How many course hours does Texas require for Parent-taught driver education?

Texas requires 24 classroom hours, 7 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction, 7 hours of in-car observation, and 30 additional supervised practice hours (10 of them at night).

What forms are required?

TDLR parent-taught instructor authorization ($20, non-refundable, one instructor and one student per application), Parent-Taught Driver Education program guide from your licensed provider, DE-964 certificate of completion, issued by the course provider, TDLR 30-hour supervised driving log

Texas Driver Ed Requirements for Teens (2026)

Parent-taught driver education

Ages 14–17

Classroom learning24 hours total
Learner license available after 6 hours under the concurrent method, or all 24 under the block method.
Parent-taught authorization$20 state fee
Required before instruction starts. Non-refundable, and it covers one named instructor and one named student.
In-car instruction7 hours driving + 7 hours observing
Family practice30 additional hours
At least 10 of those hours at night, recorded in the state driving log.
Waiting periodHold the learner license 6 months
Before the driving testImpact Texas Teen Drivers (ITTD) — 2 hours
Must be completed within 90 days of the driving test
Total in-car44 hours

Where the state contradicts itself

Why you may have seen 32 hours elsewhere: Texas reduced the minimum classroom requirement from 32 to 24 hours effective December 1, 2024. One TDLR learner-license page still displays the former number. We rely on the current rule, TDLR's current parent-taught overview, and DPS's current licensing guidance.

Current rule →The page still showing the old figure →

Bring to the learner-license appointment

Driver license application
Citizenship or lawful-presence evidence
Texas residency evidence
Identity evidence
Social Security number
Vehicle-registration evidence
Vehicle-insurance evidence or non-ownership statement
DE-964 showing required classroom completion
Knowledge-test completion, if administered by the provider
VOE, diploma, or GED (VOE valid 30 days; 90 days when issued June–August)
Parent-taught instructor-designation receipt
Application fee
The designated parent instructor must attend

Bring to the provisional-license appointment

Driver license application
Citizenship or lawful-presence evidence
Texas residency evidence
Identity evidence
Social Security number
Vehicle-registration evidence
Vehicle-insurance evidence or non-ownership statement
Completed DE-964
VOE, diploma, or GED
Parent-taught instructor-designation receipt
Completed 30-hour driving log
ITTD certificate dated within the last 90 days
Driving-test completion or test appointment
Application fee
The designated parent instructor must attend

Classroom instruction may begin at 14. The learner license requires age 15 plus 6 classroom hours (concurrent method) or all 24 hours (block method). The parent instructor must hold TDLR authorization before instruction starts, must pass TDLR eligibility requirements, and is checked by DPS at both the learner and provisional appointments — an ineligible instructor can cause instruction hours to be rejected.

Required forms

• TDLR parent-taught instructor authorization ($20, non-refundable, one instructor and one student per application)
• Parent-Taught Driver Education program guide from your licensed provider
• DE-964 certificate of completion, issued by the course provider
• TDLR 30-hour supervised driving log

Certificate handling

The approved course provider — not the parent and not us — issues the DE-964 or its electronic equivalent. Certificates can take up to 15 days after issuance to appear in TDLR's certificate-validation system. Starting August 17, 2026, providers must submit completion data electronically through TDLR's new licensing system.

Approved provider

Aceable · License #C2839

Enroll with Aceable

We may earn a commission if you enroll through this link. It never changes your price, and it never changes which course we recommend.

Disclosure: We are not a driving school and we do not issue certificates. Courses are delivered by state-approved providers. If you enroll through a link on this page we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That never changes what we publish — requirements are verified against the state regulator, not the provider.

You can also pick any licensed provider yourself. Search TDLR's course-provider list →

Last verified 8/2/2026 by Daniel O'Leary · next review 1/29/2027.

Source: tdlr.texas.gov

Source: sos.state.tx.us

Source: dps.texas.gov