Reviewed and updated October 14, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every fact on this page was read that day from the Texas agency that publishes it, the Department of Public Safety for driver licenses and the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles for titles and registration, and the official page each fact came from is linked where it appears.
Phase two of the Texas Graduated Driver License program, the provisional license that lets a 16 or 17 year old drive alone with limits: the requirements, the three restrictions, the application and the driving test at a DPS office or a driving school, and the renewal and what ends at 18. Phase one is on the learner license guide; the test day on the driving test guide.
In this guide: The requirements, The three restrictions, The application and the driving test, Renewal, 18, and the laws for minors, Questions about the provisional license
The requirements
DPS's provisional license page lists five: a learner license held for at least six months; age 16 or 17; the behind-the-wheel portion of driver education, which is 7 hours of in-car observation beside the instructor, 7 hours of in-car driving demonstrating the points of instruction, and 30 hours of behind-the-wheel practice of which at least 10 are at night, with a licensed driver 21 or older in the vehicle at all times; the Impact Texas Teen Driver program within 90 days of the driving test; and a passing driving test. The GDL summary adds that a license suspension or revocation during the learner phase extends the holding period by its length.
The three restrictions
Passengers. No more than one passenger under 21 who is not a family member.
Curfew. No driving between midnight and 5 am except for work, school activities or emergencies.
Phones. All cell phone use is prohibited, hands-free devices included, unless it is an emergency; the GDL summary calls the ban on wireless communication devices strict.
The application and the driving test
Make an appointment on the DPS appointments page and bring a parent or legal guardian, evidence of a waived parental authorization, or the notarized application. Complete the teen application DL-14B and give the specialist the application, proof of citizenship or lawful presence, proof of identity, the Social Security number written on the application, the Texas Driver Education Certificate showing classroom completion (DE-964, DEE-964 or DE-964E), and the VOE, diploma or GED if it was not presented for the learner license. Then the driving test result, in one of three ways:
- a test taken at a driver education school, with the results handed to DPS in a sealed envelope;
- a test at a school in the TPST Submission Portal, whose packet goes to DPS online and is processed virtually; if approved, the license is processed and paid for on the Texas by Texas site with a temporary permit issued online and no office visit;
- a test at the DPS office, scheduled online with Class C chosen under Road Skills Test, with proof of current registration and insurance for the test vehicle presented at the test.
The unexpired Impact Texas Teen Driver certificate is presented in every case, followed by the signature and thumbprints, the photo, the fee and the vision exam. A temporary permit allows driving at once; the provisional license card arrives by mail in two to three weeks and its status is on the DPS card status page.
Renewal, 18, and the laws for minors
A provisional license renews in person with a parent or legal guardian, with the application, citizenship or lawful presence proof, identity, biometrics, photo, fee and vision exam; a holder who will be 18 within 30 days may renew online under the rules on the renewal page. A license issued under 18 costs $16 and expires on the 18th birthday; from 18 the fee is $33 for eight years. The passenger, curfew and phone restrictions bind provisional holders under 18. DPS repeats on the provisional page the tobacco awareness rule for convictions under 18 and the zero tolerance alcohol law for drivers under 21, which the learner license guide sets out.
Questions about the provisional license
What does the behind-the-wheel part of driver education include?
Seven hours of in-car observation beside the instructor, seven hours of in-car driving demonstrating the points of instruction, and 30 hours of practice driving with a licensed driver 21 or older in the vehicle, at least 10 of them at night, as DPS's provisional license page lists.
What is the ITTD?
The Impact Texas Teen Drivers program, a two-hour video on distracted driving on DPS's Impact Texas Drivers site, required for drivers 15 to 17 within 90 days before the driving test. The certificate is presented before the test is given; without it the test is not administered.
Can the driving test be taken at the driving school?
Yes, at a school authorized for Third Party Skills Testing. The results come to DPS in a sealed envelope, or, when the school is in the TPST Submission Portal, electronically; in the second case DPS processes the packet virtually and, if approved, the license is paid for through Texas by Texas with a temporary permit, with no office visit.
What are the passenger and curfew limits?
No more than one passenger under 21 who is not a family member, no driving between midnight and 5 am except for work, school activities or emergencies, and no cell phone use at all, hands-free included, except in an emergency. The restrictions apply to provisional holders under 18.
Does the GDL program cover motorcycles?
No. DPS says the Graduated Driver License program does not apply to motorcycle licenses; a teen motorcycle applicant follows the rules on the motorcycle license guide.
When can a provisional license be renewed online?
When the holder will be 18 within 30 days and meets the other online rules. Before 18 a provisional license renews in person with a parent or legal guardian present.
Written by SearchSystems.net from the Texas DPS pages on the provisional license, the GDL program, the ITD program, the driving test and fees, read on October 14, 2026.