Texas Driver's Handbook, Section 1: Your License to Drive

Who may drive in Texas, the learner and provisional licenses of the Graduated Driver License (GDL) program, license classes, exams, renewals and suspensions.

Key rules

1. The learner license starts at 15, after the classroom part of driver education and the vision and knowledge exams. The supervising driver must be 21 or older with one year of experience, sitting beside you. p. 1
2. Phase One: hold the learner license at least six months before the provisional license. A suspension extends that period. p. 2
3. Phase Two (provisional license, until 18): no more than one passenger under 21 who is not family, and no driving from midnight to 5:00 a.m. except for work, school activities or emergencies. p. 3
4. Drivers under 18 may not use a phone at all while driving, not even hands-free, except in an emergency. p. 3
5. Everyone under 25 needs approved driver education, and every applicant takes the Impact Texas Drivers (ITD) course before the driving exam. p. 7
6. Knowledge exams are passed with 70 percent. After a failed attempt the application is held for 90 days or three tries. p. 7
7. On the driving exam you are graded on control, observation, positioning and signaling; breaking the law, a crash or more than 30 points deducted means failing. p. 8
8. Licenses are renewed every eight years, with an office visit at least every 16 years. Report a change of address within 30 days. p. 10