The Texas Learner License for Teen Drivers in 2026

The requirements at 15 to 17

DPS's learner license page sets three: age 15 to 17; the classroom hours of driver education completed for the chosen method, 6 hours under the concurrent method or 24 under the block method, from a certified driving school, a parent-taught program or a public school course; and proof of school enrollment, either a high school diploma, its equivalent (a GED), or a completed Verification of Enrollment and Attendance form. The VOE shows enrollment in a public, private or home school with at least 90 percent attendance in the past semester and carries a school official's signature; it is good for 30 days, or 90 days when issued between June and August. A teen who cannot get a VOE may use the last report card with name, attendance and grades when applying in the summer while still enrolled, or proof of active enrollment in a high school equivalency preparation program for the last 45 days.

What a learner license allows

Driving practice with a licensed adult 21 or older in the front passenger seat, and nothing more. All cell phone use is prohibited, hands-free devices included, unless it is an emergency. The license must be held at least six months unless the holder turns 18 first, and it expires on the 18th birthday; a suspension during that time extends the six months by the number of days suspended, so the holder serves a full six months with a valid license. DPS's GDL program page adds that a learner licensed in another state must still obtain a Texas learner license and complete the six-month period, or wait until 18 to apply for a license without it.

The application visit

Book an appointment on the DPS appointments page and bring a parent or legal guardian, evidence that parental authorization is waived (an emancipated minor, in DPS's example), or the application notarized with the parent's or guardian's signature. Complete the teen application form DL-14B, available online or at the office, and give the specialist:

• the completed application;
• proof of U.S. citizenship or, for a non-citizen, lawful presence;
• two proofs of Texas residency;
• proof of identity;
• the Social Security number, verified electronically;
• the Texas Driver Education Certificate showing classroom completion: a DE-964 or DEE-964 from a certified driving school or a parent-taught program, or a DE-964E from a public school;
• evidence of passing the knowledge exam, or take it at the office if it was not given in class;
• the diploma, GED or VOE.

Then the signature and thumbprints, the photo, the $16 fee, and the vision exam. A temporary permit allows driving practice right away, and the learner license card arrives by mail in two to three weeks, with its status on the DPS card status page. The documents for citizenship, residency and identity are listed on the driver license page.

Minors from other states and the hardship license

Under DPS's Moving to Texas page a minor who holds a valid license or learner license from another U.S. state, territory or Canadian province skips the knowledge exam and receives the equivalent Texas card after surrendering it, but takes the skills exam like every applicant under 18 and serves the six-month learner period; a minor from a country other than the U.S. or Canada takes the knowledge exam. DPS also requires minors to complete Texas driver education even with a valid out-of-state motorcycle license.

A minor's restricted driver license, the hardship license, may be issued to an applicant under 16 and at least 15 where a necessity to drive is established; the applicant meets every regular licensing requirement except the six-month holding period, the qualifying hardships are listed on DPS's application form DL-77, and the license expires on the applicant's next birthday.

Tobacco and alcohol rules for minors

DPS attaches two warnings to the learner license page. A person under 18 convicted of possessing, buying, consuming or receiving cigarettes or tobacco products must attend a tobacco awareness program approved by the Department of State Health Services, and failing to finish it within 90 days can suspend the learner license or the driving privilege. Texas also applies zero tolerance to anyone under 21: a minor may not buy, try to buy, consume or possess alcohol, and any detectable amount of alcohol while operating a motor vehicle or watercraft in a public place is the criminal offense of Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol by a Minor. The suspension periods are on the DWI and ALR guide.

Questions about the learner license

At what age can a Texas teen start?

Driver education may start at 14, but DPS issues the learner license at 15 at the earliest, after the classroom hours for the chosen method: the first 6 hours under the concurrent method or all 24 under the block method.

What is a VOE?

A Verification of Enrollment and Attendance form from the school, showing enrollment in a public, private or home school with at least 90 percent attendance in the past semester, signed (a stamped or computer-generated signature counts). It is valid 30 days from issuance, or 90 days when issued from June through August. A high school diploma or GED replaces it, and in the summer a last report card with attendance and grades, or proof of 45 days in a GED preparation program, may be used instead.

Can my teen drive alone with a learner license?

No. A licensed adult 21 or older must sit in the front passenger seat, and all cell phone use is prohibited, including hands-free, except in an emergency.

How long must the learner license be held?

At least six months, or until the holder turns 18. The license expires on the 18th birthday. A suspension during the six months adds the suspension's days to the holding period, so a full six months of valid license is served.

My teen has a learner permit from another state. Does it transfer?

The knowledge exam is waived for a valid learner license from another U.S. state, territory, Canada, France, South Korea, Germany, the United Arab Emirates or Taiwan, but DPS requires the Texas learner license, the six-month holding period (or waiting until 18), the Impact Texas Teen Drivers video and the skills exam before a provisional license.

What is a hardship license?

A minor's restricted driver license, issued at 15 or older when a need to drive is established under the types of hardship on DPS's application form DL-77. The applicant meets every regular requirement except the six-month learner holding period, and the license expires on the next birthday.