Step 1. Go to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to exchange your current unexpired permit for a Texas permit. You will need to ask them what is required for you to get your driver license. Each state has different requirements for getting a permit and some states don't require drivers ed at all. The DPS will determine if what you did to get a permit is equivalent to what is required in Texas. If your state did not require drivers ed, you might be asked to take drivers ed in Texas to get your license. When you exchange your permit for a Texas permit, DPS might require that you hold the Texas permit for a minimum of 6 months regardless of how long you held your permit in the previous state you lived in.
Step 2. Work toward getting a license. This part will depend on what DPS requires of you.
Scenario A: DPS tells you that you only have to do 44 driving hours. You have two options here. You can either sign up with Aceable to do your driving hours under the "parent taught drivers ed" method OR to sign up with a local driving school in your area. If you decide to do it with Aceable, you will need to follow these steps:
- Make sure you have an eligible parent instructor. Without one, you cannot do the parent taught drivers ed program.
- Purchase the behind-the-wheel only section from Aceable here.
- Order the Parent Taught Drivers Ed Program Guide Packet from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation for $20 (more info).
- Complete the 14 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction with your parent instructor using Aceable’s Driving Manager. List these hours in the Behind-the-Wheel Instruction Log.
- Contact the Aceable team after you’ve completed the 14 hours with your parent instructor and we’ll email you a Certificate of Completion.
- Practice 30 more driving hours with a licensed driver over the age of 21. List these hours in the Behind-the-Wheel Practice Log. You can use the 30 Hour Guide from the state to help you complete these 30 hours of behind-the-wheel practice.
- When you’re done with the 30 hours of behind-the-wheel practice in Step #6, mark the Completion Date on the Certificate of Completion that we emailed to you in Step #5.
- Hold your permit for as long as DPS had told you to hold it. They might tell you 6 months or they might tell you less than that.
- Complete the Impact Texas Teen Drivers Program (more info).
- Schedule your driving test at the DPS or an approved driving school and get your license!
Scenario B: DPS tells you that you have to do 32 hours of classroom instruction in addition to 44 driving hours. Aw bummer! It's going to be a lot of work, but we're here to help you. We offer two teen drivers ed courses in Texas: Parent Taught and Instructor Taught. Once you decide which one you will go with, you will go through the process just like any other teen in Texas aside from having to get a permit after going through our class. Learn more about Texas Parent Taught Drivers Ed or Texas Instructor Taught Drivers Ed.
