Parent-taught driver ed in Texas: requirements

Drivoku is not connected to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) or the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), which runs the driver license offices (what many states call the DMV). The steps below come from TDLR pages, checked on November 2, 2026. The 70 percent pass mark comes from the Texas Driver Handbook (DPS), checked on October 20, 2026. Rules change, so check TDLR before you apply.

The roadmap at a glance

Parent-taught driver ed in Texas: the steps (TDLR)
Step	What happens	Source
1. Check you qualify	Instructor: an excellent driving history, no B restriction. Student under 18: enrolled in public, home or private school for at least the past 80 days (or a high school equivalency program for the past 45 days), and meeting the school’s attendance and academic progress requirements	TDLR
2. Apply to TDLR	Online only, $20, not refundable, one application per child	TDLR
3. Buy the course	From a licensed provider with a parent-taught endorsement	TDLR
4. Classroom hours	32 hours (block method) or 6 hours (concurrent method) before the learner license (TDLR’s pages differ; see below)	TDLR
5. Learner license	From age 15, with the DE-964 certificate, at a DPS office with the parent instructor	TDLR
6. Behind the wheel	14 hours of in-car instruction and 30 hours of practice, 10 of them at night, over at least 15 calendar days	TDLR
7. Provisional license	Age 16 or 17, learner license held for at least six months, the Impact Texas Teen Driver video within 90 days, then the driving test	TDLR

TDLR says the program takes at least 7 weeks of daily instruction with your teen (TDLR).

Step 1: check that you and your teen qualify

A parent or legal guardian of the student can teach. So can a designee: someone named by a parent, legal guardian or judge. TDLR says a designee must meet the same qualifications as the parent and may not charge a fee.
TDLR asks for an excellent driving history and no conviction for certain criminal offenses. If your driver license has the B restriction, you cannot be the instructor.
A student under 18 without a high school diploma or equivalent must have been enrolled in public school, home school or private school for at least the past 80 days, or in a high school equivalency preparation program for at least the past 45 days, and meet the school’s attendance and academic progress requirements (TDLR).

DPS checks the instructor’s driving record twice: when your teen applies for the learner license and again for the provisional license. If the instructor is no longer eligible, DPS will invalidate the instruction hours from after that point. Texas law’s full list of who can teach is on our Texas permit test page.

Step 2: apply to TDLR to be the instructor

Apply online. TDLR does not accept paper applications.
The application fee is $20 and is not refundable.
Send a separate application for each child you will teach, with the student’s legal name exactly as on the birth certificate.
TDLR emails you the program guide. You can also download it from the Parent Instructor Portal.

Source: Become a parent instructor, TDLR.

Step 3: buy the course

Buy the course from a licensed driver education provider with a parent-taught endorsement (TDLR). The provider sets its own price.

TDLR’s pages differ on the daily limits. The classroom page allows six hours a day, with no more than two behind the wheel. The behind-the-wheel page says no more than two hours a day of instruction in all, classroom included. Check your program guide.

Steps 4 and 5: classroom hours and the learner license

Your teen can apply for a learner license once they (TDLR):

are at least 15;
have finished enough classroom hours: 32 hours with the block method, or 6 hours with the concurrent method. Ask your course provider which method its course uses;
have the certificate of completion (DE-964) from the course provider.

TDLR’s overview gives 24 hours of classroom instruction for the whole course, while its learner license page gives the 32 and 6 hours above. These figures don’t match. Ask your provider how many classroom hours its course has and when it can issue the DE-964.

If the course did not give the written knowledge test, your teen takes it at the DPS driver license office. Make an appointment first. You, as the parent instructor on record, must go with your teen.

What to bring includes the DL-14b application, the DE-964, proof of identity and Texas residency, and the receipt for your instructor designation. A student under 18 without a high school diploma or GED also brings a Verification of Enrollment and Attendance (VOE) form. It is valid for 30 days, or 90 days in June to August. TDLR’s learner license page has the full list. Check everything off with our Texas learner permit checklist.

Step 6: behind the wheel

Driving lessons start once DPS has issued the learner license.

Parent-taught behind-the-wheel hours (TDLR)
In-car instruction	14 hours (7 hours watching, 7 hours driving)
Behind-the-wheel practice	30 hours, at least 10 of them at night
Shortest time	Not less than 15 calendar days
Log	A special log for the 30 hours of practice

The practice hours can be with any adult who is 21 or older and has been licensed for at least a year, but a parent or guardian must certify them. Keep the 30-hour log up to date: your teen brings it to DPS for the provisional license. Source: Behind the wheel instruction, TDLR.

Step 7: the provisional license

Your teen is 16 or 17 and has held the learner license for at least six months.
Your teen watches the Impact Texas Teen Driver program, a free two-hour video, within 90 days before the driving test.
Your teen passes the driving test, at a DPS office or with a third-party provider. Bring proof of current registration and insurance for the car used in the test.
You go with your teen to the driver license office, with the DE-964, the completed 30-hour log and the other documents TDLR lists.

If your teen passed the written knowledge test during the course, it is not taken again. The provisional license expires on your teen’s 18th birthday. Source: Getting a provisional driver’s license, TDLR.

Practice for the knowledge test

The knowledge test covers Texas traffic laws and highway signs, and you need 70 percent to pass, says the Texas Driver Handbook (more in the Texas permit test, explained).

Texas practice test: 40 questions, scored against 70 percent. Free, in your browser.
Road signs quiz and the road signs library.
For parents: how Drivoku helps your teen study.

Our questions are our own, drafted with AI help and checked against Texas sources. They are not the real test questions, and DPS, TDLR and driving instructors have not reviewed them: how we write and check our questions.

Common questions

How old does my teen have to be for a learner license in Texas?

At least 15, with enough classroom hours done and the DE-964 certificate from the course provider.

How long does my teen have to hold the learner license?

At least six months, if your teen is under 18, before testing for the provisional license.

How much does parent-taught driver ed cost in Texas?

The TDLR instructor application is $20 and not refundable. The course price is set by the provider you buy it from, and DPS charges its own fee for the learner license.

Can I teach two of my kids at the same time?

You need a separate TDLR application for each child you teach.

How many driving hours does parent-taught driver ed need?

14 hours of in-car instruction and 30 hours of behind-the-wheel practice, with at least 10 of the 30 at night. TDLR says it cannot be done in less than 15 calendar days.

When can my teen start driving?

Once DPS has issued the learner license. Your teen must be at least 15 and have finished enough classroom hours first.

Do I have to go to DPS with my teen?

Yes. The parent instructor on record goes with the student to the driver license office for the learner license and again for the provisional license.

When does the provisional license expire?

On your teen’s 18th birthday.

Sources

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Source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, checked November 2, 2026. The pass mark: Texas Driver Handbook (DPS), checked October 20, 2026.