This is not legal advice and we are not the Texas Department of Public Safety or any state agency. Rules and fees change. Confirm anything that affects you on the DPS apply page before you go.
The path
The first card for a new teen driver is the learner license. DPS also calls it an instruction permit. You can get one at 15, 16, or 17, on the DPS teen page.
- If you are under 25, finish the driver education course for your age.
- Gather papers for your identity, your Texas address, and your Social Security number.
- If you are under 18, have a parent sign, and bring a school form or a diploma.
- Schedule an appointment at a driver license office.
- Pay the fee, have your picture and fingerprints taken, and pass the vision exam.
- Pass the Class C knowledge exam, unless your course already covered it.
- If you are under 18, practice at least six months with a licensed adult beside you.
- Finish Impact Texas Drivers, then pass the driving exam.
A learner license does not require the driving exam. That exam comes later, for a provisional license or a full Class C license. The order above follows the learner license page, the apply page, and the driver education page.
A learner license under 18 costs $16. A new Class C license at ages 18 to 84 costs $33 and lasts eight years. A $1 administrative fee is included in those totals on the DPS fee list.
What to bring
- Identity — proof of who you are, and proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful presence if you are not a citizen.
- Social Security number — DPS checks it electronically with the Social Security Administration.
- Texas residence — proof of where you live, plus your mailing address.
- Insurance — proof for each vehicle you own, or a statement that you do not own one.
- New residents turning in an out-of-state license — current Texas registration for each vehicle you own.
- Driving exam — an Impact Texas Drivers certificate dated within 90 days.
- Ages 18 through 24, first Texas license — proof of a six-hour adult driver education course.
- Under 18 — a parent or guardian, a driver education certificate, and a diploma, GED, or school form.
Use the REAL ID Document Check before your appointment. You apply in person, and in-person driver license services are by appointment. Those rules are on the apply page and in the Texas Driver Handbook.
The handbook also asks for fingerprints, a photo, and answers to the medical questions. You turn in any valid out-of-state license. The handbook lists those items, and the apply page is the current document list.
The learner license
- Be 15, 16, or 17.
- Finish the classroom hours for your method. Concurrent starts with 6 hours. Block means all 24 hours first.
- Pass the vision exam and the knowledge exam.
- Show identity, Texas residency, and your Social Security number.
- Show a diploma, a GED, or a Verification of Enrollment and Attendance form.
The teen page states the ages as 15 and 17. The handbook says at least 15 but no more than 18. Where they differ, follow the teen page.
Who rides with you
A licensed adult age 21 or older sits in the front passenger seat. The handbook adds at least one year of driving experience, in the seat beside you. That adult cannot be intoxicated, asleep, or busy with anything that keeps them from watching you. Both rules are on the teen page and in the handbook.
You may not use a cell phone while you drive. That includes a hands-free device. An emergency is the exception, on the teen page.
The card says Learner License. It costs $16 and expires on your 18th birthday. The handbook breaks that $16 into a $15 license fee plus a $1 administrative fee. You must hold it at least six months before a provisional license, unless you turn 18 first. See the fee list and the teen page.
If the learner license is suspended, those days are added to the six months. The teen page states that extension.
You get a temporary permit the same day. Check it before you leave. The card usually arrives by mail within 2-3 weeks, on the apply page and the teen page.
If you are 18 or older
DPS does not issue a learner license at 18 or older. To practice, you get a Class C license with the same restrictions as a learner license. For ages 18 to 84, a new license costs $33 and is valid for eight years. That is in the handbook and on the fee list.
The course
You may start classroom driver education at 14. You wait until 15 to apply for a learner license. Under 18, the classroom total is 24 hours. The DPS course page states those ages and hours.
Concurrent method: take the first 6 hours, pass the written exam, and get the learner license. Then finish the other 18 classroom hours while you practice. The same course page describes this method.
Block method: finish all 24 classroom hours, pass the written exam, and then get the learner license. That method is on the same course page.
If you are 18 through 24 and this is your first Texas license, you take a 6-hour adult course. A new resident 18 or older who turns in a valid, unexpired license from another state skips that course. If you are 25 or older, you do not take driver education. Read the apply page and the TDLR page.
You can study at a public school, a licensed driving school, online, or with a parent. The course page lists those options.
The Class C knowledge exam
This is the written exam for an original applicant. You must score 70 percent or better to pass. State rule says 70 percent correct, or better, on each test. The handbook and the knowledge-exam rule both say this.
The exam is offered in English and in Spanish only. An oral exam is given when you actually need one. You must understand road signs written in English. Literacy by itself is not required. That is the same rule and the languages page.
DPS does not print how many questions are on the office exam. The adult course that can waive the sign and traffic-law parts uses at least 30 questions. Those questions are split evenly between highway signs and traffic laws. You need 70 percent on each part. See the online adult-course rule and the in-person adult-course rule.
The handbook lists one Class C knowledge exam for all original applicants. It does not list a separate exam for teens. That line is in the handbook.
Where you can take it
- At a driver license office — if you did not already pass it in class.
- During driver education — bring proof if you passed it in the classroom portion.
The teen page tells you to bring that proof, or to test at the office.
Some courses for people under 25 mean you do not take the Class C exam at the office. The adult-course rule says a passed course can waive the highway-sign part and the traffic-law part. The handbook and the adult-course rule say this.
A driving test in Spanish is not available at every office. A translator may help only before and after a test, not during it. If you need an ASL interpreter, ask at least four business days ahead. All of that is on the languages page.
Our practice test is shaped like the real one. It has 30 questions, with 8 misses allowed. You still need 70 percent on each half. The question count follows the adult course rule. Practice that test here, free.
If you do not pass the knowledge exam and the driving exam on the first try, DPS holds the application for 90 days. After 90 days, or after three failed exams, you need a new application and a new fee. DPS does not print a separate price for a knowledge retest. The hold rule is in the handbook.
Moving here with a license
This part is for people who already drive. A valid, unexpired license from another U.S. state lets you drive for up to 90 days after you move. The same 90 days covers a U.S. territory, a Canadian province, or a qualifying country. The moving page states that window.
If the license is from a U.S. state, a U.S. territory, or Canada, you turn it in. You do not take the knowledge exam or the driving exam. That waiver is on the moving page.
Register every vehicle you own in Texas before you apply. That registration step is for new residents who are surrendering an out-of-state license. It is on the apply page.
If you are 18 or older, a valid out-of-state license, or one expired for two years or less, waives more. You also skip Impact Texas Drivers and the adult driver education course. The moving page lists those waivers.
If you are under 18, a valid learner license or driver license from a U.S. state can waive the knowledge exam. A U.S. territory or a Canadian province works the same way. You still take the driving exam. A Texas learner license must be held for six months, or until you are 18. Those rules are on the moving page.
A valid, unexpired license from France, Germany, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, or Taiwan may also waive both exams. The waiver does not apply if you keep that foreign license. A foreign license that is not in English or Spanish must be translated first. The moving page states each of these.
From learner license to provisional license
The next card is the provisional license. It is for ages 16 and 17. The card is marked PROVISIONAL and expires on your 18th birthday. The fee is $16. See the provisional license page and the fee list.
You must have held a learner license for at least 6 months. A hardship license, or a mix of the two, also counts in the handbook. The 6-month line is on the provisional page.
Finish the behind-the-wheel part before you test. The provisional page requires all of the hours below.
- 7 hours sitting beside the instructor, watching.
- 7 hours driving with the instructor, demonstrating what you learned.
- 30 hours of practice, with at least 10 hours at night. A licensed driver age 21 or older is in the car the whole time.
Then finish Impact Texas Teen Drivers. That video is 2 hours. Complete it within 90 days of the driving exam. Pass the driving exam and the vision exam. The hours and the video deadline are on the provisional page. The video length is on the Impact Texas Drivers page.
Bring a parent, or bring the notarized application. Bring the school form or diploma if you did not show it for the learner license. The provisional page lists those papers.
Rules until you turn 18
- No more than one passenger under 21, unless that person is family.
- No driving from midnight to 5:00 a.m., except for work, a school activity, or an emergency.
- No cell phone, including hands-free, except in an emergency.
These limits are on the provisional page. The handbook says Phase Two lasts until your 18th birthday.
The provisional license ends on your 18th birthday. A Class C license for ages 18 to 84 costs $33 and is valid for eight years. Ages 18 to 24 must have finished an approved driver education course. The fee list and the handbook state the adult term and the course.
If you are under 18
A parent or guardian with custody signs your application under oath. If there is no guardian, an employer or a county judge may sign. The signer can ask DPS, in a sworn writing, to cancel the license before your 18th birthday. The handbook states that power.
You and the signer also acknowledge a notice on distracted driving and the zero-tolerance alcohol law. That acknowledgment is in the handbook.
Every license issued before age 21 is marked UNDER 21. The handbook says so.
The Graduated Driver License program has two phases. Phase One is the learner license and the six-month wait. Phase Two is the provisional license and the passenger, night, and phone limits. The handbook describes both phases.
School enrollment
The DPS teen page requires a diploma, a GED, or a VOE form. The VOE must show at least 90 percent attendance in the past semester, plus a school official's signature. It is valid for 30 days. From June through August, it is valid for 90 days. Those details are on the teen page.
The January 2026 handbook still says at least 80 days in the fall or spring semester. Where the handbook and the teen page differ, follow the teen page. Both are linked: the handbook and the teen page.
If you cannot get a VOE in summer and you are still enrolled, use your last report card. It must show your name, attendance, and grades. Or show 45 days in a high-school equivalency program. The teen page allows those substitutes.
Hardship license
A hardship license is for a teen who must drive for a listed family, school, or court reason. You must be at least 15 and not more than 18. A parent files form DL-77 with you, in person. You finish classroom and behind-the-wheel training, then pass vision, knowledge, and driving exams. The handbook states those gates.
The handbook lists the hardship fee as $6. That is a $5 license fee plus the $1 administrative fee. The figure is in the handbook Class C fee table.
All drivers under 18 are barred from a wireless device while driving, including hands-free use. An emergency is the exception. The handbook states that rule for every driver under 18.
Driving-test day
The driving exam comes after you pass the other exams and show insurance. The vehicle must match the class on your application. No one under 18 is exempt. You do not take this exam for a learner license. Those rules are in the handbook.
Finish Impact Texas Drivers first. Bring a certificate dated within 90 days. Do the video after your behind-the-wheel hours and before the exam. The Impact Texas Drivers page and the apply page say this.
Ages 15 to 17 in a parent-taught or minor course take the 2-hour teen video. Ages 18 to 24 who need adult driver education use the 1-hour adult video. Drivers 25 and older use that 1-hour video too. The videos do not replace the distracted-driving lesson in driver education. The ITD page sets those lengths.
You may test at a driver license office or with a third-party skills testing school. If a driver education school tests you, bring the results in a sealed envelope. Some schools send the packet online, and an approval can let you pay online and skip the office. See the handbook and the provisional page.
For an office test, bring current registration and insurance for the car. If you are not allowed to drive yet, a licensed driver must drive you there. That person also drives you away if you do not pass. The provisional page and the handbook require this.
Follow the specialist's instructions and do not chat. You fail if you break the law, refuse an instruction, drive dangerously, or crash. You also fail if more than 30 points are deducted. The handbook lists those failures.
You are graded on control, observation, positioning, and signaling. You may have to parallel park. A backup camera is allowed. Automated parking is not. You may have to stop quickly from about 20 mph without skidding. You may have to back up about 60 feet, slowly and straight. Those tasks are in the handbook.
The specialist goes over your errors at the end. If you pass, you get a temporary license. The handbook says you may use it for 45 days, or until the card arrives. DPS pages say the card usually comes by mail within 2-3 weeks. See the handbook and the apply page.
Practice the written test here
Free practice is real practice. Answers show where they come from. The test-like mode stays quiet on a right answer and explains every miss.