Supervised practice and driver education in Texas

By the end of this topic you can

• You can describe the teen driver education course and its hours.
• You can explain the 30-hour practice log, including night hours.
• You can say who may supervise practice.
• You can compare the options for teens and for adults 18 to 24.
• You can say when to take the Impact Texas Teen Drivers program.

What you need to know and understand

• The teen course is 24 hours of classroom instruction plus 44 hours in the car.
• The 44 in-car hours are 7 hours of observation, 7 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction and 30 hours of practice.
• At least 10 of the 30 practice hours must be at night, which TDLR defines as half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise.
• Only 2 hours a day count toward the 30 on the TDLR log (form DES150N).
• A parent or guardian certifies the log; a student 18 or over signs it themselves.
• Parent-taught driver education needs TDLR authorization, which costs $20 per student.
• Impact Texas Teen Drivers (ITTD) is a free two-hour DPS course taken after behind-the-wheel training and within 90 days before the driving test.

Your driver education choices

Adults 18 to 24 can take a 6-hour adult driver education course instead, followed by the one-hour Impact Texas Adult Drivers (ITAD) program or ITTD. TDLR says driver education hours from another state do not transfer. Our parent-taught step-by-step guide covers that route in full.

• A public high school course, where offered
• A licensed driver education school, in person or online
• Parent-taught driver education, using a TDLR-approved curriculum
• Hybrid: classroom at a school, then in-car lessons with a parent

How the 30-hour log works

The log splits the hours into lessons, from starting and stopping in an empty lot through backing, parking and turnabouts, to city, multi-lane and freeway driving. Our Texas 30-hour driving log guide breaks down each lesson.

1. Write your name and learner license number at the top.
2. After each drive, record the date, time and whether it was day or night.
3. The supervising adult signs each entry and adds their license number.
4. Count no more than 2 hours for any one day.
5. At the end, a parent or guardian signs to certify all 30 hours, including at least 10 at night.

Who can supervise

The supervisor sits in the front passenger seat and must hold a license for the vehicle, be 21 or over and have at least one year of driving experience. It does not have to be a parent. A supervisor who is asleep, intoxicated or distracted from watching you commits an offense. For the parent-taught 14 hours of instruction, the instructor must be the authorized parent or a designated alternate.

Common mistakes

• Logging a four-hour road trip as four hours. Only 2 hours a day count.
• Leaving night driving until the last week. Spread the 10 night hours across the months.
• Filling in the log from memory at the end. Record each drive the same day.
• Taking ITTD too early. The certificate expires 90 days after its date.

Test yourself: Supervised practice and driver education in Texas

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

Go deeper

• Texas 30-Hour Driving Log
• Texas Driving Test
• Texas Parent-Taught Driver Education