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So you’ve just moved to Texas or just become old enough to get your driver license. Next up: the application process. To apply for a driver license in Texas, you’ll need to make sure you bring all of the right documents, pass the driver education requirements, and nail every test.

What You’ll Need to Bring to Get Your License in Texas

Unlike other states, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) doesn’t oversee Texas’s licensing system. Instead, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) does. However, just like the DMV, the DPS can take hours to get through just to send you home without a license if you come to your appointment without the right documents.

To prevent you from wasting an entire day off from work or school at the DPS, be sure to bring official documents that prove all of the following pieces of information about you:

• Your full legal name (first, middle, and last)
• Your home address
• Your mailing address
• Your birthdate
• Your place of birth
• Your residency status

Bringing all of the following documents can help to ensure that you meet all of the requirements listed above:

• Your official state or military ID
• Your passport
• Your Social Security card
• Proof of car insurance for any vehicle you own (or a statement stating that you do not own a vehicle that would require insurance)
• Copies of the registrations of all vehicles you own (or a receipt for registration issued by the court tax collector’s office)
• A copy of the certificate of completion you received from an approved Driver Education course (if you are between the ages of 18 and 24)
• Documented answers to any questions pertaining to your medical conditions (if any) and ability to drive
• Your thumbs (while these aren’t documents, you will need to provide your thumbprints to the DPS)
• Proof of residency in whatever country you currently reside in (if not the United States)
• Any out-of-state driver license (including foreign driver licenses)
• At least $25 for licensings fees (fees vary)

Driver Education Age Requirements in Texas

All people under the age of 25 who wish to receive their driver license in Texas must first complete a state-approved driver education course. Driver education schools in Texas are permitted to set their own fees, which means there’s no one set price that applies across the board. Each school will have its own set of costs and prices.

Be sure to do your research before enrolling in a school that might not be right for you.

The Tests

To obtain your driver license for the first time in Texas, you will need to complete and pass three tests: a knowledge test, a vision test, and a driving test. You do not have to take these tests if you are renewing a driver license that was issued by the state of Texas or another US state or foreign country that has a sufficient reciprocity agreement with the Texas DPS.

Test 1: The Knowledge Test

The first test that you’ll have to take in Texas’s driver license application process is the knowledge test. This test is designed to ensure that you have at least a basic understanding of state and federal traffic laws, emphasizing the laws that apply most often.

The knowledge test is also sometimes referred to as the “written test,” due to the fact that it is typically a written test. Nowadays, the course is often offered on a computer, so “knowledge test” has become the more common way of referring to it.

Successfully completing the required driver education course exempts you from taking this test. If you have taken and passed a state-approved driver education course, then you will not have to take the knowledge test and can skip right ahead to the vision test.

Test 2: The Vision Test

When applying for your driver license, the DPS staff will perform a basic vision test. This test is performed at the DPS office when providing your paperwork. Although this test is quite basic, it is still incredibly important.

If you wear glasses, contacts, or other corrective lenses on a routine basis, it is highly advised that you bring them with you to the DPS office when taking your vision test. You will probably be asked to take the test first without your glasses on to see if you could pass without them. However, if you fail, you will then be asked to take the test with your glasses on.

Passing the test both times means that you will be able to drive with or without your glasses, whichever you prefer. Failing the test without your glasses but passing the test with your glasses will result in the state requiring you to wear your glasses or other corrective lenses whenever you drive. Failing the test both times will result in the state barring you from driving until you pass it.

Test 3: The Driving Test

The driving test, also known as the road test, is the third and final test in Texas’s driver license application process. This test involves driving your vehicle with a customer service representative from the DPS in the passenger seat. The DPS representative will then adjudicate your driving capabilities, ask you questions, and determine whether you are a good enough driver to be permitted to drive on public roadways.

You will have to provide a vehicle for the test. The state will not provide one to you. It is advisable that you bring the vehicle that you learned how to drive in, as your familiarity with it can be helpful during the test.

Make absolutely sure that the vehicle you take your driving test in has passed the required Texas vehicle inspection and is both roadworthy and street legal. Bringing an illegal vehicle to the test will likely result in your failing the test and the owner of that vehicle being issued a ticket.

How Old Do You Need to Be to Get a License in Texas?

In order to get a driving learner’s permit in Texas, you must be at least 15 years old. In order to get a full driver license in Texas, you must be 16 years or older and have had your learner’s permit for at least six months.