What to ask your court or probation officer before you enroll

The court or probation officer named on your order is the only source that can tell you what satisfies it. These are questions worth having written down before you call.

Before you pay

1. Does my order specify a number of weeks, sessions or hours?
2. Does my order say in person, or is an online class acceptable?
3. If an online class is acceptable, does it have to be live or instructor led?
4. Is there a list of providers I am expected to choose from?
5. What proof of completion is required, and who receives it — the court, the clerk, or my probation officer?
6. By what date must it be completed, and by what date must the proof arrive?

One court tells the people it refers to start exactly here:

If you are not sure which classes to take, please review your Order for Referral to Services for specific information.

Why question 3 is worth asking

At least one court has published a condition on the kind of online course it will take:

Online courses will only be accepted by the court if the course is interactive and instructor led. All other online completions will not be accepted

If your court says an online class is acceptable, it is reasonable to ask whether it has a similar expectation. A provider can answer whether a course is live and instructor led before you pay.

A note on who you ask

A court clerk can describe what an order says and point you to anything the court publishes. A clerk cannot advise you about your case. If you have a lawyer, ask them before you contact the court about your order.

Nothing here is legal advice.