What is Parent Taught Driver Education?

Parent Taught Driver Education (PTDE) allows a parent or legal guardian to provide instruction to their teen student. The student must complete 32 hours of online classroom training, and 44 hours of behind-the-wheel driving lessons while being supervised by their parent or legal guardian.

One of the main advantages of using the parent taught program is that it’s flexible! Our parent taught program is a self-paced course. We know that both students and parents have busy schedules, so our course allows you to progress through as quickly as your schedule permits. In a traditional driving school, however, the course schedule is strict. Parents are responsible for getting their student to the course every day, which can be a challenge in a family where both parents work, and/or where the student has other extracurriculars. This is why so many are choosing Virtual Drive as their online parent taught course provider!

How quickly the course can be finished depends upon the schedule of both the teen and the parent instructor. Most of our students finish the Texas parent taught drivers ed course in approximately four months. In other instances, some finish the course in as little as two months, while some go beyond six months. Many parents choose to designate two or three evenings per week. For example, it may be after work a few days a week on the classroom portion, and a Saturday/Sunday where they will spend an hour or two with their teen on the behind-the-wheel requirements. Determine what works best with your schedule, and work with your teen driver accordingly.