Two Ways to Take Texas Teen Drivers Ed Online
Is there a real option for teens to take Texas drivers ed online? The answer may surprise you!
For many years, Texas teens and their parents were able to work on drivers education together if a driving course wasn’t available through the local high school. Parents just needed to request the necessary forms from the Texas DPS then find an approved Texas Parent-Taught Drivers Ed online course, like ours, and start teaching their teenager the state laws and basics of driving safety.
But teens who wanted to study without parental supervision were out of luck. Fortunately, things have changed, and Drivers.Ed.com now offers more than one way to complete the Texas teen drivers course online!
How to Take Texas Teen Drivers Ed Online
Now parents don’t have to be the course instructor of their teen’s online driver education course. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) has approved two options for online coursework.
Parent-Taught Drivers Ed (PTDE)
This is the first type of course that we made available at DriversEd.com. It’s the standard way to have a parent be the teacher and avoid the cost of going to a driving school.
Here’s how it works:
Request the Parent-Taught Drivers Ed packet from the TDLR. It will cost $20 and can be mailed or sent via email.
Sign up for a PTDE online drivers ed course to start the classroom portion. The DriversEd.com Texas PTDE course is approved by the TDLR, and with the app you can complete it anywhere.
Finish the first lesson. Students must complete the first six hours of the course before applying for a learners permit.
Take the written exam and receive a learners permit from the Texas DPS.
Finish the rest of the online drivers ed course.
Start behind-the-wheel training with the parent instructor. The first 14 hours of driving have to be with the parent or guardian that’s named as the instructor.
Complete the required driving practice hours. The student driver will need to get 30 more hours of drive time in (10 hours must be at night). These hours can be with another licensed driver who’s 21 or older and has been approved by the parent instructor.
Take the required Impact Texas Teen Drivers (ITTD) course. It’s a 2-hour video lesson available on the Texas DPS website.
Take the driving skills test to get a Texas drivers license.
Instructor-Led Drivers Ed
If your parent is concerned about taking on the role of educator there’s another option. You can now opt for the Texas Instructor-led online drivers ed course. It’s similar to the PTDE program, with a few key differences:
The student will need to sign up on a TDLR-approved drivers ed course.
Complete the first six hours of coursework.
Pass the written exam (right in our app!) to get a learners permit.
Complete the online drivers ed course.
Sign up with a local driving school to complete the behind-the-wheel training.
Take the ITTD course online.
Pass the driving skills test to receive a Texas drivers license.
There are still in-class programs available if you prefer, but they aren’t as common today because of the price and time commitment. The vast majority of students agree that online drivers ed is the way to go in Texas.
As always, DriversEd.com makes sure the lessons are dynamic and fun no matter which course you take. There are 3D animated demos, activities, videos and a wide variety of engaging quizzes throughout the course to help students focus on important details.
And, of course, students have round-the-clock access to their account and our entire course. Best of all, in-car training can be started after completing the first 6 hours of our Texas teen online drivers ed course!
Choose a Texas teen driving course to get started!
*This article was updated on 8/4/2020