Driving Safety Course
If you are charged with a traffic offense under the Subtitle C, you may request the Court, on or before the initial appearance date, to take a driver safety course to have the charge dismissed.
This request must be made in person, by counsel, or by mail and must be on or before the original court date as noted on your citation.
*Requests made by phone or by e-mail are not acceptable for this option*
(If you are under the age of 17, you must appear in open court with a parent or guardian to make the request)
To be eligible, you:
- Cannot have taken a driving safety course within the last 12 months from the date of the current offense;
- Cannot be currently taking the Driving Safety course for another traffic violation;
- Cannot be the holder of a commercial driver’s license (CDL) or have held a CDL at the time of the offense;
- Cannot have committed one of the following offenses:
- Failure to Give Information at Accident Scene;
- Leaving Scene of Accident;
- Passing a School Bus;
- Fleeing or Attempting to Elude Police Officer;
- A serious traffic violation, which applies to commercial motor vehicle operators;
- An offense in a construction or maintenance work zone when workers are present;
- Speeding 25 mph or more over the limit
At the time of the request, you must do the following:
- Plead guilty or no contest;
- Pay court costs - $134.00
- Pay administrative fee - $10.00
- Present proof of financial responsibility (insurance)
- Present a valid Texas driver’s license or permit. (Active military and spouses or dependent children of active military may present a valid driver’s license from any state.)
You have 90 days from date of citation to:
- Complete a driving safety course approved by the Texas Education Agency and present the completion certificate (court copy) to the court
- Present a certified copy of your driving record from the Department of Public Safety that shows that you have not had a driving safety course within the preceding 12 months from the date of the current offense
If you do not present the required documents in time, the court will notify you to return to court and explain why you failed to comply. The judge may, but is not required to, allow you to file the proper paperwork for an extension at that time, providing that you completed the course by the original due date. Your failure to be present at that hearing will result in a conviction, a fine being assessed, and a warrant for your arrest being issued.
