You can get a Texas learners permit at 15, once you finish the first 6 hours of a state-approved drivers ed course. Then you pass a 30-question knowledge test (21 correct) and a vision test, and DPS gives you the learner license. Here is every step, so your DPS visit goes right the first time.
Teens 15 to 17
The order matters. A missing document means a second trip to DPS, so check the list below before you go.
Enroll in a TDLR-approved teen course. Our online course is $99 and can be started at 14.
That earns you the DE-964 certificate you need for the permit. You finish the rest of the 24 hours afterward.
30 questions, 21 correct. In our online course, the permit test is included, so you take it inside the course.
Bring your documents, pass the vision test, get photographed and pay the fee. DPS issues the learner license.
Hold the permit at least 6 months, log 30 hours with a parent (10 at night), then take the road test at 16.
Documents
Issued by your driving school after the first 6 hours of the teen course. DPS will not issue the permit without it.
Verification of Enrollment and Attendance from your high school office, for applicants under 18. Ask for it a few days ahead; schools close in summer.
A birth certificate or passport, and your Social Security number. Bring originals, not photocopies.
Two proofs of Texas residency. Teens can use documents in a parent’s name, such as a utility bill and a bank statement, with proof of the relationship.
DPS gives the vision test on site and collects the license fee. Bring the glasses or contacts you will drive with.
Adults 18 and older
Adults follow the same learner’s permit process in Texas, with fewer steps. There is no VOE form, no parent signature and no 6-month wait.
Ages 18 to 24: complete the state-approved 6-hour adult course first. Its final exam can count as your DPS knowledge test, so you do not take the written test again at DPS. You get the ADE-1317 certificate when you finish.
Ages 25 and older: the course is optional. Take the knowledge test at DPS, or take the optional 6-hour course, whose final exam can count as your knowledge test. Then pass the vision test and get your learner license.
Either way, you need an Impact Texas Adult Drivers (ITAD) certificate, from the required distracted-driving course, dated within 90 days before the road test. You can buy that course from us for $30.
Practice questions
These are the kinds of questions the Texas permit test asks. Every answer comes from the handbook.
A red octagon, the only eight-sided sign. Come to a full stop at the line, crosswalk or corner.
Stop, from either direction, and stay stopped until the lights turn off or the bus moves. The one exception is a highway split by a median or barrier, when you are on the opposite side.
At least 100 feet before you turn.
30 mph in an urban district.
From 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise, and any time you cannot see 1,000 feet ahead.
Any detectable amount. Texas has zero tolerance for drivers under 21. For drivers 21 and older the limit is 0.08.
A warning about the road ahead, such as a curve, a merge or a crossing. Slow down and be ready.
No. Drivers under 18 may not use a wireless device while driving, even hands-free, except in an emergency.
Answers checked against the Texas Driver Handbook. The real test draws from the whole handbook, so read it end to end.
After you pass
Reviewed by Mohammad Mohsin Hassan, TDLR-licensed driver education instructor (#2609) and DPS-authorized examiner. Last updated October 2026.
Sources: Texas Driver Handbook (DL-7), Texas DPS: Teen Driver Information, TDLR driver education.
Start the online course at 14, and your learner license can follow at 15. Questions? We are happy to help.