COVID-19 has impacted all of our lives in unprecedented ways. The same is true for teenagers. With high school proms and graduation ceremonies canceled across the country, teens are missing out on some of the biggest milestones of their lives. In Texas, many teens and their parents are wondering what’s going on with driver licensing. We’ve compiled some relevant information for Texas teenagers who want to learn how to drive during the pandemic.
1. All driver license offices are closed.
At the time of writing, all Texas driver license offices are closed. This makes it a bit more difficult, but the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is still accepting driver license applications through the mail or via email.
2. Teens still need to meet certain requirements to obtain a provisional license.
Even though the DPS is accepting applications through snail mail and email, teens will still need to meet certain requirements to obtain their provisional license. Here’s a list of criteria from the DPS. Teens must meet all of the following criteria to earn a provisional license:
- Be 16 or 17 years old.
- Have held a learner license for at least six months.
- Have completed the classroom and behind-the-wheel portions as part of a Minors Driver Education Course. Teens will need to provide a copy of their completion certificates to the DPS. Safe2Drive offers three courses for Texas teens:
- Parent Taught Driver Education. This all-inclusive, TDLR-approved online course allows eligible parents to act as the instructor for their teen’s online classroom instruction and behind-the-wheel training. Parents will help guide their teen through the online course, which includes lecture material, videos, and fun games. We also provide a complete behind-the-wheel training guide for your in-car sessions. This course is a great option while families are practicing social distancing.
- Texas Teen (AMI) Driver Education. This online course is TDLR approved and includes only the classroom portion of driver education for teens 14-17 years old. Teens can complete our AMI course online now, and then apply for their learner license once the DPS is open again.
- Parent Taught Behind-the-Wheel Only. This course is TDLR approved for teens ages 15-17 who already have a learner license. Our course allows teens to complete the behind-the-wheel training portion of driver education with their parent as the instructor. If your behind-the-wheel training course was canceled due to COVID-19, this course is a great option. We’ll provide parents with a complete step-by-step guide for in-car instruction.
- Have completed a skills test with a third party skills test provider. You will need to check with the third party provider to see if they are still operating, and if not, when they expect to reopen. You may be able to book an appointment for the future, so that when things open back up, you’re not lost in the shuffle.
- Have completed the Impact Texas Teen Driver (ITD) education program within the past 90 days. If your ITD certificate expired after March 13, 2020, the DPS will provide an extension.
- Note: the Verification of Enrollment requirement is waived temporarily, as schools are closed.
If your teen meets all of the above requirements, they can apply by mail or email to change their learner license to a provisional license. If they are missing some of the above requirements, keep reading, as they may be able to complete some requirements with Safe2Drive.
3. Teens can still complete the classroom portion of driver education.
While face-to-face classes have been widely canceled, students can still complete the classroom portion of driver education online.
Here at Safe2Drive, we are still processing certificates for all of our driver education students. You’ll be able to print the Six-Hour Completion Certificate after you’ve completed the first six hours of the course and are ready to apply for your learner license. You can then take the Knowledge Test online with us, and you’ll receive the certificate after you’ve passed the test.
In order to receive a learner license, teens will need to visit a DPS office and bring a completed application, as well as the required documents. They will also need to provide their signature and thumbprints, get their picture taken, pay the application fee, and pass the vision exam. At this time, teens will need to wait until Driver Licensing offices reopen in order to apply for their learner license.
4. Teens with a learner license can still complete behind-the-wheel training.
Even though many third party skills testing schools are closed, teens with a learner license can still complete behind-the-wheel training. Like we mentioned above, Safe2Drive offers a course for teens ages 15-17 who have a learner license. With our Parent Taught Behind-the-Wheel course, teens can complete the behind-the-wheel portion of driver education with their parent as their instructor. To see the instructor eligibility requirements, click here. This is a great option for teens who still need to complete their behind-the-wheel training, but can’t go to a brick and mortar driver education school.
Even though teens are missing out on certain rites of passage during this pandemic, we want to help them work towards earning the privilege to drive. Please check out our website for more information on registering for one of our Texas Teen Driver Education courses.