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Does my teen need drivers ed to get a license in Texas?

Yes, unless your teen already has a valid, unexpired license from another state. Anyone under 25 needs a drivers ed course. Your teen can take it at your public high school, if offered, or with a provider. You can teach it, if you qualify and apply to teach it. At 15, with enough classroom hours, your teen can apply for a learner license at the DPS office.

By State Cert GuideChecked against the sources listed below.Published · Updated Report a mistake

The rule, fact by fact

Course hours
24 hours in class and 44 hours driving with an instructorThat's the full course, which teens under 18 have to take.
Verified. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Do I Need Driver Ed? (opens state website) · checked Nov 12, 2026
Who needs it
Under 25: a driver education course is requiredThat holds unless your teen already has a valid, unexpired license from another state.
Same source and date as above
Starting age
14 for the classroom part, 15 to apply for a learner licenseThey also need enough classroom hours before they apply for it at the DPS driver license office.
Same source and date as above
Over 18
A 6-hour adult course is one of the optionsA student over 18 has more options. A 6-hour adult course is one of them.
Same source and date as above

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Check the rule first. TDLR's Do I need driver ed? page asks your teen's age and about a valid license from another state. Under 25 without an out-of-state license, it says a course is required.

  2. Step 2. Choose where your teen takes the course. TDLR lists a course at your public high school, if it's offered, a class with a provider, or parent-taught drivers ed. Use TDLR's provider search to find a provider. If you want to teach it yourself, start with TDLR's parent-taught page. You and your teen check that you qualify first, and then you apply for authorization to teach it.

  3. Step 3. Take the classroom part. Your teen can start it at 14, and must be at least 15 to apply for a learner license (the permit).

  4. Step 4. Apply for the learner license at the DPS driver license office once your teen has enough classroom hours.

  5. Step 5. Keep the course certificate. If it gets lost, ask the school your teen took the course with for a duplicate. For a parent-taught course, ask the provider that has the parent taught endorsement.

Before you pay

Look the provider up in TDLR's provider search before you pay.

Ask what the price covers, and whether the certificate or any form costs extra. We haven't confirmed a Texas rule on that yet.

Ask what happens with the certificate after the course, and whether it expires.

If your teen is under 18 and has no diploma or equivalent, they must show they're enrolled in school or in an equivalency program to apply for a learner license. The form needs a signature from someone at the school and is only good for a short window, so get it close to your DPS visit.

Questions

Can my teen take drivers ed online in Texas?

The classroom part can be. A provider with TDLR's online endorsement may apply to offer the 24-hour teen course online. The driving hours are in a car, so ask the provider who does the driving hours and what they cost.

Is there help paying for drivers ed?

For some families, yes. TDLR points to the Texas Workforce Commission's Driver Education Funding Program. It helps young people who were in foster care, persons experiencing homelessness, and victims or children of relationship violence pay for drivers ed classes.

Does my teen have to be in school?

Yes, if your teen is under 18 and has no high school diploma or equivalent. Texas requires them to be enrolled in school or in a high school equivalency program, and to prove attendance, to apply for a learner license or a provisional driver license. TDLR lists those rules on its school page.

What happens after the learner license?

After all the classroom and driving hours, your teen can test for a provisional license. A teen under 18 has to have held a valid learner license for at least six months first.

My teen just turned 18. Do the teen hours count?

Not toward the 6-hour adult course. Your teen can finish the full teen course, or take the full adult course. An applicant over 18 has more options, and we cover them on our adult drivers ed page.

My teen has a license from another state. Do they still need the course?

No, if the license is valid and unexpired. TDLR's page says no course is required. Every applicant under 18 still has to take the skills exam, the in-car driving test.

What to do next

Start with TDLR's page, then decide where your teen takes the course. If the applicant is over 18, read our adult drivers ed page instead.

www.tdlr.texas.gov

Sources we read