Driver Education

Texas Adult Driver Education

If you’re a Texas resident between the ages of 18 to 24, and have not previously completed a state approved driver education course, you are required by the state to complete a Texas adult driver education course in order to get a drivers license. A Texas adult driver education course will involve classroom or online instruction, obtaining your learners permit (if you are not ready for the road test), and the final road test.

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The successful completion of a Texas adult drivers ed course has been required of adults 18-24 ever since Senate Bill 1317 was passed in March 2010. Read on to learn what will be expected out of you if you were to take a course on Texas adult drivers education.

Texas Adult Driver Education: What You Will Learn

what you will learn in adult driver education A Texas adult drivers education course is six hours of instruction time. In these six hours, you’ll learn about several different important topics that you will need to know before you obtain a Texas drivers license.

Alcohol and drug awareness will take up a big part of a Texas adult drivers ed course. You’ll learn about the effects of alcohol and drugs on your ability to drive and the state’s laws regarding driving under the influence.

Other traffic laws of Texas will be covered in the course. You’ll study up on highway signs, signals, and markings that help keep the streets safe. This knowledge will help you be better equipped to become a safe driver and to pass your exam for a drivers license.

Common causes of accidents and other unfortunate incidents on the road will be discussed in a Texas adult driver education course, including but not limited to impaired driving, distractions while driving, and neglect of safety belt use. Texas has some strict laws regarding using a phone while driving and you’ll be aware of them after taking a Texas adult driver education course.

At the end of the course, you’ll be asked to take the Texas Department of Public Safety Road Signs and Road Rules written examinations. Simply pay attention during the course and retain what you’ve learned over the six hours and you should be able to pass the examinations with no problems. If you pass them, you won’t be required to retake them when you go to DPS to receive your drivers license.

Texas also offers a six-hour defensive driving course for drivers who received a ticket or for drivers looking to get an insurance discount. Do not confuse this type of course with a Texas adult drivers ed course — this is a different course and you won’t be qualified to get a Texas drivers license if you complete this course instead of the correct one.

After completing the six-hour Texas adult drivers education course, a state-controlled certificate is sent via first-class mail. Take that to your DPS office when you apply for a Texas drivers license.

New to State Drivers and First Time Drivers

Believe it or not, it is not uncommon at all for some adults to be well over the age of 25, and need to complete an Adult driver education course. This is quite common for adult drivers. Adults 25 and over can take a state approved Adult drivers ed course in Texas. If you are a first time driver, you can take the course to receive your Texas learners permit so that you can legally practice driving with another adult, until you are ready to take the final road test.

If you are a “new to state” driver and need to pass the DPS written test, or, your drivers license in Texas or another state has expired, and you need to take the written test, you can accomplish this by enrolling in a state approved Texas Adult drivers education course.

The benefit for these drivers is, that the final test in some of the online courses is the actual DPS written test. You can go down to your local DPS office and request to take this test, OR (and a lot of Adults prefer this method) you can enroll in a state approved Adult course (where their final test is the written DPS test), and have six hours of online instruction that will prepare you for the written test, and the final test in the course is the DPS written test. Once completed, you are mailed a state-controlled certificate that you can present to your local DPS office, which confirms 1) you have completed a state approved adult driver education course and 2) have passed the DPS written test and will not have to take the written test at the DPS office.

Many adult drivers prefer this method because they can study at their own pace, revisit certain course material and take the DPS written test online, in the comfort of their home when they are ready.

How To Take a Texas Adult Driver Education Course

You may find a course at your local private driving training school or enroll in an online Texas adult driver education course. The DPS can provide you with a list of state approved Texas adult drivers ed classes that you can take.

adult taking driver education laptop Online Texas adult drivers education courses usually come with video instruction and a written test that you can take in the comfort of your own home. You’ll be able to complete the required six hours at your own pace. You can start the course at any time. Just simply find an online course and make your payment and then log in and begin whenever you’re ready. One highly recommended course is the Texas adult driver education course at texasdrivereducation.us.

Their course features a special bonus video with a 20 year DPS veteran who conducted road tests for the Department of Public Safety. In this special bonus video, the retired DPS officer walks the student through the entire process of the road test. He provides tips for what to be prepared for in the road test along what DPS officers are looking for, to ensure students are well prepared for the final road test. This invaluable information truly sets this course apart from other online courses.

Some online Texas adult drivers education courses come with great benefits. You can find a course that offers advanced technology, such as 3-D animated videos. Some courses will do all the work for you and you’ll be able to complete the whole process through mail and technological communication.

Shop around when you’re looking for a Texas adult driver education course. Prices vary between locations and/or websites and the qualify of instruction will differ as well.

Adults 18-24 in Texas who are looking to receive a Texas drivers license will greatly benefit from a course in Texas adult driver education, beyond meeting the legal requirements to get a license. As an adult driver, you’ll learn how to drive safer, be aware of the state laws, and become a more confident driver.