Texas Defensive Driving · Eligibility
Am I eligible for Texas defensive driving?
Probably. Texas lets most drivers use a defensive driving course to dismiss a ticket once every 12 months. Seven rules from Texas law decide it. You can check all seven in about 30 seconds below. One catch to know up front: the court’s permission comes before the course, not after.
$25 flat when you’re ready — the lowest price Texas law allows
The rules are Tex. Code Crim. Proc. arts. 45A.351–.353 · approved statewide, TDLR License CP994
The seven rules, from Texas law
Seven green checks and your ticket almost certainly qualifies. Then one more step: the court’s permission, before the course.
The 30-second check
Tap each one that’s true for you
These seven rules come from Texas law — they’re the same at every provider. Check all seven and your ticket almost certainly qualifies.
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Can’t check every box? You may still have options — see what to do if you’re not eligible. Or email support@highwaytrafficschool.com and we’ll help you figure it out. You can also text or call 1-888-406-1726, Mon–Sat, 7am–7pm PT. Wondering about points? Texas repealed them in 2019 — it’s your record that counts now.
The fine print, in plain English
What are the seven Texas eligibility rules?
They come from Tex. Code Crim. Proc. arts. 45A.351–.353, so they are the same at every Texas provider. Open any rule for what it means in practice.
No commercial driver's license
Texas excludes CDL holders from dismissing a ticket with a defensive driving course. If you hold a CDL, call the court on your citation about other options for your case.
Not a construction-zone ticket
Violations in a construction or maintenance zone while workers were present can't be dismissed with a course. No workers present at the time? Ask your court — the zone alone doesn't automatically disqualify you.
Under 25 mph over the limit, and under 95 mph
Speeding tickets are generally eligible — up to a point, and Texas sets two ceilings rather than one. Cited at 25 mph or more over the posted limit, or at 95 mph or more however high the limit was, and the course is off the table for that ticket.
Insured at the time
You need to have had valid insurance when you were cited. If you were driving without coverage, the ticket doesn't qualify for dismissal by course.
Not a serious violation
Hit-and-run (leaving the scene) and passing a stopped school bus are excluded outright. Unsure about something else on your citation? The court clerk can tell you whether it qualifies.
Once every 12 months
Texas lets you use defensive driving for a ticket once every 12 months. The 12 months count back from the date of this ticket. Finished a course for an earlier ticket inside that window? This one will need another route — ask your court.
A Texas driver license or permit
The course path is for drivers who hold a Texas license or permit. Texas law makes one exception: active-duty military members, their spouses and their dependent children. Licensed in another state and not military? Ask your court what options you have.
Before the course
How do you get the court’s permission?
Ask when you respond to your citation
Request the driving safety course by the appearance date printed on your ticket. On most citation responses it is a checkbox or a line you write in, filed online, by mail or at the counter.
The court confirms and sets your deadline
The court checks your eligibility, grants permission and gives you a completion deadline — the 90-day period Texas law allows. Calendar it the day you get it.
Take the course and deliver the certificate
Finish the 6-hour course online and download your certificate. Sign it and get it to your court by the deadline. Texas law also asks for your driving record from the Texas DPS and a short sworn statement. Your court's paperwork lists what it wants. We file your completion with the TDLR within 48 hours so the court can verify it.
A completion the court didn’t pre-approve can be rejected — six hours the court doesn’t have to count. Want the whole path in order? See how Texas defensive driving works, step by step.
Request for a driving safety course
- A plea usually comes with it Courts generally take the request with a plea of guilty or no contest. That is the trade: you resolve the charge, and the court dismisses it once the course is done. Your court's form says what it needs.
- The request itself The wording is the court's — a checkbox on the response, a line on a web form, a sentence in a letter. What matters is that it is made by the appearance date on the ticket, before you start the course.
- What the court asks for with it A copy of your Texas driver license and evidence of insurance are the two courts commonly want. Your court's form says which it asks for, and how to send them.
- The deadline the court gives back The 90-day period Texas law allows. Your court prints the date — it is the court's, not ours, and it is the one the certificate has to beat.
Can’t check every box?
Not eligible? You still have moves.
The number is on your citation. Many Texas courts offer alternatives. Deferred disposition is a common one — a probation-style deferral that also ends without a conviction. What’s available varies by court and by charge, so the clerk is the right person to ask.
The voluntary path has no court involvement and no eligibility rules. Many Texas insurers discount premiums for completing an approved course. The Texas insurance discount guide explains that path. Call yours first to confirm, then see what’s in the course.
Eligibility questions, answered
Texas defensive driving eligibility FAQ
Who is eligible for defensive driving in Texas?
Most Texas drivers, once every 12 months, with the court's permission. You're eligible if all seven are true: you hold a Texas driver license or permit. You don't hold a CDL. You weren't going 25+ mph over the limit or 95 mph or more. You weren't cited in a construction zone with workers present. You had insurance at the time. The charge isn't a hit-and-run or passing-a-school-bus violation. And you haven't used defensive driving for a ticket in the 12 months before the date of this ticket. Active-duty military members, their spouses and their dependent children can qualify without a Texas license.
Can I take defensive driving for a ticket if I have a CDL?
No — commercial driver's license holders aren't eligible to dismiss a ticket with a defensive driving course in Texas. Call the court on your citation about other options for your case.
Does a speeding ticket qualify for defensive driving in Texas?
Generally yes — but Texas sets two speed ceilings, and either one ends it. Cited at 25 mph or more over the posted limit, or at 95 mph or more however high the limit, and the ticket can't be dismissed with a course. Ask your court what options remain.
Which tickets can't be dismissed with a defensive driving course?
Violations in a construction zone with workers present. Speeding 25+ mph over the limit, or 95 mph or more whatever the limit was. Driving without insurance at the time of the stop. Hit-and-run (leaving the scene). And passing a stopped school bus. Those exclusions are Texas law — they apply at every provider.
How often can you take defensive driving in Texas?
Once every 12 months for a ticket. Texas counts the 12 months back from the date of the new offense. If you finished a course for an earlier ticket inside that window, this ticket will not qualify. Call your court about other options.
What if I'm not eligible — what are my options?
Call your court first; the number is on your citation. Many Texas courts offer alternatives. Deferred disposition is a common one — a probation-style deferral that also ends without a conviction. What's available varies by court and by charge, so the clerk is the right person to ask.
Do I need to be eligible to take the course for an insurance discount?
No — the insurance-discount path has no court involvement and no eligibility rules. Many Texas insurers discount premiums for voluntarily completing an approved course. Call your insurer first to confirm what they offer.
I got two tickets in the same stop. Does one course cover both?
Since September 1, 2025, Texas law says yes when the charges come from the same stop (Code of Criminal Procedure art. 45A.352(b), as amended by Senate Bill 296). One completed course can dismiss each eligible charge. Confirm with your court when you make the request. The court still checks each ticket against the rules.
Eligible? Your deadline isn’t waiting.
$25 for the course — the lowest price Texas law allows, with nothing added at checkout. Your court charges its own costs. 6 hours online, instant certificate, guaranteed pass — unlimited free retakes.
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