Who can get a learner license
In Texas, licenses are issued by the Department of Public Safety (DPS), not a DMV. The learner license, also called an instruction permit, is the first phase of the Graduated Driver License program for teens. DPS lists the requirement as being between 15 and 17 years of age, and the handbook adds that the license expires on your 18th birthday.
Adults work differently: someone 18 or older who wants to practice is issued a Class C license with the same restrictions as a learner license, costing $32 plus a $1 administrative fee. We cover that at the end.
For the knowledge test content and study tips, see our Texas permit practice test page. This guide is the paperwork side.
Step 1: driver education (the classroom part)
Every first-time applicant under 25 must take driver education, according to TDLR. For teens it is the full course: 24 hours of classroom instruction and 44 hours of in-car driving with an instructor. You can take it at a public high school that offers it, with a certified driving school (in class or online), or as parent-taught driver education.
You may start the classroom part at 14, but you cannot apply for the learner license before 15. When you can apply depends on the classroom method you choose (DPS):
| Method | Classroom hours before the knowledge exam | Then |
|---|---|---|
| Concurrent | The first 6 hours | Finish the remaining 18 hours while you practice with your learner license |
| Block | All 24 hours | Get the learner license once the classroom part is complete |
Your course provider issues the driver education certificate that DPS asks for: the DE-964 or DEE-964 for driving schools and parent-taught courses, or the DE-964E for public schools (DPS).
Step 2: the knowledge exam
You must score 70 percent or better to pass any knowledge exam. DPS and the handbook do not publish the number of questions or a time limit, so we do not state one.
Where you take it matters. The handbook says that after completing certain driver education courses you are not required to take the Class C knowledge exam at the driver license office. If you did not take it during the classroom portion, DPS says you take it at the office, and you bring evidence of passing if you took it with your course.
Step 3: the VOE form (or a diploma)
This is the document teens most often forget. You must bring a high school diploma, a GED, or a completed Verification of Enrollment and Attendance (VOE) form signed by a school official (DPS).
- Attendance: DPS's teen page describes the requirement as being enrolled in a public, private or home school with at least 90% attendance in the past semester. The handbook words it as having attended for at least 80 days in the preceding fall or spring semester. Either way, it is your school that completes and signs the form.
- Validity: a VOE is valid for 30 days from issuance, or 90 days when issued between June and August. Ask for it close to your appointment.
- No VOE available? DPS accepts your last report card (name, attendance and grades) if you apply in the summer and are still enrolled, or proof of active enrollment in a high school equivalency preparation program for the last 45 days (DPS).
Step 4: the DPS appointment
All in-office services are by appointment, and DPS recommends its REAL ID Document Check tool to build your personal document list (Apply for a Texas Driver License). For a learner license, the teen page says to bring:
- A parent or legal guardian, or a notarized application signed by them, or evidence that parental authorization is waived (for example if you are emancipated).
- The completed application, available online or at the office.
- Proof of identity, proof of Texas residency, your Social Security number (verified electronically) and, if you are not a U.S. citizen, proof of lawful presence.
- Your driver education certificate showing classroom completion.
- Evidence of passing the knowledge exam, if you took it with your course.
- Your VOE form, diploma or GED.
At the office you give your signature and thumbprints, have your photo taken, pay the fee and pass a vision exam. You leave with a temporary permit and can drive with it right away; the card usually arrives by mail within 2 to 3 weeks.
Fees
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Learner license, under 18 | $16, including a $1 administrative fee |
| Class C license, age 18 to 84 | $33, valid eight years |
Offices accept credit cards, cash, checks, money orders and tap-to-pay. Fees are paid before any exam is given. Driver education is a separate cost set by your provider.
If you fail an exam
If you do not pass the knowledge and driving exams on your first attempt, your application is held for 90 days. After 90 days, or after three failed exams, you need a new application and a new fee.
The rules while you hold it
From the handbook and the DPS teen page:
- A licensed driver at least 21 with at least one year of driving experience must sit in the seat beside you, and must not be intoxicated, asleep or doing anything that stops them watching and responding to your driving.
- No cell phone use at all, hands-free included, except in an emergency.
- Hold the learner license for at least six months before the provisional license (unless you turn 18). Any suspension adds its number of days to that period.
- Zero tolerance: any detectable amount of alcohol while driving is the criminal offense of Driving under the Influence of Alcohol by a Minor for anyone under 21.
- A tobacco conviction under 18 requires an approved tobacco awareness program; not finishing it within 90 days can lead to suspension of the learner license.
If you are 18 or older
You do not get a teen learner license. Instead (DPS and TDLR):
- From 18 to 24, you need driver education: a 6-hour adult course, or the full 24-hour course or a parent-taught course. With the 24-hour course, some testing may be done with your provider rather than at DPS.
- From 25, driver education is not required.
- New residents 18 or older who surrender a valid, unexpired out-of-state license are exempt from driver education.
- If you want to practice before the driving test, you are issued a Class C license with learner restrictions (handbook).
When your paperwork is ready, practice for the knowledge exam with our original Texas practice questions, written from the January 2026 handbook. They are not DPS questions.
Sources
- Texas Learners License as a Teen — Texas Department of Public Safety (checked September 30, 2026)
- Choosing a Driver Education Course — Texas Department of Public Safety (checked September 30, 2026)
- Texas Driver Handbook (DL-7), revised January 2026 — Texas Department of Public Safety (checked September 30, 2026)
- Driver License Fees — Texas Department of Public Safety (checked September 30, 2026)
- Apply for a Texas Driver License — Texas Department of Public Safety (checked September 30, 2026)
- Do I Need to Take Driver Education? — Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (checked September 30, 2026)
In Texas, driver licenses are issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), not a "DMV". DPS is not affiliated with and does not endorse passmock. Our practice questions are original, written from the free Texas Driver Handbook; they are not DPS test items.
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