How to Get a Driver's License in Texas (Step by Step)

Step 1: Find your path by age

In Texas, driver licenses are issued by the Department of Public Safety (DPS). Driver education is offered by certified driving schools, by some public schools, and by a parent or guardian through a parent-taught course.

• Ages 15–17: driver education, then a learner license, then a provisional license.
• Ages 18–24: a 6-hour adult driver education course, the Impact Texas Drivers (ITD) video, a knowledge test and a driving test.
• Age 25 and older: no driver education requirement, but you still need the ITD certificate and both tests.
• New residents with a valid license from another state: see the last section.

Teens 15–17: the learner license

You may start the classroom part of driver education at 14, but you cannot apply for a learner license until you are at least 15. To apply, you must be 15 to 17 and have finished the classroom hours: 6 hours with the concurrent method or 24 hours with the block method.

At the driver license office you will need:

• a parent or guardian with you, or a notarized application signed by them
• the completed application form DL-14B
• proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful presence, Texas residency and identity
• a Texas driver education certificate showing you finished the classroom hours
• proof that you passed the knowledge exam; if you did not take it during driver education, you take it at the office
• a high school diploma, a GED, or a Verification of Enrollment and Attendance (VOE) form

You also give your signature and thumbprints, have your photo taken, pay the fee and pass a vision exam. You get a temporary permit right away, and the learner license usually arrives by mail within 2–3 weeks.

Learner license rules: a licensed adult 21 or older must sit in the front passenger seat, and all cell phone use is prohibited, including hands-free devices, unless it is an emergency. You must hold the learner license for at least six months, unless you turn 18.

Teens: the provisional license

You can get a provisional license when you:

• are 16 or 17 and have held a learner license for at least 6 months
• have finished the behind-the-wheel part of driver education: 7 hours of in-car observation and 30 hours of driving practice, at least 10 of them at night, with a licensed driver 21 or older in the vehicle
• have completed the Impact Texas Teen Drivers (ITTD) program within 90 days of your driving test
• pass the driving test

Restrictions for provisional license holders under 18:

• no more than one passenger under 21 who is not a family member
• no driving between midnight and 5:00 a.m., except for work, school activities or emergencies
• no cell phone use, including hands-free devices, unless it is an emergency

Adults 18–24 and 25 and older

If you are 18 through 24, you must complete a 6-hour adult driver education course. Teen driver education classroom hours cannot be counted toward this requirement. If you are 25 or older, there is no driver education requirement.

Then all adults follow the same steps:

1. Check your documents with the DPS REAL ID Document Check tool and schedule an appointment at a driver license office.
2. Complete the application, online or at the office.
3. Bring your documents, including proof of insurance for each vehicle you own or a statement that you do not own a vehicle.
4. Pay the application fee and pass the vision exam.
5. Pass the written knowledge test and a practical driving skills test.

Impact Texas Drivers (ITD)

ITD is a required DPS video program that you complete before the driving test. There are two versions:

• Impact Texas Teen Drivers (ITTD): a 2-hour video for drivers 15–17 taking an approved parent-taught or minor driver education course.
• Impact Texas Adult Drivers (ITAD): a 1-hour video for drivers 18–24 who must complete adult driver education, and for drivers 25 or older.

The certificate is valid for 90 days. You must present it before the driving test, so it must be dated within 90 days of the test. Teens complete ITD after the behind-the-wheel part of driver education.

Where to take the knowledge and driving tests

DPS says you may complete the testing requirements at a DPS office or with a third-party provider.

• Knowledge test: teens can pass it as part of driver education; if not, it is taken at the driver license office.
• Driving test: through its Third Party Skills Testing (TPST) program, DPS authorizes certified driver education schools to give the skills test to certain applicants. DPS audits and approves the test routes, and the schools use school-owned vehicles. DPS publishes a county-by-county list of authorized TPST schools.

Because a TPST school tests only certain applicants, ask the school whether it can test you before you book.

New residents: the 90-day rule

If you move to Texas with a valid driver license from another U.S. state, a U.S. territory or Canada, you may drive with it for up to 90 days after moving to Texas. Plan to get your Texas license within that period.

• Adults with a valid out-of-state license are exempt from the knowledge and skills exams, but must surrender the out-of-state license.
• The adult driver education requirement is waived for new residents 18 or older.
• Make sure all your vehicles are registered before you apply.
• Texas has license reciprocity with France, Germany, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Taiwan. With a valid, unexpired license from one of these countries, you are not required to take the knowledge or skills exam.
• If your out-of-state license expired two or more years ago, you must take the knowledge and driving tests in Texas.

For documents and other questions immigrants often have, see our guide on driver's licenses for immigrants.