Requirements for Texas Driver Education

The State of Texas has minimum requirements for completing Texas driver education course for both teens and adults. At a minimum, approved driving courses cover traffic and warning signs, the importance of traffic safety and Texas rules of the road.

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) requires anyone under the age of 24 to complete an approved drivers ed course before receiving their drivers license. The requirements for teens, age 14-17 and adults, age 18-24 are considerably different. Listed below are the driver education requirements for both teens and adults in the state of Texas.

Requirements for Teens

Students participating in the Texas parent taught drivers ed course must meet the following requirements:

  • Student must be at least 14 years of age prior to beginning the course, however, the student may not test for their learners permit until they are at least 15 years of age.
  • Submit Request for a Parent Taught Driver Education (PTDE) Packet (Form DL-92) to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).
  • No instruction is permitted prior to the student receiving their Parent Taught Driver Education Course from TDLR.
  • Have a qualified parent or legal guardian to instruct the course.
  • Complete 32 hours of classroom (online) instruction.
  • Complete 44 hours of in-car driving instruction with parent or legal guardian.
  • Student shall not be instructed more than two hours per day.
  • No behind-the-wheel instruction or practice is permitted until the student applies for and receives their Texas learners permit.

Requirements for Parent or Legal Guardian:

  • Instructor must be the student’s parent, step-parent, grandparent, foster parent or legal guardian appointed by a court of competent jurisdiction. A power of attorney is not legally sufficient.
  • The instructor must have a valid driver license for the preceding three years, or if active military personnel or spouse, a valid driver license from state of permanent residency or last duty station for the preceding three years.
  • The instructor cannot have a conviction (including a probated sentence) of criminally negligent homicide or driving while intoxicated.
  • The instructor must not have had their driving privileges suspended, revoked or forfeited for traffic related violations in the past three years.
  • The instructor cannot have six or more points assigned to their driver license.
  • The instructor is responsible for checking both their criminal or driver records prior to requesting the program guide. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) will verify the instructor’s record at the time of processing the student’s learner license and again at the time of processing the student’s provisional driver license. If at that time DPS determines that the instructor does not meet the requirements, DPS will deny the learner license or provisional driver license along with any prior classroom instruction or behind the wheel/in the car instruction provided by the ineligible instructor.
  • The instructor may go to any local driver license office to have the student apply for the license and take the required test. (Some stations require
    an appointment or may allow online scheduling for the skills test.)

Requirements for Adults

First time adult drivers who are between 18 – 24 years of age, are required by the State of Texas to complete a six hour Texas adult drivers ed course. Adult students must meet the following eligibility requirements:

Note: Adult students who are not ready to take the DPS road test, can apply for a Texas learners permit that will allow them to drive a vehicle with a licensed Texas adult who is at least 21 years of age and in the passenger seat, until the student is ready to take the DPS road test. Adults who have completed the course, know how to drive, and prefer to take the DPS road test without a learners permit, can opt to do so.