Form DIC-37: Texas Occupational Driver’s License Petition and Hearing

Texas Form DIC-37 is the petition you file with a court to ask for an occupational driver’s license after your regular license has been suspended, revoked, or canceled. A judge reviews what you submit, and if the petition is granted, signs an order directing the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to issue a restricted license that lets you drive a non-commercial vehicle for work, school, and essential household duties. To get there, you fill out the petition, attach two supporting documents, file it in the right court, appear for a hearing, and then mail the signed order and fees to DPS.

Confirm You’re Eligible Before You Start

You can petition for an occupational license if your driving privileges were suspended, revoked, or canceled for a reason other than a physical or mental disability.¹ The same is true if you have never held a Texas license but are blocked from getting one because of a pending suspension order, including administrative license revocations under Chapters 524 or 724, and if you hold an out-of-state license suspended for a non-medical reason.

DPS will not issue an occupational license at all in three situations: the license would be used for a commercial motor vehicle, the suspension comes from a medical advisory board finding that you cannot drive safely, or the license was revoked for delinquent child support.² If any of those fit your situation, the DIC-37 will not help you.

Alcohol- and drug-related suspensions carry a waiting period before the court’s order can take effect: 90 days if you had a prior alcohol- or drug-related suspension in the last five years, 180 days after one prior DWI, intoxication assault, or intoxication manslaughter conviction, and 365 days after two or more. You can file the petition before the waiting period ends, but the order itself cannot take effect until it does.

Filling Out the Petition

The DIC-37 is available from county clerk offices, and several counties post their own versions with local instructions attached.³ The DPS occupational license page also links to general instructions.²

The petition asks for your full legal name, date of birth, the last four digits of your Social Security number, and your Texas driver’s license number, or a note that you have never held one.⁴ You state the date your license was suspended and the reason, such as a DWI conviction, an administrative license revocation, or accumulated traffic violations.

The essential-need section is where petitions succeed or fail. Texas defines essential need as driving to your job or commuting, driving for education, or driving to perform necessary household duties like grocery shopping and taking family members to medical appointments. Be specific. List your employer’s name and address, your work hours, any schools you attend, and the regular errands you handle. The judge builds the exact days, hours, and travel areas of your order from this information, and vague answers produce vague, restrictive orders.

Signing and Verifying

The petition must be verified, meaning you swear or affirm the information is true. Some courts require you to sign in front of a notary.⁵ Others accept an unsworn declaration under penalty of perjury, which needs no notary.⁴ Call the clerk of the court where you plan to file before you sign, so you know which applies.

Documents to Attach

Two documents go with the petition.

The first is an SR-22 certificate, a Financial Responsibility Insurance Certificate proving you carry at least Texas’s minimum liability coverage. Not every insurer files SR-22s, so call your provider first; if they don’t, you’ll need a high-risk carrier that does.⁶ Premiums typically rise once the SR-22 is on file.

The second is a Type AR driving record, a certified abstract of your full driving history including every suspension. Order it through the DPS online portal or by mail for $20.⁷ The court uses it to see what triggered your suspension and whether any waiting period applies.

Before filing, check your reinstatement balance at texas.gov/licenseeligibility. The portal shows every outstanding fee and suspension action, so you know what you’ll owe DPS after the hearing.

Where to File

You can file the DIC-37 in a Justice of the Peace court, a county court, or a district court.² If your license was automatically suspended after a criminal conviction, file in the same court that convicted you. Otherwise, file in any court with jurisdiction in the county where you live or where the triggering offense occurred.⁸

Filing fees vary by court and county, with Justice of the Peace courts generally the cheapest. Call the clerk’s office for the exact amount and accepted payment methods; many courts require a money order or cashier’s check.

The Hearing and the Judge’s Order

After you file, the court sets a hearing date. Some courts move quickly; others take a few weeks. The judge reviews the petition, your driving record, and the SR-22, then decides whether to sign an order granting the license.

The default limit is four hours of driving in any 24-hour period. If you can show you need more, the judge can allow up to 12 hours.⁹ The order also lists the days of the week you may drive, the reasons, and the specific areas or routes. A realistic schedule matched to your actual routine is more likely to be approved than a padded request.

Ignition Interlock

If your suspension comes from a DWI or another intoxication offense under Penal Code Sections 49.04 through 49.08, the judge is generally required to restrict you to a vehicle with an ignition interlock device.¹⁰ The court can waive the requirement if it finds the device unnecessary for community safety and a waiver in the interest of justice, but waivers are not the norm. You pay for the device, though the court can set a payment plan. Budget roughly $70 to $105 per month for the lease and monitoring.

One trade-off works in your favor: if the court orders an interlock, the usual restrictions on time of day, reason for travel, and route do not apply.⁹ The interlock replaces the scheduling limits. The judge may also order periodic alcohol or drug testing, dependence counseling, or supervised compliance monitoring as additional conditions.

Sending the Package to DPS

A signed court order alone does not get you the license card. You still have to send the full package to DPS in one envelope:¹¹

A certified copy of the petition and the signed, stamped court order. The order must state the allowable hours and counties.
Your SR-22 certificate.
All reinstatement fees by check or money order. Common amounts are $100 for departmental, safety responsibility, or education program suspensions and $125 for administrative license revocation suspensions.¹²
A separate $10 occupational license fee by check or money order with “CCR Code 0074” written on it.¹³

Every document must show your full name, date of birth, and driver’s license number. Mail everything to:

Texas Department of Public Safety
ATTN: CCR
PO Box 15999
Austin, TX 78761-5999¹¹

Driving Before the Card Arrives

You don’t have to wait for the plastic card. The signed court order works as a temporary license for up to 45 days from the date the judge signed it.² Keep a certified copy in your vehicle. If you are pulled over, the order is your proof that you are driving within the restrictions.

Once DPS processes your submission, the plastic occupational license card arrives by mail with your specific restrictions printed on it. It is typically issued for one year, though the court can authorize up to two years.² The license remains valid until your underlying suspension period ends, at which point you can apply to reinstate your regular license. If your circumstances change in the meantime, the court can modify the order — adjusting hours, routes, or counties — without a new filing fee.⁹

1
State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code Section 521.242 – Eligibility
2
Department of Public Safety. Occupational Driver License
3
Tom Green County. Instructions for Occupational Driver’s License
4
Travis County Law Library. Petition for Occupational Driver’s License
5
Delta County Texas. Procedures for Occupational Driver’s License
6
Texas Department of Public Safety. Financial Responsibility Insurance Certificate (SR-22)
7
Department of Public Safety. How to Order a Driver Record
8
Texas State Law Library. Occupational Driver’s License
9
State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code Section 521.248 – Order Granting License
10
State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code Section 521.246 – Ignition Interlock Device Requirement
11
Department of Public Safety. Section 12 – Occupational License
12
Department of Public Safety. Section 7 – Reinstatement Fees and Special Licenses
13
Texas Comptroller Manual of Accounts. Revenue Object 3025 – Driver’s License Fees