Texas Drivers License Requirements

Want to get a Driver's License in Texas? Then it’s time to hit the books and start driver’s ed. It may seem intimidating, but don’t worry... Here’s a definitive guide to getting your Texas Driver License. Drivers ed is a bit of a numbers game. If you’re at least 14, the state of Texas says you can start taking drivers education classes. When you’re 15, you’re eligible to get your learner’s permit. (Picture it: just you and a licensed driver over 21 out on the open road. Awww yeah.) And it’s not until you turn 16 that you can officially get your driver’s license. But first thing’s first: You’re required to take 2 different portions of drivers ed learning: -32 hours of classroom learning -and 44 hours of behind-the-wheel learning You know all about being in a classroom, but behind-the-wheel learning means you’re putting all of that classroom knowledge into practice. Behind-the-wheel includes: -7 hours of you observing a parent or instructor drive -7 hours of driving while a parent or instructor coaches you -30 hours of practice driving with a licensed driver 10 of those hours need to happen at night. There are also some restrictions on how much learning you can do in one day. You can only take 2 hours a day of classroom learning and 1 hour a day of behind-the-wheel learning. And even if you’re an A+ student, Texas says you’re only allowed to take 2 hours a day of both types of learning combined. So if you spend 1 hour behind-the-wheel, you can only take 1 more hour of classroom learning that day. Some Teen Drivers Ed programs have something called the block method, which means you have to finish all 32 hours in the classroom before you can even touch a steering wheel. Other programs use the concurrent method, which means you can get your instruction permit after 6 hours of classroom instruction, and finish both phases of Driver Education together. There are 3 different types of teen drivers ed classes in Texas: -Drivers ed at a public school, where you can take either just the classroom portion OR both the classroom and behind-the-wheel portions of your requirements, depending on the high school. -Drivers ed at a driver training school, where you can do both the behind-the-wheel and classroom portions of your requirements at a school just for driver training. Sometimes you can do the behind-the-wheel with the training school and take the classroom part with an online partner, like with Aceable’s Instructor-Taught Drivers Ed course. This type of training most commonly utilizes the block method of training. -Parent taught driver education means that a parent or guardian chooses a classroom provider and oversees all 44 hours of behind-the wheel instruction. As long as your chosen parent or guardian has had their Texas driver license for a full three years (and never had it suspended during that time), and hasn’t been convicted of a DUI/DWI in the last 7 years, anyone can teach you. Don’t have a parent/guardian that meets those requirements? Don’t worry - you can still do Parent Taught Drivers Ed with a responsible adult over the age of 25 who meets those same requirements. Once you’ve secured your instructor, you’ll just need a Parent Taught Drivers Ed Packet, which registers you and your instructor with the State of Texas in the Parent Taught Drivers Ed program. You can get it from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation website for $20. I don’t mean to brag, but Aceable’s Texas-certified Parent Taught Drivers Ed course includes THE DPS permit test loaded with unlimited free attempts, so you don’t have to worry about test anxiety at the DPS. Plus, you get 6 free months of Allstate Roadside Assistance, and your certificates emailed to you within 2 hours of passing the permit test (for permit certificate) or final course test (for license certificate). Aceable’s cool like that. You set your pacing, you don’t have to step foot inside a classroom, you take the course anytime, anywhere.