How to Get a Driver’s License in Texas at 17

To get a driver’s license in Texas at 17, you need to finish an approved driver education course, hold a Texas learner license for at least six months, bring the required documents and a parent or guardian to a Department of Public Safety appointment, pass the driving skills test, and pay a $16 fee. What you get is a provisional Class C license that expires on your 18th birthday and comes with a few restrictions until then.¹²

Finish Driver Education First

Every applicant under 18 has to complete an approved driver education course before taking the skills test. The course has a classroom portion, behind-the-wheel training with an instructor, and supervised practice hours logged with a parent.³

After you finish driver ed, you take the Impact Texas Teen Drivers program, a two-hour video course on distracted driving. You do this after your behind-the-wheel hours and before your driving test. The certificate it produces is good for 90 days. Miss that window and you’ll have to watch the video again and get a new certificate.⁴ Line up your DPS appointment inside the 90 days.

Hold Your Learner License for Six Months

You cannot take the driving skills test until you’ve held a Texas learner license for at least six months.¹ There is no way around it. If you got your learner permit at 16, you may already be past this by the time you turn 17. If you’re just starting at 17, you’ll be waiting until at least 17 and a half.

One thing to watch: a learner license expires on your 18th birthday, and different rules apply once you’re an adult. If your birthday will land inside the six-month window, talk to DPS before it does.⁵

What to Bring to Your Appointment

Missing documents send more teens home than any other problem. Pull this together before you leave the house.

Proof of Identity and Lawful Presence

You need to prove who you are and that you’re a U.S. citizen or have lawful immigration status. A U.S. passport, certified birth certificate, or permanent resident card each work as a primary identity document. If you don’t have a primary document, DPS accepts combinations of secondary and supporting documents.⁶⁷

Social Security Number

Your Social Security number goes on the application. Bringing your card is the simplest way to verify it, but other documents that show the number may be accepted.⁸ If you’ve lost the card, the Social Security Administration can issue a replacement, and a child requesting one still needs their own identity documents.⁹ Replacements don’t arrive overnight, so start early.

Texas Residency

Adults typically show two documents proving a Texas address. Most 17-year-olds don’t have utility bills in their name, so you can complete a Texas Residency Affidavit that uses a parent’s or guardian’s documentation instead.¹⁰

Verification of Enrollment

If you haven’t graduated or earned a GED, you need a Verification of Enrollment and Attendance form signed by a school official. During the school year the form is good for 30 days after it’s issued. Forms issued in the summer are good for 90 days. Homeschooled students still need a statement verifying enrollment.⁵¹¹ Request it close to your DPS date so it doesn’t expire before you get there.

The Right Application Form

If you’re younger than 17 years and 10 months at your appointment, the minor form is DL-14B. If you’re 17 years and 10 months or older, use the adult form, DL-14A.¹²¹³

Proof of Insurance

Bring proof of liability insurance on the car you’ll drive during the test. Texas minimums are $30,000 per person for bodily injury, $60,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage.¹⁴ If you’re using a parent’s car, the vehicle must be insured and you should be listed on the policy. Driving schools that supply a test car generally cover you on their policy.

A Parent or Guardian Has to Sign Off

A 17-year-old cannot handle this alone. A parent, legal guardian, or managing conservator either comes to the appointment with you or provides a notarized copy of the application they’ve already signed.¹ The only exception is legal emancipation. If your parent can’t be there in person, get the application notarized well before your appointment.

Your DPS Appointment and Skills Test

All driver license services at DPS require an appointment. Walk-ins are not accepted, and wait times for slots can stretch weeks at busy locations, especially in the summer. Book through the DPS website.¹⁵

Bring a vehicle for the driving skills test. The examiner does a quick safety check first, so make sure the lights, signals, and brakes all work. During the road test you’ll show basic maneuvers, including parallel parking, turning at intersections, and lane changes. The examiner is grading safe driving in real traffic, not perfection.

After you pass, DPS takes your photo, thumbprints, and signature.¹⁶ The provisional license fee is $16, and the license expires on your 18th birthday.² You leave with a temporary paper permit good immediately; the plastic card comes in the mail within a few weeks.

Restrictions Until You Turn 18

Texas puts limits on provisional license holders under 18. Know them before you get pulled over.

No driving between midnight and 5:00 a.m., unless you’re going to or from work, a school activity, or handling a medical emergency.
No more than one passenger under 21 who isn’t a family member.
No wireless device use while driving, including hands-free. This is stricter than the rule for adult drivers.

Violations can bring a traffic citation, and enough of them can lead to suspension. The restrictions lift on your 18th birthday.

What Changes at 18

The provisional license expires on your 18th birthday, and you’ll apply for a standard adult Class C license. The adult license costs $33 and is valid for eight years.² If you already hold a provisional license, you generally won’t retake the driving skills test. The curfew, passenger cap, and phone rule all go away.

If you’ll turn 18 before you’ve finished the six-month learner holding period, check with DPS before your birthday so you don’t end up unable to drive while the paperwork sorts itself out.p>

Costs Beyond the $16 Fee

The DPS fee is only part of what getting licensed at 17 actually costs. Driver education tuition varies by format: commercial driving schools in Texas commonly charge several hundred dollars, and online and parent-taught programs run less. Auto insurance is the other big line item. Being added to a parent’s policy is usually cheaper than buying your own, but teen driver rates are significantly higher than adult rates either way. Get quotes before you start, not after.

1
Texas Department of Public Safety. Texas Provisional License as a Teen
2
Department of Public Safety. Driver License Fees
3
Department of Public Safety. Choosing a Driver Education Course
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Department of Public Safety. Impact Texas Drivers (ITD) Program
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Department of Public Safety. Texas Learners License as a Teen
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Texas Department of Public Safety. U.S. Citizenship or Lawful Presence Requirement
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Department of Public Safety. Identification Requirements
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Department of Public Safety. Social Security Number (SSN)
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Social Security Administration. What Documents Are Required to Request a Replacement Social Security Number (SSN) Card for a Child?
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Department of Public Safety. Texas Residency Requirement for Driver Licenses and ID Cards
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Texas Department of Public Safety. Verification of Enrollment and Attendance
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Department of Public Safety. DPS Internet Forms
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Texas Department of Public Safety. Texas Driver License or Identification Card Application
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Texas Department of Insurance. Auto Insurance Guide
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Department of Public Safety. Driver License Services – Appointments
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Department of Public Safety. DPS Statement Regarding Driver License Fingerprinting Process