delivered through region-specific packages: Santa Clarita offers Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Diamond lesson packages with a la carte options and the DMV Test Concierge Service; Central Coast offers Standard and Gold packages with a la carte lessons and DMV test services; Clovis/Fresno offers Three and Five 2-hour lesson packages plus DMV test concierge. The company also provides a Student Portal for online scheduling and calendar sync. All packages include free pickup/dropoff and are taught by certified first responder instructors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Driver Education Course A 30-hour online driver education course required for California teens under 17 to obtain a learner's permit. Delivered via fiveodsonline.com and culminating in a state-recognized certificate of completion.
• Behind-the-Wheel Driving Training In-person driving lessons delivered by first-responder instructors in dual-control Dodge Chargers, covering residential, city, canyon, and freeway driving from the first lesson. Sold as regional packages (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond in Santa Clarita; Standard and Gold on the Central Coast; Three and Five 2-hour packages in Clovis/Fresno) plus à la carte single lessons. Free pickup/drop-off at home or school is included.
• DMV Test Concierge Service Test-day logistics service that schedules the DMV drive test, picks up and drops off the student, provides a pre-test warm-up lesson, supplies the Five O vehicle for the exam, and guides the student through DMV check-in procedures. Available across California service regions with regional pricing.
• Beyond The Wheel Add-on Lesson A 2-hour add-on lesson focused on real-world driving tasks such as fueling a vehicle, checking tire pressure, navigating parking garages, and using a drive-thru. Designed to supplement standard DMV-focused curriculum.

Quantifiable outcome

• Most students are on the freeway during their first lesson
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• DriversEd Solutions: Provider of scheduling and student management software for driving schools — Five O runs on their platform (per website footer). Comparable as an ecosystem enablement rather than a direct competitor; demonstrates the technology backbone Five O relies on.

Direct peers

• SIMPLYDRIVING.com: Online driver education provider offering state-approved teen and adult courses. Comparable to Five O's online driver education product, sharing the same license-preparation customer and revenue model.
• DriversEd.com: One of the largest online driver education platforms in the U.S., offering state-approved online courses across multiple states. Directly comparable to Five O's fiveodsonline.com course and behind-the-wheel offerings, with similar consumer demographic and DMV-aligned product structure.
• Aceable: App-based online driver education provider delivering state-approved courses for teens and adults. Direct competitor to Five O's online driver education stream; shares the same target customer (license-seeking teens) and similar revenue model (online course + upsell).
• IDriveSafely: Established online traffic school and driver education provider with California-approved courses. Comparable to Five O's online course and traffic-school-adjacent offerings, competing for the same license-seeking teen and adult demographics.
• Coastline Academy: Online and in-person driver education provider with multi-state California presence, offering DMV-approved courses and behind-the-wheel lessons. Directly comparable to Five O's hybrid online + in-car model and target customer segments.
• SafeWay Driving Schools: California-based multi-location driving school offering behind-the-wheel instruction and DMV test preparation. Comparable in operating geography (Southern California), service structure (lesson packages + DMV test services), and customer base (teens and adults).
• Get Drivers Ed: Online driver education platform offering state-approved courses for teens and adults seeking licensure. Direct competitor to Five O's online driver education stream with similar pricing structure and target demographic.
• All Star Driver Education: Multi-location driving school serving California and other states with online courses and behind-the-wheel training. Comparable to Five O's hybrid model, Bakersfield/Santa Clarita-adjacent footprint, and DMV-aligned services.

Regional players

• California Driving School: California-focused driving school offering behind-the-wheel lessons and DMV test preparation across multiple service areas. Comparable in operating geography and service mix, though typically smaller scale than Five O's 4-region footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/five-o-driving-school

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Five O Driving School, Llc