Texas graduated driver licence stages

By the end of this topic you can

• You can name the two Texas GDL phases and the ages for each.
• You can explain the six-month holding rule for drivers under 18.
• You can say who may supervise a learner driver.
• You can list the main provisional license limits.
• You can explain when a hardship license might be issued at 15.

What you need to know and understand

• The learner license is available from age 15 to 17, after the classroom part of driver education and the knowledge tests.
• Drivers under 18 must hold a learner (or hardship) license for at least six months before getting a provisional license.
• A learner must drive with a licensed driver aged 21 or over, with at least one year of experience, in the front passenger seat.
• The provisional license is available from 16 and lasts until your 18th birthday.
• Provisional drivers may carry only one passenger under 21 who is not a family member and may not drive from midnight to 5 a.m., with exceptions.
• Drivers under 18 may not use a wireless device while driving, even hands-free, except in an emergency.
• If your license is suspended during Phase One, the six-month holding period is extended by the days of the suspension.

Phase One: the learner license (15 to 17)

You can apply once you are 15, are enrolled in an approved driver education course and have finished enough classroom hours. You must also pass the vision, highway sign and traffic law tests, either with your course provider or at DPS.

From then on you may drive only with a qualifying supervisor beside you. The supervisor must not be intoxicated, asleep or doing anything that stops them watching your driving. The learner license expires on your 18th birthday.

Phase Two: the provisional license (16 to 17)

To move up, you need at least six months on your learner license, a finished driver education course with the 30-hour practice log, the Impact Texas Teen Drivers (ITTD) program and a pass on the driving test. You can then drive alone, but these limits apply until you turn 18:

• No more than one passenger under 21 who is not a family member
• No driving between midnight and 5 a.m., except for work, a school-related activity or a medical emergency
• No phone or other wireless device use, even hands-free, except in an emergency

Hardship licenses and adult learners

DPS can issue a hardship license from 15 when not having one would cause unusual economic hardship for the family, when it is needed because of a family member's illness, disability or death, for a vocational education program, or when a court orders it. A parent or guardian applies with you in person on form DL-77. Time on a hardship license counts toward the six-month hold.

At 18 to 24 you still need driver education, usually a 6-hour adult course, but the six-month holding rule does not apply. At 25 and over driver education is not required, though you must still pass the tests and complete an Impact Texas Drivers program. Our Texas GDL rules guide and our full Texas learning-to-drive guide go into more detail.

Common mistakes

• Counting the six months from when you started driver ed. The clock starts on the date your learner license is issued.
• Thinking a family member of any age counts toward the passenger limit. Family members and passengers 21 or over do not count.
• Taking hands-free calls on a provisional license. The under-18 ban covers hands-free use too.
• Letting a friend aged 19 supervise practice. The supervisor must be at least 21 with a year of driving experience.

Test yourself: Texas graduated driver licence stages

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

Go deeper

• Texas Provisional License Restrictions
• How to Get a Driver’s License in Texas
• Texas Permit Test