Driver Safety Course Eligibility Requirements for Ticket Dismissal:
The following could make you ineligible to take a Driver Safety / Defensive driving course in Texas*:
- You hold a Commercial Drivers License (CDL);
- You completed an Court-ordered driver safety course within the 12 months preceding the date of the offense for another ticket;
- You do not have a Texas Drivers License;**
- You were charged with speeding in excess of 25 mph over the posted speed limit, committing an offense in a construction zone when workers are present, or passing a school bus while loading or unloading children;
- You were cited for failure to provide evidence of financial responsibility (proof of insurance);
*We recommend that even if you are considered ineligible for one or more of the reasons above that you still contact the court to determine your eligibility.
**Military Exemption: Active Military, their spouses, and dependents
Getting a traffic ticket or speeding ticket dismissed by the Court to avoid points on your driving record is one of the primary benefits of taking a Texas defensive driving online course through Texas Drive Safe.
PLEASE NOTE: The following information is simply a basic guide. We highly recommend that you contact that you contact the Court presiding over your citation to determine your eligibility and for the appropriate steps to properly notify them of your intentions to take a defensive driving course.
In most cases you can notify the Court in one of the following 3 ways:
- Present in person or by counsel a request to take an approved driver safety course (a.k.a. defensive driving).
- Request in writing to the court to take a state approved defensive driving course.
- Submit your request via phone.
With either option you must make your request on or before the court date listed on the traffic ticket..
(Option #1) – Request in Person
The process with the court to take a defensive driving course can seem complicated, but it is actually relatively simple. First, you need to look on your citation to determine what steps are required to notify the court that you would like to take defensive driving for your citation.
Once you have notified the court of your intention, you will be required to pay a court fee and given 90 days to complete a state approved driver safety (a.k.a. defensive driving) course. Once you successfully complete the defensive driving course, you will be sent a certificate of completion.
You must sign and deliver that, and any other required documents (some courts require a copy of your driving record) to the court before their appointed deadline is up.
(Option #2) – Request in Writing
Your second option after receiving a traffic ticket is to request in writing to take defensive driving. This written requirement can most often be satisfied by simply filling out the back portion of the ticket itself and mailing it back to the court. The back of the ticket allows you to enter a plea of no contest or guilty and request to take a driver safety course that is approved by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). If your ticket doesn’t have the option you should have received additional information from the officer with instructions. Some courts may also allow you to make your request via phone.
(Option #3) – Request by Phone
Most tickets will have a contact number for the Court presiding over your citation on it. This information may be on the back of the ticket in some cases. Some Courts allow you to notify them via phone on or before the deadline on the ticket of your intention to take a defensive driving course.
What happens after requesting to take defensive driving?
Assuming you are eligible, the court will acknowledge that you plan to take a driver safety / defensive driving course for your citation, and will give you a deadline (usually 90 days) to successfully complete a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) approved driver safety course such as the one offered through TexasDriveSafe.com.
After completing the course then what should I do?
After completing the driver safety course you must present the following to the court:
- A copy of the completion certificate
After successfully completing the online course you will receive a completion certificate via the shipping method selected. Our completion certificate for traffic ticket purposes has an upper portion labeled “COURT” for presentation to the court by the appointed deadline. We recommend that you make a copy of this for your personal records. Remember that it is your responsibility to present this certificate to the court; the course provider does not notify the court of your completion. You will also receive a lower copy labeled “INSURANCE” for presentation to participating insurance carriers to receive a discount on your automobile insurance premiums. - A driving record as maintained by the Department of Public Safety
Some courts also require a certified copy of your Texas driving record (click here for instructions) along with your defensive driving completion certificate. - Court affidavit form
Some courts will provide you with an affidavit form that you must complete and have notarized to ensure that you have not taken a driver safety course to dismiss a traffic ticket in the 12 months prior to receiving your ticket. Texas law allows you to take a driver safety course once every 12 months for the purposes of ticket dismissal and once every 36 months for an insurance discount.
Will the traffic ticket go on my driving record?
After the court receives a copy of the defensive driving certificate and any other required documents, your requirements have been completely fulfilled. The final step is for the court to do the following:
- Remove the judgement and dismiss the charge.
- Report that you have successfully completed a driver safety course and the date of completion to the Department of Public Safety.