How to Fill Out the Texas DL-14B: Documents and Restrictions

The Texas DL-14B minor driver license application is the DPS form used by anyone under 17 years and 10 months old who is applying for a Texas driver license or ID card, including originals, renewals, replacements, and name or address changes.¹ A parent or legal guardian must sign the authorization section, the teen must have finished driver education before the DPS visit, and the fee for a new license is $16. Applicants who are 17 years and 10 months or older use the DL-14A instead.²

What Has to Be Done Before You Fill Out the Form

Texas will not issue a driver license to anyone under 25 who has not completed an approved driver education course. For a teen between 15 and 17, that means finishing the classroom portion — either a 6-hour concurrent course or a 24-hour block course — through a certified driving school, a parent-taught program, or a public school driver education program.³ The program issues a DE-964 or DEE-964 certificate that goes with you to the DPS office.

The second prerequisite is time. A teen has to hold a learner license for at least six months before qualifying for a provisional license that allows independent driving.³ If the learner license is suspended during that period, the six-month clock extends by the length of the suspension. The learner license itself expires on the teen’s 18th birthday.

Documents to Bring to the DPS Office

Missing a single document means rescheduling, so gather everything before the appointment.

Identity and Citizenship

The DPS uses a tiered system to verify identity and lawful presence:⁴

One primary document, such as a valid U.S. passport, a certificate of citizenship or naturalization, a permanent resident card, or an unexpired U.S. military ID with a photo.
Two secondary documents. An original or certified birth certificate from a U.S. state, territory, or Canadian province counts; laminated or photocopied birth certificates do not.
One secondary plus two supporting documents from the list available at the DPS office, if only one secondary is available.

Social Security Number

Every applicant provides a Social Security number on the form. Acceptable proof includes a Social Security card, a W-2, or a pay stub showing the number.⁵ An applicant who has never been issued an SSN completes Form DL-13 at the office instead.

Texas Residency

Two printed documents showing the applicant’s name and Texas residential address are required, and at least one must show the applicant has lived in Texas for at least 30 days.⁶ A current lease, mortgage statement, or utility bill dated within 180 days works. Electric, water, gas, internet, cable, and cell phone bills all qualify. Both documents can come from the same source if it’s a local government entity or a utility that issues separate statements for different services.

Driver Education Certificate and Insurance

Bring the DE-964 or DEE-964 from the driver education program. First-time applicants also need proof of insurance for any vehicle they own, or they sign a statement at the office affirming they do not own one.⁷ New residents surrendering an out-of-state license also need evidence of Texas vehicle registration.

Name Change Documentation

If the minor’s current legal name differs from the name on the birth certificate — because of a parent’s marriage, an adoption, or a court order — bring the supporting document, whether that’s a marriage license, adoption decree, or court-ordered name change.⁸

Filling Out the DL-14B

The DL-14B is available as a PDF on the DPS website or on paper at any driver license office. Use the exact name, date of birth, and address that appear on the supporting documents. Even a small mismatch can hold up the transaction.

Personal Information and Physical Description

The top section takes full legal name, date of birth, sex, and residential address. Below that, physical descriptors — height, weight, eye color, and hair color — go into the DPS record.¹ Eye and hair color are picked from fixed lists on the form (blue, brown, gray, hazel, green, black, maroon, or pink for eyes; black, red, gray, brown, blonde, bald, or white for hair).

Medical History Questions

Seven yes-or-no medical questions cover conditions that can affect safe driving:

General medical conditions that may impair driving ability
Mental health conditions with the same potential impact
Seizure history, including epilepsy, convulsions, or loss of consciousness
Insulin-treated diabetes
Alcohol or drug dependence, or episodes of substance abuse within the past two years
Other serious medical treatment within the past two years
Prior referral to the Texas Medical Advisory Board for Driver Licensing

A “yes” answer is not an automatic disqualification, but it can trigger additional review or require a physician to complete Form DL-101 before the license is issued.¹

Prior License History

One question asks whether the applicant’s driver license or driving privilege has ever been suspended, revoked, canceled, denied, or disqualified in any state. If yes, write the state, approximate date, and reason.¹ Answering dishonestly when DPS records show otherwise is where applications run into trouble.

Organ Donor and Voter Registration

A voluntary option adds the applicant to the Donate Life Texas Registry as an organ, eye, and tissue donor; selecting yes puts the Hero’s Heart symbol on the card.¹ Federal law also makes every state motor vehicle application a chance to register to vote.⁹ Minor applicants who are U.S. citizens and at least 17 years and 10 months old may be able to pre-register depending on the county. Declining is confidential.

The Parental Authorization Section

This is the section that separates the DL-14B from the adult form. A parent or legal guardian with custody signs and indicates their relationship to the minor — child, stepchild, or ward — and specifies the license class being authorized (Class A, B, C, or M).¹

Signing does more than authorize a single transaction. It grants the DPS access to the minor’s school enrollment records through the Texas Education Agency and authorizes school administrators or law enforcement to notify the DPS if the minor is absent for 20 or more consecutive instructional days. The authorization carries forward to renewals and replacements until the minor turns 18, unless the parent formally rescinds it.

Both the minor and the parent must also sign a separate acknowledgment that they received educational materials on distracted driving, driving while intoxicated, underage drinking and driving, and Texas implied consent law. Without that acknowledgment, the DPS will not issue the license or permit.¹

A minor can skip the parental section only in narrow situations: with a marriage certificate, divorce decree, other evidence of a current or prior marriage, or a court order removing the disabilities of minority.

The DPS Appointment

All DPS driver license offices operate by appointment only.¹⁰ Book through the DPS website in advance. A self-service kiosk in the lobby can schedule same-day or future slots if any are open. Summer and back-to-school weeks fill fast.

The parent or guardian who signed should plan to attend, since the DPS may need to verify their identity and signature in person. After a specialist reviews the form and documents, the visit moves through:

Biometrics: thumbprints (or index fingerprints when thumbprints cannot be taken) and a digital photograph.¹¹
Vision exam: 20/40 or better in each eye passes without restrictions. Scores between 20/50 and 20/70 can lead to restrictions such as corrective lenses or daytime-only driving. Worse than 20/70 in the best eye is a fail.¹²
Knowledge and driving skills tests, taken at the DPS office or through an approved third-party provider.¹³
Fee payment: $16 for a new license for someone under 18, which expires on the applicant’s 18th birthday. A replacement is $11.¹⁴

Temporary Permit and the Mailed Card

The DPS issues a temporary paper driver license at the end of the visit. It is valid for 60 days and serves as the legal driving document while the plastic card is printed and mailed to the residential address.¹⁵ Keep it in the vehicle when driving. If the permanent card has not arrived as the 60 days run out, contact the DPS Customer Service Center to check status or request a reprint.

Restrictions the Teen Will Drive Under

The license issued through the DL-14B process is a provisional license. Three restrictions stay in place until the driver turns 18:¹⁶

No more than one passenger under 21 who is not a family member.
No driving between midnight and 5:00 a.m., except to or from work, a school activity, or in response to an emergency.
No cell phone use while driving, including hands-free devices, except for an emergency call.

These restrictions drop off automatically at 18. A violation can bring a traffic citation and may extend the provisional period.

1
Texas Department of Public Safety. DL-14B Texas Driver License or Identification Card Application
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Texas Department of Public Safety. DL-14A Texas Driver License or Identification Card Application
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Department of Public Safety. Texas Learners License as a Teen
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Department of Public Safety. Identification Requirements
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Department of Public Safety. Social Security Number (SSN)
6
Department of Public Safety. Texas Residency Requirement for Driver Licenses and ID Cards
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Texas Department of Public Safety. Texas Driver License and Identification Card Document Requirements
8
Texas State Law Library. Marriage in Texas – Name Change After Marriage
9
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 52 USC 20504: Simultaneous Application for Voter Registration and Application for Motor Vehicle Drivers License
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Department of Public Safety. Driver License Services – Appointments
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Texas Statutes. Texas Transportation Code 521142 – Application for Original License
12
Cornell Law Institute. 37 Texas Admin Code 15.51 – Vision Tests
13
Department of Public Safety. Apply for a Texas Driver License
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Department of Public Safety. Driver License Fees
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Department of Public Safety. Section 3: Issuing A Temporary Permit
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Department of Public Safety. Texas Provisional License as a Teen