Texas Teen Driver’s License

Getting your Texas Teen their license is a very exciting process (for them) and could be a very confusing process because there are so many different options offered to drivers in the state of Texas. Through our experience since we opened in 2017, we have learned the ins and outs of the requirements for new drivers, no matter what age. So, instead of reading through all of the laws and rules of driver’s education and searching through DPS’s website, we have created a broken down list of the different paths that you can choose from so that new drivers can get their licenses in Texas and exactly what you’ll need to complete each pathway.

Age is  (Not) Just a Number

First things first, before you choose a path you have to know how old the new driver is. There are different requirements for getting new drivers their Texas Teen license who are between the ages of 14-17, 18-25, and 26 and above.

For new drivers between the ages of 14 and 17, they are required to take a 32-hour teen course, complete 14 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction, and 30 hours of additional driving. These drivers must hold a learner’s permit until they are 16. If they turn 16 while in possession of a learner’s permit or got it after their 16th birthday, they must hold it for a minimum of six months in order to get their Texas Teen Driver’s License. To obtain your permit you must pass the written exam and provide a Verification of Enrollment, VOE, (along with all of the other required documents), which is provided by your high school to DPS; new drivers must be enrolled and not truant to receive their learner’s permit.

For new drivers between the ages of 18 and 25, they are required to take and pass a 6- hour adult course. After they pass this, then they can either take the written exam to get a Texas Driver’s License with the restriction of only being able to drive with an individual aged 21 or over who has had their license for 2 or more years placed on it (this is very similar to the learner’s permit provided to the 14-17-year-olds), or take the written and driving exams and get their license. If you have not had any experience behind-the-wheel (which you probably won’t since you have not been a licensed driver), we suggest that you get a restricted license so you can practice the skills necessary to pass the driving portion of the exam prior to taking it. Here at The Driving Institute, we offer packages that can be tailored to you and your needs so that you can feel comfortable behind the wheel and confident in your abilities so that you are able to pass the driving exam on the first try- take a look at our Drive Time Training course.

For new drivers 26 and older, they are not required to take any courses, you can walk into schedule an exam to get your Texas License with DPS or a third-party-tester, this usually will be driving schools who have been in business for over a year, and take your driving exam. That being said, if you have never driven it will be difficult to be proficient enough in your driving skills to pass the driving exam. Just as with the drivers between the ages of 18 and 25, if you have not had any experience behind-the-wheel, we suggest that you get a restricted license (by taking the written exam) so you can practice the skills necessary to pass the driving portion of the exam prior to taking it. Here at The Driving Institute, we offer packages that can be tailored to you and your needs so that you can feel comfortable behind the wheel and confident in your abilities so that you are able to pass the driving exam on the first try- take a look at our Drive Time Training course.

**You can ALWAYS take more hours (if you’re over 18 you can still take the teen course) and get more instruction and experience, you just can’t do less than what is required by the State to get your license. If you take the teen course, then you will have to fulfill all of the same requirements that a new teen driver would have to complete as well. We will always recommend that you take the teen course, there is so much more information that is provided through this course than any of the other courses, but that is completely up to you and how much you want to know and how much experience you want before you are out on the open road, alone.

Ok, What’s Next?

Now that you know the requirements for your specific age group, now you must decide HOW you will meet these requirements to get your license. When choosing these options you should think about what is going to be the best mode of instruction for you, if you are a pencil and paper kind of person who has to write everything down (yay for lists on sticky notes EVERYWHERE), then the online course probably won’t be for you, but if you are self- motivated and can learn from videos and online instruction without a lot of hands-on experience, then online could be the best route for you. You have the opportunity now to self-reflect and figure out what type of learner you are and choose the education that will fit you the best.

The First option is the driving school route. Through this option, an instructor can teach the 32 hours of classroom instruction and the 14- hours of behind-the-wheel instruction and all that is left for a parent or guardian who is over the age of 21 and has had their license for a minimum of 2 years to do is the 30 hours of additional drive time. Your student will get time in a classroom with a teacher to help walk them through any questions that they may have through the process of learning to drive. We will also take them out and teach them the scariest things like roundabouts and merging onto the highway so that you are not left white-knuckled in the passenger seat. You could also have the school do the classroom portion and then have their classroom hours transferred to you so that you could purchase a Parent Taught Driver Education In-car Only Course from any one of the Parent Taught course providers who offer that specific course, and complete the 14- hours of behind-the-wheel training and the additional 30 hours of driving this meets all the states requirements to get Their Texas Teen license.

The second option that you have is the parent-taught route. This has been a fairly popular choice due to the ability to choose when the instruction is happening around busy schedules, not because it’s easy (because everyone knows that teaching your own child is never easy). Through this route, the 32 hours of classroom instruction and the 14- hours of behind-the-wheel training is done by a parent or guardian who is over the age of 25 and has held their license for a minimum of 7 years, and the 30 hours of additional driving can be completed by a parent or guardian who is over the age of 21 and has had their license for a minimum of 2 years. This route requires the purchase of the Parent Taught Driver Education Program through DPS, which is $20 and an approved Parent Taught course from an approved course provider, the price on this will vary depending on the provider that you choose. Within this route, you could also mix and match what you would like to do, you could have your student attend a course with a driver education school and then have everything transferred to you, purchase a Parent Taught Driver Education In-car the Only Course from anyone of the Parent Taught course providers who offer that specific course, and complete the 14- hours of behind-the-wheel training and the additional 30 hours of driving.

The next option is the online route. Through this option, your child will complete the classroom portion at their own pace through an online program of your choice. Most of the online programs will include the written exam that allows them to get their learner’s permit. Then, you have to decide if you are going to have the behind-the-wheel portion taught by a driver’s education school or if you will do this through the parent-taught program as described above. We have courses available to meet your needs through the online course, both teen and adult (see above descriptions to decide which course you should take), and behind-the-wheel training. Just remember, that if you or your child is a person who gets distracted easily (hello, social media) or would like access to an instructor to clarify any new concepts being taught, then online may not be for you.

This is the End of the Beginning

Now that you know all of your options for your new driver, you can feel better about the choice that you are making for their education as a future licensed driver out on our Texas roads (does not read: you can feel better about being in the car with a new driver). Please contact us with any questions that you may have and we would love to help you find the best option for you and your family!