An independent ranking based on verified Google review data — covering Nassau County, Suffolk County, and the suburban sprawl between them.
Long Island is car country. Unlike NYC, where public transit makes driving optional, most of Long Island requires a car for daily life — commuting, errands, social life, everything. That makes getting your license less of a nice-to-have and more of a necessity, especially for students at Hofstra, Adelphi, Stony Brook, or LIU who want to work off-campus or explore the island.
The driving environment here is suburban: wider roads than NYC, faster speeds, more highway driving, and parking lots instead of parallel parking. The road test is correspondingly different — less density, fewer pedestrians, but more emphasis on speed management, highway merging, and navigating multi-lane intersections. I pulled the Google data for schools across both Nassau and Suffolk counties.
The rankings
Bell Auto is the oldest driving school in New York State — founded in 1956, they’ve been teaching Long Islanders to drive for nearly 70 years. That’s not a typo. Generations of Nassau County families have taken lessons and passed their road tests through Bell Auto, and the school explicitly markets that multi-generational trust as a selling point.
They use an exclusive “Step-By-Step” teaching method for beginners. The 5-hour pre-licensing class is available virtually. They serve both Nassau County and Queens, which makes them a bridge option for students who live on the NYC/LI border. Their longevity in a competitive market is the strongest quality signal available — a school that’s been operating since Eisenhower was president doesn’t survive on marketing alone. Services include private lessons, road test scheduling, and car for the test. Gift certificates available.
All County opened in 1954 — two years before Bell Auto — making it arguably the oldest driving school on Long Island. This is a family-owned operation that specializes in teaching all aspects of driving instruction, including students with physical or mental challenges who need adaptive equipment or modified teaching approaches.
Their inclusive approach is a meaningful differentiator. Not every school is equipped or willing to work with students who have disabilities. All County explicitly markets this capability, which suggests they have the equipment (hand controls, adapted vehicles) and instructor training to serve this population. If you or a family member has a disability that affects driving, All County should be your first call on Long Island.
Level Up is one of the newer entries in the Nassau County market but has built strong ratings on Google and Yelp. They appear frequently in “best of” searches for Nassau County driving schools. The school offers standard services: private lessons, 5-hour pre-licensing course, road test preparation, and car for the test.
For students who want a more modern, responsive operation — potentially with easier online booking and more flexible scheduling than the legacy schools — Level Up is worth looking at. Check their current Google reviews for the most recent student experiences.
Fitzgerald’s serves the Suffolk County market — the eastern half of Long Island. They offer online instruction as well as in-person lessons, and they specialize in preparing students for the road test at Suffolk County DMV sites. For students east of the Nassau/Suffolk border — Huntington, Smithtown, Islip, Brookhaven — Fitzgerald’s is one of the primary options.
Suffolk County driving is different from Nassau: roads are wider, speeds are higher, and some areas are genuinely rural. Make sure your school gives you experience on the types of roads near your test site, not just generic suburban driving.
NYC residents considering a Long Island road test
You can take your road test at any DMV site in New York State, including Long Island. Some NYC residents — particularly from eastern Queens or southern Brooklyn — consider testing on Long Island for the potentially calmer suburban conditions. The same caveat applies here as with Staten Island: the advantage only exists if you’ve practiced on Long Island roads before test day. Suburban driving patterns, wider lanes, higher speeds, and different intersection styles can feel unfamiliar to someone who learned exclusively in the city. If you’re going to test on Long Island, practice there first.
Disclaimer: Road Ready NY is not affiliated with any driving school in this article. Rankings reflect publicly available Google Business Profile data and verified website information. All data was accessed in early 2026.