TEXAS DRIVERS LICENSE QUESTIONS

This one is easy, so let's keep it that way.  The Texas adult driver education requirements are pretty simple.  Anyone between the ages of 18 and 24 must take an adult driver education course.  Those over the age of 25 can take the course for the benefit of taking the final written exam at home.  The full adult program requires:

1. Completing a 6 our adult driver education course and final exam.
2. Present the course certificate at the DPS office.
3. Completing a driving test at the DPS office (schedule in advance).

This is the fastest and easiest method for getting your 18+ license.

The first and most crucial element of starting Texas online drivers ed is finding the course that not only helps get you going, but also sticks with you to make sure your experience is met with little to no questions.  Finding the answer of how to start means nothing if it is followed by more confusion.

If you are successful at choosing a high quality product, then you have already answered this question. Driver education, no matter the method, faces a barrage of initial paperwork, time log requirements, permit testing, state mandates, and license testing. The more this is done for you, the better you can expect your experience to be.

In short, you might check out one of our courses.

Parent-Taught

Steps to getting started and obtaining your learner’s permit.

First things first, make sure you are qualified to teach the parent taught method. You can find out HERE.

Drivers Ed Course

1. Purchase your desired online drivers ed course.
2. Complete the state required (DL-92) application for the Texas PTDE (Parent Taught Drivers Education) Packet. **Not sure if you've done this or need to do it now? You can register or check your status HERE.
3. Once the PTDE has been received, the student may then, and only then, begin their first 6 hours of the course required to obtain their learner’s permit.  These 6 hours need to be logged by you, or by your course if it provides the feature, in no more than 2 hours per day. This means you must go at least 3 days after receiving the PTDE packet from the state of Texas before you are allowed to visit the DPS to obtain your driving permit.
4. After completion of the first module (the first 6 hours), the student will then take their learner’s permit test.  This test will most likely be provided by the course you choose; however, you also have the option to take the test at the drivers license office.
5. Now that the requirements for the permit are complete, it is time to gather your paperwork and head to the drivers license office.  The list includes:

• Verification of Enrollment Form - Must have received this within the last 30 days before going to the DPS. This comes from your public or private school. Homeschoolers will have parent sign.
• DL-90A - This is a parent affidavit verifying completion of first 6 hours.
• DL-14A - Application for Driver License - You can fill this out before going or wait until you get to the DPS. But DO NOT sign yet, the DPS office will verify your signature.
• Birth Certificate (Original)
• Social Security Card
• Proof of Residency - The parent must show 2 forms of proof of residency.
• DE-964E Form - This is your certificate of completion for the first 6 hours of your 32 hours of course work. (The Learner's Permit section of the course) **You will recieve a second certificate at the end of the 32 hours when it is time to get your final Driver's License.

Acquiring the learner’s permit means you are now eligible to begin the second module of the classroom work , along with the “Behind-The-Wheel” lessons that correspond with what the child has just learned.  It is also possible for you to follow the block method of learning. This requires completion of the full classroom before beginning any hands-on work.

• At this point, you will continue following your course’s design until you have completed all of your lessons.  There will be course content, worksheets, and quizzes throughout that must be completed to move on to the final exam.
• The final written exam is solely based on the classroom work.  Even if the driving has not been finalized, the final exam can still be taken.

Going Down To The DPS

Completion of the final exam with a passing grade means the end of your classroom requirements.  Once the driving lessons and experience hours have been completed and logged, the 6 month permit requirement has been met, and the student is 16 years old, you are ready for the drivers license office.

Here is what you will need for your DPS visit:

• DE-964
• Completion Certificate
• DL-90a
• DL-14a
• Learners Permit Progress Report
• 2 Forms of ID

If you have chosen to do online parent taught for your drivers ed, then your role is very simple.  The online course that you have chosen should, if a quality course, take you and your student through the 32 hours of classroom, leaving your role as the parent to merely monitor and sign off that your student has completed all of the course requirements.  From this point, you will be tasked with the role of in-car instructor.

The in-car instructor has the job of teaching the student 7 hours of In-Car lessons, 7 hours of Behind-The-Wheel training, and an additional 30 hours of experience driving, of which 10 hours will be done at nighttime.  If you have purchased a quality course, this process should already be structured for you, just follow your course prompts. Completion of the course brings you to the final stage.

You will head off to the Texas drivers license office with the forms provided to you through your course.  Once you have signed off on the student’s paperwork and turned them in through the proper channels, your role as the parent-taught instructor is complete. You will wait at the drivers license office while your student takes their final driving test to receive their license.

This option is now available to parents who feel they may not be the best person to teach their child, but they still want the flexibility of online learning.  A new law allows for a person over the age of 25 and with a valid driver license to teach a 15 year old their driving portion. This means that a sister, a brother, cousin or even a good friend may be the right person to trust your child with during the learning portion of the Behind-The-Wheel (BTW)  instruction phase. Of course, there is always the commercial driving professionals that in most cases, work directly with online providers to offer the 32-hours of classroom and then they will provide the in-car training portion. alternative industry entirely for those who don’t feel comfortable doing the BTW themselves.

The divide between parent-taught and commercial drivers ed existed for over a decade. This was until there began to be a merger of the two industries. Now there is a very simple way to achieve the flexibility of online drivers ed while still being given an alternative route for the BTW instruction, the online commercial school hybrid.  Hybrid courses have achieved this blending of preferences. providing further affordability and flexibility when choosing drivers education.

This question can be answered in two ways:

Technical answer:

1. 6 Hours of classroom are required to receive the permit.
2. 26 Hours of post-permit classroom to receive the completion certificate.
3. 14 Hours of Behind-The-Wheel training.
4. 30 Hours of experience driving (10 of which are at night).
5. There are 76 total hours that must be completed to receive the Texas drivers license.
6. The state of Texas limits all hours above to 2 hours a day.

This means that the technical answer to this question is 38 days.

The reality is that many students and parents tend to have other life priorities take precedence.  The main reason someone takes online drivers ed is to create flexibility in their life. No one wants driver education running their schedule.  That’s just part of it, life happens. So here is what you really need to know.

1. It takes 3 days minimum to complete enough of the course to be eligible for the learner’s permit.
2. The permit must be held for at least 6 months and until the student is 16 years old.

This means that all students must wait at least 6 months before they can even receive their Texas drivers license.  There are 35 days of curriculum to spread throughout that 6-12 month(s) in whatever schedule fits your needs.

Again, our answer to this depends on if you have purchased a quality course that does the work for you.  Either way it is still good to know what is expected of you at the drivers license office. Here are a couple of lists of requirements needed for Texas drivers license office:

1. Texas Permit License Checklist
   1. List
2. Drivers License Checklist
   1. List

How much of the classroom work would you like your student to have finished before driving?  That is the question to ask yourself in order to know which method works best for you.

• The Concurrent method of online drivers ed is setup to allow the behind-the-wheel portion of the course to begin immediately after the student receives their learner’s permit.
• The Block method is setup so that the student has completed their full 32 hours of classroom before starting the behind-the-wheel hours.

The parent is able to use their own vehicle insurance while the student holds the permit.   This is as long as the student is still a student and does not yet have their license. Once an individual obtains a license, they are required to provide their own liability insurance under their own name.

The first thing that comes to mind is how involved must a parent be in their child’s drivers ed process.  The idea of a commercial driving school is to allow a professional to take on the responsibilities of providing your child what is needed to be a safe driver.  What most parents in Texas don’t know is that the majority of the driving, no matter the method, must still be carried out by the student’s primary guardian. This means that out of the 44 hours of driving expected from the student, 30 of those hours are still being administered by, most likely, the parent.

The myth that commercial drivers ed classrooms are all encompassing, removing the parent from responsibility over their student’s driving experience are just that, a myth. Online drivers ed, whether it be parent-taught or commercial, provides the parent an ability to achieve the same peace of mind in professionals to the same extent achieved through the commercial classroom route alone.  The introduction of hybrid online commercial schools has helped to bridge the gap created by these two industry.

This process can be as simple as pushing a next button. It also can be as difficult as spending days organizing and collecting state information to compile a comprehensive educational curriculum.  The reason online drivers ed has grown at such a substantial rate is the every growing convenience that it provides. The driver education process in Texas is just that, a process, which means there is a step by step experience that your course should, with simplicity and ease, manage to get you through without ever having to ask this question.  If your online driver’s education program doesn't provide you this peace of mind, then question the quality of your product.

Your role as a student is to get excited!  You are moving ever closer to the day when the freedom of setting out on a drive alone has arrived. However, this freedom comes with the expectation of you proving your ability to handle such a responsibility.  In order to accomplish that task, you must complete the classroom and Behind-The-Wheel requirements of the state of Texas, followed by examinations of both your knowledge acquired in the classroom, as well as testing of your hands-on driving abilities.

When taking a quality online drivers ed program, you should be able to fulfill your role as a student by simply following the steps provided to you within your course to accomplish these tasks. Anything short of that is expecting too much out of you as a student. Your role is to be a student and learn.

The Texas Parent-Taught Drivers Education (PTDE) packet is the acknowledgement from the state that the parent who submitted for approval has been approved.  Once the state has processed your (DL-92) request, they send you the PTDE packet, while also providing the DPS system the same information. This means that the drivers license office cannot accept any logged parent taught hours until the date of approval (ie. the day you received the packet).  Any hours logged prior to the date that you receive your PTDE packet will not be accepted by the state.

Most online drivers ed courses allow the student to revisit course work they have already completed, while the freedom and accessibility to record hours completed as the parent observes them,  allows for you to easily make the necessary adjustments to your course schedule as you see fit.

This answer may very, depending on your answer to the following question:

Have you already submitted (DL-92) for and received the Texas PTDE Packet?

If Yes:  You may start your first 6 classroom hours at this point.  You are limited to 2 hours of classwork a day; therefore, you will be eligible to get your learner’s permit in 3 days.

If No:  The Parent-Taught approval process in Texas can take 3-4 weeks, depending on whether you ask for email confirmation.  Requesting email confirmation can bump this process to roughly a week. Once the PTDE packet is received, you will have a minimum of 3 days before being eligible for the learner’s permit.

Simply put, 6-12 months, depending on if you are under the age of 18 years old.  No matter how you break down your coursework, you are still required to hold your permit for at least 6 months after receiving your learner’s permit.  You must also be 16 years of age unless you qualify for a hardship license. Apply by filing the state form DL-77.

Driving restrictions for Texas drivers can range, depending on the circumstances.  These can range from simply being required to operate a vehicle only when wearing corrective lenses, to being limited on types of vehicles you are allowed to drive.  For a more detailed glimpse at what can make up driving restrictions, please check out the state of Texas' Drivers License Endorsements and Restrictions.

In order to answer this question, you would first need to answer one of the following questions with a "Yes":

• An unusual economic hardship on the family of the minor.
• A death-related emergency.
• Sickness or illness or disability of family members. (PHYSICIAN’S STATEMENT REQUIRED)
• Enrollment in a Vocational Education Program. (CERTIFICATION FROM SCHOOL REQUIRED)

If you meet any of these scenarios and would like to apply to the state, Please download the DL-77.

Repetition and challenging yourself are the most promising ways to ensure the confidence needed to succeed.  Practice tests provide an excellent opportunity to not only test what you have learned, but also become familiar with the type of questions you might see on the final examination. Additionally, in-car video tips can help prepare the parent in understanding the style and flow of how most parents conduct their behind-the-wheel training.

If you would like more details on our supplemental training options, please check out the links below.

• Virtual Drive Practice Test
• Virtual Drive Parent In-Car Lessons

In the state of Texas, there are separate requirements for those trying to get their license while between the ages of 14 and 17, and those ages 18-24.  If you are approaching the age of 18 and have already started an online teen driving course, then you must complete the course and receive your certificate before your birthday; Otherwise, you will be required to purchase and complete an approved adult course, of which the certificate only qualifies those over the age of 18 to receive their license.

There are 3 major examinations that make up the drivers education process.  The first tests the student understanding of the beginning 6 hours of curriculum in order to obtain the learner’s permit.  Second comes the final classroom examination administered once all 32 hours of classroom study has been completed. Finally, there is the in-car examination carried out with a DPS official at the time of acquiring the Texas license.  Classroom examinations can be taken at the drivers license. However, most online courses in Texas provide their students the classroom exams through the online course itself.

Yes, both classroom exams are available to take through the online course itself.  Completion of these exams with a passing grade provides you with the proper state verification of exam completion.  This means that your final test can be taken anywhere you find to be a comfortable environment.