Mark Anderson | January 2, 2026 | Car Accidents
Getting your driver’s license in Texas at 16 requires completing several steps. Steps include driver’s education, a learner’s permit phase, supervised practice hours, and passing the driving test. Texas uses a Graduated Driver License (GDL) program designed to help teen drivers gain experience gradually before obtaining full driving privileges.
This guide walks you through each requirement so you know exactly what to expect along the way.
Step 1: Complete an Approved Driver’s Education Course
Before you can get a learner’s permit in Texas, you must complete a driver’s education course. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, you have four choices for driver education:
- A traditional course by an approved, certified driving school with classroom instruction
- Online courses offered by certified driving schools
- Parent-taught courses (parent must have a valid Texas driver’s license)
- Public school driver education courses
Online courses allow you to complete the classroom portion at your own pace, which many students find convenient. Make sure the course is approved by the Texas Department of Public Safety and offered through a licensed provider.
Step 2: Get Your Learner’s Permit at Age 15
Once you’ve completed the classroom portion of driver’s education, you can apply for your learner’s permit at age 15. You’ll need to visit a Texas DPS office with the following documents:
- Proof of identity (birth certificate, passport, or other approved document)
- Social Security card or acceptable proof of Social Security number
- Proof of Texas residency (utility bill, bank statement, or school records)
- Certificate of completion for the classroom portion of driver’s ed
- Parental consent form signed by a parent or guardian (required for applicants under 18)
- Payment for permit fees
At the DPS office, you’ll take a vision exam and have your photo taken. You must also pass the written knowledge test if you haven’t already passed it through your driver’s ed course. Your learner’s permit allows you to drive only when accompanied by a licensed adult who is at least 21 years old and has at least one year of driving experience.
Step 3: Complete 30 Hours of Supervised Practice Driving
With your learner’s permit, you must complete at least 30 hours of supervised practice driving before you can take the driving test, and at least 10 of these hours must be completed at night. These practice hours are required in addition to any behind-the-wheel instruction completed through a driver education course.
Practice driving must be supervised by a parent, guardian, or another licensed adult who is at least 21 years old. Drivers are required to maintain a written log of practice hours, which must be certified by a parent or guardian and may be requested by DPS during the application process.
Practicing in a variety of driving environments—such as highways, residential streets, parking lots, and different weather conditions—helps new drivers build safe, well-rounded driving skills.
Step 4: Complete the Impact Texas Teen Drivers (ITTD) Course
Before taking your driving test, you must complete the Impact Texas Teen Drivers (ITTD) course. This is a free, 2-hour online course that focuses on the dangers of distracted driving, particularly texting while driving. The course can be completed from home.
After completing the ITTD course, you’ll receive a certificate that you must present when you take your driving test. The certificate is valid for 90 days, so plan your timing accordingly to ensure it doesn’t expire before your test date.
Step 5: Pass the Driving Test at Age 16
Once you turn 16 and have held your learner’s permit for at least six months, you can take the driving test. You have two options for completing the test:
- At a DPS office: Schedule an appointment online and bring your own vehicle for the test
- Through your driving school: Many TDLR-approved driving schools can administer the driving test on-site
The driving test evaluates your ability to safely operate a vehicle, including starting, stopping, turning, lane changes, parking, backing up, and following traffic signs and signals. If you pass, you’ll receive a provisional license with certain restrictions that remain in place until you turn 18.
Provisional License Restrictions for Drivers Under 18
Under Texas Transportation Code § 521.223, drivers under the age of 18 who hold a provisional license are subject to specific restrictions during the provisional license period. These limitations are part of Texas’s graduated driver licensing system and include:
- Passenger limit: No more than one passenger under the age of 21 who is not a family member
- Nighttime driving restriction: No driving between midnight and 5:00 a.m., unless the trip is for work, school, a medical emergency, or another authorized activity
- Wireless device restriction: No use of wireless communication devices while driving, including hands-free technology
These restrictions are intended to reduce the risk of car accidents involving inexperienced drivers by limiting distractions and exposure to high-risk driving conditions.
The provisional license restrictions remain in effect until the driver turns 18 or has held the provisional license for at least 12 months without a qualifying conviction or license suspension, whichever occurs first.
Injured in a Car Accident in Fort Worth?
If you or a teen driver in your family has been injured in a car accident in Fort Worth, Dallas, or Austin or anywhere in Texas, contact Anderson Injury Lawyers for a free consultation with a Fort Worth car accident lawyer. We can help you understand your legal options and pursue economic and non-economic compensation for your injuries and losses.
We proudly serve Tarrant County, Dallas County, and throughout Texas.
Anderson Injury Lawyers – Fort Worth Office
1310 W El Paso St, Fort Worth, TX 76102
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About the Author
Mark A. Anderson is the founder of Anderson Injury Lawyers and a Board Certified Personal Injury Trial Lawyer—an honor held by only a small percentage of Texas attorneys. He earned his law degree from Baylor University School of Law and has spent more than 20 years helping injury victims across Dallas, Fort Worth and Austin. Mark handles cases involving car accidents, truck accidents, product liability, wrongful death, catastrophic injuries, and more. Click here to view some of the successful case results Mark has achieved for his clients.
Location: Dallas, Fort Worth, and Austin, Texas
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