Getting your Texas learner permit

By the end of this topic you can

• You can check whether you are eligible to apply.
• You can gather the documents DPS asks for.
• You can explain what the VOE form is and how long it is valid.
• You can say who signs the application for a minor.
• You can describe what the learner license allows you to do.

What you need to know and understand

• You must be at least 15 and under 18, and enrolled in an approved driver education course.
• You must have finished enough classroom hours: the first 6 hours on the concurrent method, or the whole classroom phase (at least 24 hours) on the block method.
• Your course provider issues a DE-964 driver education certificate for the learner license.
• Under 18s without a diploma or GED need a Verification of Enrollment and Attendance (VOE) form, valid for 30 days, or 90 days if issued in summer.
• The learner license fee is $15 in the Transportation Code; the DL-7 handbook adds a $1 administrative fee, so $16.
• You must pass a vision test and the highway sign and traffic law tests, with your provider or at DPS.
• A parent or legal guardian normally signs the application for a minor.

Documents to take to DPS

Book an appointment first, then bring originals or certified copies, not photocopies.

• A completed driver license application, signed by your parent or guardian
• Proof of identity, such as a US passport, or a certified birth certificate plus supporting documents
• Your Social Security number, which DPS checks with the Social Security Administration
• Proof of US citizenship or lawful presence
• Two proofs of Texas residency, or a residency affidavit from a family member you live with
• The VOE form, or your high school diploma or GED
• Your DE-964 driver education certificate, and any test results from your provider
• Evidence of insurance for any vehicle you own, or a statement that you do not own one
• The fee

The VOE and school attendance

Texas links licensing to school. To be issued a license before 18 without a diploma or GED, you must be enrolled and attending. Your school signs the VOE to confirm at least 80 days of enrollment (45 days in a high school equivalency program). Ask for it close to your appointment, because it runs out after 30 days during the school year. Homeschooled students can use a VOE or a letter from their instructor with the same information.

On the day and after

Parent-taught students also bring the TDLR designation receipt, and the parent instructor must attend. Our Texas permit documents checklist lists the accepted identity and residency documents in full.

1. Arrive on time with your parent or guardian and all documents.
2. DPS checks your papers, takes your photo and collects the fee.
3. Take the vision test, plus any knowledge tests your course did not give you.
4. Once the learner license is issued, you may drive only with a licensed driver aged 21 or over, with at least one year of experience, in the front passenger seat.

Common mistakes

• Bringing a photocopy of a birth certificate. DPS wants an original or certified copy.
• Getting the VOE signed weeks early so it expires before the appointment.
• Bringing two residency documents from the same source. They need to come from different sources.
• Driving before the learner license is issued. Passing the course tests does not let you drive yet.

Test yourself: Getting your Texas learner permit

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Texas Disabled Parking Placard
• Texas Permit Test
• Texas Learner Permit Documents Checklist