Ages 14 to 17:  If you are younger than 18 years old and you are wanting to get your first learner’s permit and eventually your driver’s license you have a couple options to satisfy the State of Texas’ Driver Ed course requirement:  1.  You can go to a high school or commercial driving school to complete both the classroom and behind the wheel training, or 2.  You can go through an online “Parent Taught Driver Education” course.   By choosing the online parent taught option, you can learn the course curriculum portion over the computer, while the behind the wheel requirement is met with the supervision of your parent of guardian.  So why spend time trying to fit live classes into your busy social and school schedule and instead choose the online option that allows you to take the course when you can.  The following are the steps necessary to get started:

1.  Get your parent or guardian registered with the Texas Department of Public Safety as your Driver’s Ed instructor (using the DL-92 request form)
2.  Begin taking the Parent Taught Driver Ed course
3.  Take your Permit Exam at your local DPS office
4.  Finish the remaining portion of the Parent Taught Driver Ed course and begin the Behind-the-Wheel portion of the course.
5.  Complete the Driver’s Ed course.
6.  Go to the DPS local office to pass your Driving Exam.

Is this course state approved? Yes. IdriveSafely is the course provider of record on this course and we are proud to offer this course which is approved by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).

When will I get my permit? First, you will need to complete the first six hours of instruction before you are eligible to attempt to take the exam to get your permit.  Second, you complete the remaining 26 hours of online course instruction, while you complete 34 hours of behind the wheel training with your registered parent of guardian.   The following restrictions do apply:
1.  You cannot finish the course (including the behind the wheel) in less than 20 calendar days.
2.  The Behind the Wheel portion of the training (34 hours) cannot be done in less than 14 calendar days.
3.  You must spend at least 10 hours of the 34 behind the wheel at night.
4.  You cannot receive more than 2 hours of training in one day.

How likely am I to pass the permit test? It all comes down to how hard you study and pay attention to the material.  To help out, the course includes a free 50-Question practice test to help make sure you are ready.

How do I know if my parent or guardian is eligible to be my instructor? They must have a valid Texas driver license for the prior three years.  United States Military personnel and spouses with driver licenses from their state of permanent residence or previous duty station for the prior three years are eligible.  Any of the following will disqualify a potential instructor:  1.  Convicted of criminal behavior (i.e. probated sentence, DUI, DWI, or felony homicide) 2.  License suspended, revoked, or forfeited because of traffic infractions in the past three years.  3.  Disabled due to mental illness (determined by the Medical Advisory Board).

Why is the online course better than taking it at my high school or the local driving school? What option is best depends on the individual student and what they prefer.  The online parent taught course offers unmatched flexibility in that you can access the course curriculum anytime and from anywhere you have internet access.  We have found that this option is much more popular since it allow you the student to work your driver education into your busy social and school schedule.

I am a Texas resident that is 18 or older.  Should I take this course? No.  In Texas there is a 6 hour course that is called an Adult Driver Ed course that is required to get your driver’s license.

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