As long as you have an eligible parent instructor, you can transfer to Parent Taught Drivers Ed for your behind the wheel instruction, instead of going to a driving school. We'll guide you through the steps to make this happen below:
- Double-check that your parent is eligible as a parent instructor for Parent Taught Drivers Ed, or that you have an eligible designated instructor. You can do that here.
- If you haven't done so already, you'll order a Parent Taught Drivers Ed (PTDE) Packet from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). This will cost you another $20, but it's a requirement of the State of Texas.
- Edit the driving school information in your Aceable account, and enter the full name of your eligible instructor and their address as the "Driving School". If you've already received your certificates, contact us to update them with the parent instructor info.
- Wait for your transfer certificates to come to your email. Print the portion labeled "For Learner License Only". There will also be a checklist so you know everything you need to bring to the DPS with you!
- Go to the DPS to get your permit.
- Get started on the 14 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction. You'll list these hours in the In-Car Observation & Behind-the-Wheel Instruction Log. These hours cannot be back-dated. Aceable has created the Driving Manager, which is essentially a lesson plan that can help you complete the 14 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction with your parent instructor.
- When you have completed the 14 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction with your parent instructor, contact Aceable and we will email you a Parent Taught License Certificate. Please note that there must be at least 7 calendar days between the date you purchase the packet, and the date you request your Parent Taught certificate. Print it out, fill in the Laboratory (In-Car) Completion Date with the last date on the log (mentioned in step #6), and set it aside.
- You'll also need to complete 30 hours of behind-the-wheel practice and list these hours on the Behind-the-Wheel Practice Log - 30 Hours. You can complete these 30 hours with any adult who is at least 21 years old or older and has had a valid Texas license for at least one year. These hours can be back-dated to before you transferred to Parent Taught Drivers Ed for behind the wheel if you already had your permit. As an additional resource, check out this 30-Hour Guide from the Texas Education Agency.
- When you've completed the 30 hours of behind-the-wheel practice (Step 8), mark the 30 Hour BTW Completion Date on your License Certificate (Step 7).
- The last thing you need to do before you can get your license is take the Impact Texas Teen Drivers Program. It's a free 2-hour video course provided through the DPS. This needs to be done no more than 90 days before going to the DPS for your driving test. Click here to read more about ITTD and to register.
Let us know if you have any questions. We know this process can be confusing, and we're here for you every step of the way!
