Texas Ticket Dismissal · It isn’t a trick, it’s the law
How do you get a Texas ticket dismissed with defensive driving?
Texas wrote the path into law. Request a driving safety course when you respond to your citation. Get the court’s permission. Complete the 6-hour course, and deliver your certificate and the other papers your court lists. The court can then dismiss the ticket — no conviction. The course is $25 flat, the lowest price Texas law allows. Drivers blow it in two ways, both avoidable: skipping the court’s permission, and missing the certificate hand-off.
Court permission first · 6 hours online · $25 flat · no final exam
Approved statewide · TDLR License CP994
The path, in order
What are the three steps from citation to dismissal?
Ask first
Request defensive driving by the appearance date on your citation, usually a checkbox on the citation response. The court confirms eligibility, grants permission, and sets your deadline — the 90-day period Texas law allows. Permission before course, always.
The easy part
Eleven short units with two-question quizzes, unlimited free retakes, and no final exam, on any device across as many sittings as you like. Your certificate downloads the moment you finish.
The hand-off
Sign the certificate 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 exactly what it wants. That step is yours. We file your completion with the TDLR within 48 hours so the court can verify it. When it all arrives on time, the court can then dismiss the ticket.
We file with the state. You file with the court. Want every step spelled out? The full walkthrough takes four minutes.
What “dismissed” actually means
What does a dismissal do to your Texas driving record?
If you just pay it
Convicted
- The charge
- Conviction entered
- Your driving record
- A permanent entry
- Who can see it
- Insurers, employers, DPS
- What you paid
- The court's fine
If you take the course
Dismissed
- The charge
- Ends without a conviction
- Your driving record
- Nothing to show
- Who can see it
- No conviction to see
- What you paid
- $25 plus your court's fee
Surprised by the points one? Texas ended its point system in 2019, so there are no points to remove. Here’s what replaced points — and why the conviction is the thing to keep off your record.
The fine print, up front
Six situations Texas law excludes — everywhere
- 1A CDL holder
- 225+ mph over the limit, or 95+ mph
- 3A construction zone with workers present
- 4No insurance at the stop
- 5Hit-and-run
- 6Passing a stopped school bus
- Call your courtThe number is on your citation
- Deferred dispositionA common alternative that also avoids a conviction
- Contest the ticketAlways your right
- What’s offeredVaries by court and charge
| Compare | Driving safety course | Deferred disposition | Pay the fine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ends in a conviction? | No | No, if you complete what the court sets | Yes |
| Who decides | The court grants permission first | The court offers it | Nobody — paying is the plea |
| What you do | 6 hours online, then deliver the certificate | Whatever the court's order says | Pay it |
| What it costs you | $25 plus your court's fee | The court sets its fee | The full fine |
| How often you may use it | Once every 12 months | The court decides | No limit — and no protection |
| Where to confirm it | The eligibility rules are statute | Call the clerk on your citation | It needs no confirming |
The price is a statute too
$25. Every school. That’s the law.
A site advertising a cheaper Texas driving safety course is selling something other than the course. Ours is $25 with nothing added at checkout — TDLR-approved, License CP994. The certificate is free and instant. The only steps that matter are the two court steps, and now you know both.
Dismissal questions, answered
Texas ticket dismissal FAQ
How do I get a traffic ticket dismissed in Texas?
Use the path Texas wrote into law. Respond to your citation by its appearance date and request a driving safety course — usually a checkbox on the citation response. Get the court's permission. Complete the 6-hour TDLR-approved course by the deadline the court sets. Then deliver your signed certificate, and the other papers your court lists, to the court. Do those in order and the court can then dismiss the ticket.
Does a dismissed ticket go on my driving record?
Dismissal means the charge ends without a conviction — which is the whole point of taking the course. Convictions are what land on a Texas driving record. The dismissal path exists so an eligible ticket never becomes one. (Worried about points? Texas repealed its driver point system in 2019 — see our points guide for what replaced it.)
How much does it cost to dismiss a ticket in Texas?
$25 for the course. Texas law sets $25 as the minimum price any school may charge, and we add nothing at checkout. Your court adds its own charges. These can include court costs and a fee for granting the course. The amounts vary by court and by ticket, so ask the clerk when you respond. If your court wants your driving record, the Texas DPS charges for that too. Optional audio narration is $6.99 if you want it.
What about deferred disposition instead?
It's a real option many Texas courts offer. The court puts your case on hold and sets conditions. Meet them, and the case can end without a conviction. For drivers who don't qualify for the course, it's often the next question to ask. What's available varies by court and charge. Call the clerk at the number on your citation; they will tell you what your court offers.
What if my ticket isn't eligible?
Call your court first — the number is on your citation, and clerks answer this question all day. Deferred disposition is a common option. Contesting the ticket is always your right. We won't sell you a course that can't help your case. Check eligibility before you pay, here or anywhere.
The statute’s been waiting. Use it.
Ask your court, take the 6 hours, deliver the certificate — dismissed, without a conviction, for $25 flat.
Start My Course — $25 →