To meet Texas driver’s license requirements, you need to prove your identity and lawful presence, provide a Social Security number, show two documents establishing Texas residency, complete any driver education required for your age, and pass a vision screening, a written knowledge exam, and a road test at a Department of Public Safety office. The standard fee is $33, and the license is valid for eight years.1Texas Department of Public Safety. Driver License Fees
Documents to Bring to Your Appointment
DPS publishes a checklist called the DL-15 that lists every document you need before walking into the office.2Texas Department of Public Safety. What to Bring When Applying for a Texas Driver License or Identification Card Missing one item means a wasted trip. Gather everything before you schedule.
Identity and Lawful Presence
Bring one primary document proving who you are and that you are lawfully in the United States. A U.S. passport, a certified birth certificate, a certificate of citizenship, or a permanent resident card all work. Non-citizens must present documentation from the appropriate federal agency authorizing their presence.3State of Texas. Texas Code Transportation Code 521.142 – Application for Original License
Social Security Number
Every applicant must provide a Social Security number or prove ineligibility for one. Your Social Security card is the simplest proof. DPS also accepts certain federal documents that display the number, such as a W-2 or SSA-1099.3State of Texas. Texas Code Transportation Code 521.142 – Application for Original License
Two Proofs of Texas Residency
You need two separate printed documents showing your name and Texas residential address, and they cannot come from the same source. A water bill and a gas bill from the same utility company would not count as two.
Acceptable items include utility or service statements, bank statements, government mail, a preprinted paycheck, a mortgage statement, a lease agreement, or a valid Texas voter registration card. Most must be dated within 180 days of your application.4Texas Department of Public Safety. Texas Residency Requirement for Driver Licenses and ID Cards
Vehicle Registration and Insurance
If you own a motor vehicle, bring proof of Texas vehicle registration and a current insurance policy or card for each vehicle. If you do not own a vehicle, these are not required.2Texas Department of Public Safety. What to Bring When Applying for a Texas Driver License or Identification Card
The Application Form
Adults 17 years and 10 months or older complete Form DL-14A, the standard driver license application.5Texas Department of Public Safety. Texas Driver License or Identification Card Application It asks for physical descriptors, medical history, previous driving records, and any prior suspensions or revocations. Download it and fill it in before your appointment.
Applicants under 18 also need written permission from a parent or guardian, plus a high school diploma, GED, or a Verification of Enrollment and Attendance form showing current school attendance.6State of Texas. Texas Code Transportation Code 521.204 – Restrictions on Minor
Driver Education by Age
What you must complete before testing depends entirely on how old you are.
Ages 15 to 17
Teens start with a learner license after beginning an approved teen driver education program. The classroom portion totals 24 hours, taken either concurrently with driving practice or as a single block before the learner permit is issued.7Texas Department of Public Safety. Choosing a Driver Education Course You must hold the learner license for at least six months before applying for a provisional license, and you cannot receive the provisional license until you turn 16. If the learner license is suspended, the six-month clock extends by the length of the suspension.6State of Texas. Texas Code Transportation Code 521.204 – Restrictions on Minor
Ages 18 to 24
You skip the learner license but must complete a six-hour adult driver education course from a state-approved provider before the skills test. Your provider issues a certificate of completion (form ADE-1317) at the end.7Texas Department of Public Safety. Choosing a Driver Education Course
Ages 25 and Older
No formal driver education course is required. DPS recommends one if you have limited experience, but you can go straight to testing.
Impact Texas Drivers Video
Every applicant 18 and older must complete an Impact Texas Drivers video program before the driving skills exam. Applicants 18 to 24 take the one-hour Impact Texas Adult Drivers (ITAD) version; those 25 and older can take ITAD or the longer teen version. Teens under 18 complete the two-hour Impact Texas Teen Drivers (ITTD) video as part of driver education.8Texas Department of Public Safety. Impact Texas Drivers (ITD) Program
The completion certificate is valid for only 90 days. Miss that window and you retake the entire video before you can test again.9Texas Department of Public Safety. Impact Texas Adult Drivers FAQs
What Happens at the DPS Office
Scheduling
All DPS driver license services are by appointment. Book through the Texas DPS online scheduler up to 180 days in advance.10Texas Department of Public Safety. Driver License Services – Appointments Walk-ins can try a self-service kiosk for same-day openings, but nothing is guaranteed and metro offices fill fast.
Vision Screening
A staff member screens your vision. You need at least 20/40 acuity in each eye and both eyes together to pass without restrictions. Vision between 20/50 and 20/70 with correction may result in a restricted license; worse than 20/70 in both eyes with best correction is a failure.11Legal Information Institute. 37 Texas Admin Code 15.51 – Vision Tests
Written Knowledge Test
The knowledge exam covers Texas traffic signs, road rules, and right-of-way laws. It is multiple choice, and you need at least 70% to pass. Study the Texas Driver Handbook. Nearly everything on the exam comes from it.
Driving Skills Test
Bring your own vehicle with valid registration, current insurance, and working safety equipment. The examiner rides along while you demonstrate turns, lane changes, parking, and general control in real traffic. Pass, and you leave with a temporary paper license you can use immediately. The permanent card arrives by mail in two to three weeks.12Texas Department of Public Safety. Apply for a Texas Driver License
REAL ID or Standard License
Since May 7, 2025, you need a REAL ID-compliant license, or another accepted federal document like a passport, to board domestic flights and enter federal buildings. A REAL ID-compliant Texas license shows a gold star in the upper right corner.13Texas.gov. Texas REAL ID
The documents needed overlap with the standard license: a certified birth certificate or unexpired passport, a Social Security card, and proof of Texas residency. If your name has changed since your birth certificate was issued, bring legal proof of every name change in the chain, such as a marriage certificate or court order. Bring those to your appointment and DPS issues the REAL ID version at no extra cost.13Texas.gov. Texas REAL ID
You can still choose a standard license, but it will not work for domestic air travel or federal facility access. You would carry a passport or military ID for those purposes instead.14USAGov. How to Get a REAL ID and Use It for Travel
Fees and How Long the License Lasts
The application fee for a new license is $33 for applicants ages 18 to 84.1Texas Department of Public Safety. Driver License Fees That fee covers an eight-year license. Your license expires on your first birthday after the eighth anniversary of the application date, so the actual duration falls between just over seven and just under eight years.15Texas Department of Public Safety. Driver License Provisional and learner licenses issued to minors expire on the holder’s 18th birthday no matter when they were issued.
Restrictions for Drivers Under 18
Passing the road test as a 16- or 17-year-old produces a provisional license, not a full unrestricted one. Two limits apply during the first year with the license or until you turn 18, whichever comes first.
- No driving between midnight and 5:00 a.m. unless you are traveling to or from work, a school-related activity, or responding to an emergency.16Texas Department of Public Safety. Texas Provisional License as a Teen
- No more than one passenger under 21 who is not a family member. Siblings, parents, and other relatives in your household do not count against this limit.16Texas Department of Public Safety. Texas Provisional License as a Teen
These restrictions lift automatically at 18, and the provisional license converts to a standard Class C without additional testing.
Moving to Texas With an Out-of-State License
New residents can drive on a valid out-of-state license for up to 90 days. Before that window closes, visit a DPS office in person to apply for a Texas license. Bring the same identity, Social Security, and residency documents, plus your current out-of-state license to surrender. Vehicle owners must also show Texas vehicle registration and proof of insurance for each vehicle.2Texas Department of Public Safety. What to Bring When Applying for a Texas Driver License or Identification Card DPS may waive the driving skills test if you hold a valid license from another U.S. state. The knowledge test and vision screening still apply.