If You’re Under 18 and Do NOT Have a Learners Permit
How to get your Texas Learners Permit
Before you can apply for your Texas learners permit you must complete at least 6 hours of a state approved drivers ed course.
So basically, one year of learning without driving, then one year of learning while driving with a licensed driver and finally you’ll be driving on your own without a licensed driver. BUT there are still restrictions on where and when you can drive.
Texas Learner Permit Requirements
In order to get your learner's permit, also known as an instruction permit, you have to pass a written test. You may be eligible to take the test after just six hours of drivers ed, depending on whether your course abides by the concurrent or block method.
Sometimes you can take the written test in your drivers ed class or, if you enrolled in an online program, you can take the test within the course.
When you pass the test, you’ll receive a certificate of completion that you can bring to your local Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Office. If your drivers ed program doesn’t offer the test you have to make an appointment at the DPS and take the test in person. A parent or guardian needs to come with you to sign off on all the paperwork.
Tips: Don’t forget to look through the rules and regulations for getting a learners permit in Texas.
What to Give the DPS to Get a Texas Learners Permit
Speaking of paperwork, when you go to the DPS to pick up your permit, you’re going to need some documents.
Let’s talk about what to bring to the DPS to get your learners permit:
Proof of identity
Two documents as proof of Texas residency
Proof of social security number
Proof of enrollment/graduation from school, like a VOE form, high school diploma, or GED
Proof that you are enrolled in/completed PTDE and forms from your PTDE packet
$16 for learner license fee
Make sure you have original copies of all these documents, because photocopies will not be accepted.
How To Choose The Right Drivers Ed Course In Texas
There’s no shortage of drivers ed options in Texas. It’s available for everyone and mandatory for some. Here’s what you need to know before signing up for a drivers ed course.
First you need to decide on a few things,
Do you want an online course or in-person?
Do you want an outside instructor or a parent to teach you?
Is the drivers ed course state approved?
How to tell if the drivers education is quality or not.
3 Ways to Take Teen Drivers Ed
In Texas you may have to take teen drivers ed, but at least you have options for when and where the courses are taught. There are three different types of teen drivers ed courses:
Drivers Ed Course at a Public School
These are taught at high schools, but they aren’t available everywhere. Some offer just classroom and some offer both classroom and behind-the-wheel. Classes are usually taught at night or during the summer, but space is always limited so make sure you sign up early if this is the route you want to go!
Drivers Ed at a Driver Training School
These are schools made for behind-the-wheel training. Sometimes you can do both the behind-the-wheel and classroom portion, but at some schools, you can do the behind-the-wheel portion and take the classroom coursework at an online drivers ed partner.
Parent-Taught Driver Education (PTDE)
With PTDE, the parent does not have to teach their children drivers ed, but they are responsible for overseeing all 44 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction. This means the parent just picks the classroom course provider. Online drivers ed is becoming an extremely popular choice for teens that choose PTDE. This way, you can complete drivers ed on your schedule.
If Parent Taught Drivers Ed is so inexpensive and convenient, why isn’t everyone doing it? Primarily because there are a few stipulations to who can teach Parent Taught Driver Ed. If you’ve had your Texas driver license taken away in the last three years or been convicted of a DUI, you can’t teach drivers ed. You’ll want to check all rules for parent instructor eligibility before signing up.
There’s one more crucial component to Parent Taught Drivers Ed: the PTDE Packet. Basically, the PTDE Packet helps prove that you’re actually doing drivers ed. You can order this from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) for $20.
Looking for more information on Parent Taught Drivers Ed? Check out our Step-by-Step Guide to see if it is the right choice for you.
Texas Drivers Ed Process
Block vs Concurrent Method for Drivers Ed
Some teen drivers ed programs abide by the block method, meaning you have to finish all 32 hours in the classroom before you can touch a steering wheel.
Other programs use the concurrent method, meaning you can get your learner's permit in Texas after six hours of classroom instruction and finish both phases of driver education together. At Aceable, we use the concurrent method. You can work on your behind-the-wheel practice hours while finishing up your 32 coursework hours.
Teen Drivers Ed Courses
Let’s break down the drivers ed requirements for teens 14-17 years old. Teen drivers ed is made up of two separate portions of drivers ed learning:
Classroom: 32 hours (limited to two hours per day)
Behind-the-wheel: 44 hours (limited to one hour per day)
You’re limited to two hours per day of both types of learning combined. So, if you take your one hour of behind-the-wheel, you can only take one more hour of classroom learning that day.
Behind-the-Wheel Training
What exactly does “behind-the-wheel” even mean? It’s the phase of driver education that allows you to put what you learn in the classroom into practice. Behind-the-wheel instruction includes:
7 hours of observation (watching a parent or instructor).
7 hours of training (driving while a parent or instructor coaches you)
30 hours of practice (driving with a licensed driver). 10 of those practice hours must be done at night.
Texas Teen Driver License Requirements
What are the Texas driver's license requirements and how long do you have to wait after your permit to get your license? So you’ve finished drivers ed, you’re at least 16 years old and you’ve held your permit for at least six months. Well, you’re ready to get your driver license! The last step you have to complete before taking your driving test is taking the Impact Texas Teen Drivers (ITTD) course.
ITTD is a free, two-hour video course that must be completed no more than 90 days before you show up at the DPS to get your driver license. To complete the ITTD course go to the Texas DPS website and register. You can complete the course all in one two-hour sitting or take it in 15-minute increments. When you’re done, you’ll get a certificate certifying your completion.
The last step is passing your driving test! The driving exam is just to make sure all your education and practice have helped you become a safe driver that understands the rules of the road.
What to Bring to the DPS for the Texas Driving Test
Let’s take a look at the DPS forms and other documentation that you’ll need to provide before you can take the driving test.
Proof of yours or your parent's’ car insurance
Proof of yours or your parent’s Texas motor vehicle registration
Proof of enrollment/graduation from school, like a VOE form, high school diploma, or GED
Certificates of Completion for Drivers Ed and ITTD
You’ll also need:
Your parent instructor
Your permit
A vehicle that can pass the safety inspection
Bring those, pass your driving test and you’re done! You’re officially a licensed driver and can hit those open Texas roads! You’ll start with your restricted license until you’re 18 years old, then you can graduate to an unrestricted license.
Texas Adult Driver License Requirements
How to get your license in Texas when you are 18? If you’re an adult in the eyes of the law, then you don’t have quite as many license requirements (in Texas) as an underage teen driver. But there’s still a few things that have to be done before you can get a Texas drivers license.
Impact Texas Young Driver Course
As of 2017, adults between the age of 18-24 are required to take an Impact Texas Young Drivers (ITYD) course in addition to drivers ed. It’s a 1-hour video that’s broken up into four modules. This needs to be completed after your 6-hour driver education course.
You can take the course through the ITYD website.
The Written Exam and Road Test
Once the education requirements are met you can move on to the testing phase. To obtain a Texas driver's license, you’ll have to pass two tests:
A written knowledge exam
A behind-the-wheel road test
You may be able to take the written exam with your drivers ed program, so then all you’ll have to do when you get to the Department of Public Safety is take your driving test. That’s just one perk of taking drivers ed with Aceable.
What to Bring to the DPS for Your Tests
Let’s talk about what to bring to the DPS to get your adult drivers license:
Driver license application (found at DPS)
Proof of identity
Proof of social security number
Two documents as proof of Texas residency
Proof of name change (only if your name is now different than what’s on your proof of identity document - for example, from marriage or divorce)
Certificate of completion for drivers ed
Driver license fee of $25
Find a complete, printable checklist here!
Again, only legit originals are allowed - photocopies will not be accepted. But once you have those and you pass your driving test, you’ll officially be a licensed driver with full driving privileges!
Other Drivers License Options in Texas
Not quite ready to take the wheel totally alone? It’s better to be safe and ease your way into the drivers seat if you aren’t feeling completely confident. If you want some more driving experience before taking your driving test, you have two options:
You can get your Texas adult permit, which is for people ages 18-24 who have never driven before.
You can get your Texas driver license with a B-Restriction, which is for drivers age 25+.
Both of these are easy ways to get practice with other licensed drivers in the vehicle before taking the wheel solo. For each of these, bring $25, the correct DPS documents, and pass a vision test.
