How to Fill Out Texas Form DL-14B for Minors: Consent and Documents

Texas Form DL-14B for minors is the Department of Public Safety application a parent and teen complete together when the applicant is under 17 years and 10 months old and wants a driver license or state ID card.¹ You can download the PDF from the DPS website or pick up a paper copy at any driver license office.² Getting each section right the first time — and bringing the right documents — is what keeps a single DPS visit from becoming two or three.

Who Uses This Form

The DL-14B is specifically for minors. Applicants 17 years and 10 months or older use the DL-14A instead. If you fill out the wrong version, the office will send you back to start over, so check the age cutoff before you begin.

The form covers original applications for a Class A, B, or C driver license, a state identification card, a renewal, or a replacement of an existing credential.² It also handles name and address changes. The minor version includes a parental consent section and ties into school enrollment verification, neither of which appears on the adult form.

Information the Teen Fills In

The applicant enters their full legal name, residential address, mailing address, and county of residence, along with physical descriptors like height and eye color that will print on the card.²

A medical history section asks whether the applicant has any condition that could affect safe driving, including epilepsy, vision loss, or psychiatric disorders. It also asks about prior referrals to the Texas Medical Advisory Board and whether the applicant has ever held a license in another state or country. Skipping one of these or answering inaccurately can delay the application, and it can do more than that: providing false information or concealing a material fact on the form is a Class A misdemeanor under Texas Transportation Code 521.451, carrying up to a year in jail and a fine up to $4,000.³ The medical questions and the insurance affidavit fall under that rule.

If the teen owns a vehicle, the form requires an insurance affidavit confirming financial responsibility coverage and evidence of Texas vehicle registration.² Applicants who don’t own a vehicle sign a statement to that effect on the form.

Two optional sections appear on every application. One offers registration with the Donate Life Texas organ donor registry. The other offers voter registration, which federal law requires state motor vehicle agencies to provide during any license transaction.⁴ A Selective Service option appears for males between 18 and 25, though most DL-14B applicants are younger than that.

The Parental Consent Section

Texas law requires a parent, legal guardian, or other qualifying adult to co-sign the DL-14B before a minor can receive a driver license.² By signing, the adult swears they have legal custody of the applicant and authorizes DPS to issue the license. That authorization stays in effect for renewals and replacements until the teen turns 18, unless the co-signer formally rescinds it. A parent who wants to pull that authorization later can do so, and DPS will act on the request.

The co-signer grants two additional permissions in the same section. They allow DPS to access the teen’s school enrollment records through the Texas Education Agency, and they authorize school administrators or law enforcement to notify DPS if the teen is absent for 20 or more consecutive school days. Both the minor and the co-signer must also acknowledge receiving educational materials about distracted driving, DWI laws, and implied consent before any license or permit can be issued.

There is a narrow exception to the co-signer requirement. A minor who is married, has been married, or has had the disabilities of minority removed by court order can sign on their own behalf, provided they present the marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order at the DPS office.

Documents to Bring to the Appointment

The DL-15 checklist, published alongside the DL-14B, spells out exactly what qualifies in each document category.⁵ Every document must be an original or a copy certified by the issuing agency. Photocopies and laminated documents are not accepted.

U.S. citizenship or lawful presence: one document such as a birth certificate, U.S. passport, or permanent resident card. Non-citizens have their lawful presence verified through the Department of Homeland Security at the DPS office before a license can be issued.⁶
Texas residency: two documents from different sources showing the applicant’s name and Texas residential address. Utility bills, mortgage statements, and lease agreements qualify. Both documents cannot come from the same provider.
Identity: one primary photo ID from a government agency showing full name and date of birth, such as a previous Texas license or U.S. military ID. Applicants without a primary document can substitute two secondary documents, or one secondary plus two supporting documents.
Social Security number: a Social Security card, W-2, or other document displaying the SSN.
Vehicle insurance and registration: proof of insurance and Texas vehicle registration for each vehicle the applicant owns; a signed statement on the form suffices if the teen owns no vehicle.

If the name on any document doesn’t match the applicant’s current legal name, bring paperwork linking the two, such as a marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court-ordered name change document. This comes up more often than parents expect with minors whose parents have remarried.

School Enrollment Verification

Minors under 18 who haven’t graduated from high school or earned a GED must submit a Verification of Enrollment and Attendance form, commonly called the VOE.⁷ The teen’s school issues it, whether public, private, charter, or home school.

The attendance threshold is set by statute: the applicant must have attended school for at least 80 days in the preceding fall or spring semester. A student enrolled in a GED program for at least 45 days and still enrolled on the application date also qualifies.⁸ Some schools take time to issue VOE forms, so request one well before the DPS appointment. A missing VOE is one of the most common reasons teens get turned away at the office.

Driver Education Requirements

The DL-14B is one piece of a graduated licensing process, and DPS won’t issue a license without proof the teen has completed the required training.

A teen can apply for a learner license starting at age 15, after completing the required classroom hours of an approved driver education course: 6 hours in a concurrent format or 24 hours in a block format.⁹ The learner license must be held for at least six months before the teen can upgrade to a provisional license, unless they turn 18 in that window. During the learner period, the teen must complete 30 hours of supervised behind-the-wheel practice, with at least 10 of those hours at night, logged and signed by the supervising adult.

Before the driving skills test, every minor applicant must also complete the Impact Texas Teen Drivers program, a two-hour online video course focused on distracted driving.¹⁰ The completion certificate is valid for 90 days. Print it and bring it to the driving test appointment; DPS will not administer the skills test without it.

The provisional license itself becomes available once the teen has held a learner license for six months, completed the education and practice requirements, passed the written knowledge and driving skills tests, reached age 16, and met the school enrollment requirement.¹¹

Submitting the Application

DPS driver license offices operate by appointment only. Schedule the visit through the DPS online appointment system.¹² Walk-ins can use a self-service kiosk in the office to book, but same-day slots fill quickly. A limited number of additional appointments are released throughout each day and can be scheduled online.

At the appointment the teen has their photo and fingerprint taken and completes a vision screening. If the visit is for a provisional license rather than a learner permit, the written knowledge test and driving skills test are also administered. The application fee for a new driver license for someone under 18 is $16.¹³ DPS accepts credit cards, cash, checks, and money orders. When everything checks out, the office issues a temporary paper receipt that serves as a valid credential until the permanent card arrives in the mail, typically within two to three weeks.

Restrictions on the Provisional License

The license the teen receives comes with restrictions that stay in place until they turn 18:¹¹

No more than one passenger under 21 in the vehicle at a time, unless the passenger is a family member.
No driving between midnight and 5:00 a.m., unless traveling to or from work, a school activity, or a medical emergency.
No cell phone use while driving, including hands-free devices, except for an emergency call.

Violations can lead to license suspension. The co-signing parent can also ask DPS to revoke the license at any time by rescinding their authorization on the original DL-14B.

1
Texas Department of Public Safety. DPS Internet Forms
2
Texas Department of Public Safety. Texas Driver License or Identification Card Application
3
State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 521.451
4
Department of Justice. The National Voter Registration Act Of 1993 (NVRA)
5
Texas Department of Public Safety. Texas Driver License or Identification Card Application Requirements
6
Department of Public Safety. U.S. Citizenship or Lawful Presence Requirement
7
Texas Department of Public Safety. Verification of Enrollment and Attendance (VOE) Form
8
State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 521.204
9
Department of Public Safety. Texas Learners License as a Teen
10
Department of Public Safety. Impact Texas Drivers (ITD) Program
11
Department of Public Safety. Texas Provisional License as a Teen
12
Department of Public Safety. Driver License Services – Appointments
13
Department of Public Safety. Driver License Fees