In Texas, you can get behind the wheel with a Learner License at 15, upgrade to a Provisional License at 16, and hold a full, unrestricted Class C driver’s license at 18. Each stage has its own prerequisites and its own limits on when and with whom you can drive. Adults who never went through the teen stages can skip straight to a full license at 18 or older.
Starting at 15 With a Learner License
A Learner License lets a 15-year-old practice driving under supervision. Before you apply, you have to finish the classroom portion of a driver education program, and you need a high school diploma, GED, or a Verification of Enrollment and Attendance form showing you’re in school.1Department of Public Safety. Texas Learners License as a Teen
The restrictions are strict. A licensed driver who is at least 21 has to sit in the front passenger seat any time you’re driving. Cell phone use is banned entirely while you drive, hands-free included, unless you’re calling about an emergency.1Department of Public Safety. Texas Learners License as a Teen
You must hold the Learner License for at least six months before moving up. If your license gets suspended during that stretch, the suspension days are added to the six-month requirement, so you wait longer. The Learner License expires on your 18th birthday. The application fee is $16.2Department of Public Safety. Driver License Fees
Moving Up to a Provisional License at 16
Once you’ve held the Learner License for six months and turned 16, you can apply for a Provisional License. This is when most teens start driving on their own. By this point you need to have finished the behind-the-wheel portion of driver education: 7 hours of in-car observation, 7 hours of driving with an instructor, and 30 hours of practice driving with a licensed adult 21 or older, with at least 10 of those hours at night.3Department of Public Safety. Texas Provisional License as a Teen
One more step before the driving skills test: the Impact Texas Teen Drivers (ITTD) program. The completion certificate is only valid for 90 days, so don’t finish it too early. Miss that window and you’ll retake ITTD before you can test again.4Impact Texas Teen Drivers. FAQs
Provisional License holders face two headline rules. No driving between midnight and 5:00 a.m., unless you’re going to or from work, a school activity, or handling an emergency. And no more than one passenger under 21 who isn’t a family member.3Department of Public Safety. Texas Provisional License as a Teen
Full Class C License at 18
At 18, the curfew and passenger limits drop off and you qualify for a full Class C license. That covers most personal vehicles, including cars, pickups, vans, and SUVs, as long as the gross weight rating stays under 26,001 pounds and there are no more than 23 passengers counting the driver.5Department of Public Safety. Classes of Driver Licenses
The standard license for ages 18 through 84 costs $33 and is valid for eight years. At 85 or older, the fee drops to $9 and the license lasts two years.2Department of Public Safety. Driver License Fees
Applying as an Adult for the First Time
If you’re 18 or older and never went through the teen stages, you don’t have to start with a learner permit. You can apply directly for a full Class C license at any DPS office.6Department of Public Safety. Apply for a Texas Driver License
Driver education depends on your age. Applicants between 18 and 24 must complete a 6-hour adult driver education course before testing.7Department of Public Safety. Choosing a Driver Education Course At 25 or older, no driver education is required.8State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 521.1601 – Driver Education Required; Exception If you’re transferring a valid, unexpired license from another state, the driver education requirement is waived regardless of your age.6Department of Public Safety. Apply for a Texas Driver License
Every applicant taking a driving skills test, adults included, has to complete the appropriate Impact Texas Drivers program and bring the certificate, dated within 90 days of the test.4Impact Texas Teen Drivers. FAQs
Fees by Stage
All fees below include a $1 administrative fee that’s waived for transactions handled by mail.2Department of Public Safety. Driver License Fees
- Learner License, under 18: $16. Expires on your 18th birthday.
- Driver license, under 18: $16. Also expires on your 18th birthday.
- Driver license, ages 18 through 84: $33. Valid for eight years.
- Driver license, 85 and older: $9. Valid for two years.
Losing the License Along the Way
Tickets can undo any of this. Texas DPS can suspend your license if you’re convicted of four or more moving violations within 12 months, or seven or more within 24 months. Getting caught twice violating a restriction printed on your license, such as the Provisional License curfew, can also trigger a suspension.9Department of Public Safety. Traffic Offenses
For Learner License holders the effect compounds. The six-month holding period extends by the number of days the license was suspended, so a suspension pushes back when you can move up to a Provisional License.1Department of Public Safety. Texas Learners License as a Teen