Driving Tests

Moving to Texas: How to Get a Texas Driver License Within 90 Days

informational·how to guide·Published July 12, 2026

How long can I drive on my old license after I move to Texas?

You can drive on a valid license from your previous state or country for up to 90 days after you enter Texas, if you are 16 or older. After day 90, you need a Texas license. At 18 or older, with a valid license from another U.S. state, U.S. territory or Canada, you surrender it and skip the knowledge test and the driving test.

Where these Texas rules come from

The 90-day rule is in Texas Transportation Code 521.029. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) explains the transfer steps on its moving to Texas page and the proof of residency rules on its Texas residency page. The vehicle registration rule comes from Transportation Code 521.144, the surrender rule from 521.182 and the driver education rule from 521.1601. The DPS how-to-apply, fee, FAQ, Graduated Driver License and driver license services pages, the DPS what-to-bring checklist (form DL-15), the Texas Driver Handbook (January 2026) and the TDLR student FAQ add the other details. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Texas Department of Public Safety (dps.texas.gov) before you drive.

Two deadlines after you move: 30 days and 90 days

The 90 days for your license start on the date you enter Texas as a new resident. Your vehicle has a shorter limit. After you become a Texas resident or start work in Texas, you may drive your vehicle for 30 days. After that, it must be registered in Texas. DPS does not issue a license to a new resident without proof that each owned vehicle is registered, so register your vehicles before your license appointment.

How to get a Texas driver license after you move

1
Register your vehicles in Texas
Register every vehicle you own with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles before you apply for your license. If you own no vehicle that must be registered, you sign an affidavit that says so.
2
Get insurance papers ready
Bring proof of insurance for each vehicle you own, or a statement that you own no vehicle.
3
Collect your identity and residency documents
Bring proof of identity, your Social Security number, proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful presence, and two printed proofs of your Texas address.
4
Book a DPS appointment
Make an appointment at a driver license office. Check your documents against the DPS what-to-bring checklist (form DL-15) before you go.
5
Surrender your old license and pay the fee
At the office, hand over each driver license from another state or Canadian province that you hold, and pay the fee. You get a temporary license, and the card usually arrives by mail in 2 to 3 weeks.

How to register your car in Texas before you apply

Before registration, a state-approved inspection station gives you a Texas vehicle inspection report and checks the vehicle identification number (VIN). At registration, you show proof of insurance. The Texas minimum is liability insurance of $30,000 for one person injured or killed, $60,000 for two or more people, and $25,000 for property damage. Keep the registration receipt from your county tax assessor-collector: it is enough proof of registration at your license appointment. This proof is asked only from new residents who surrender an out-of-state license.

Which documents prove Texas residency?

You need two printed documents that show your name and your Texas home address. A lease, a deed, a mortgage statement or a utility bill dated within 180 days counts, and printed electronic statements are fine. Two statements for the same service for different months do not count as two documents. One document usually must show that you have lived in Texas for 30 days, but this rule is waived when you surrender a valid, unexpired license or ID from another state. If you cannot give two documents, you may be able to complete a Texas Residency Affidavit.

Do you need to take the knowledge test or the driving test?

You are 18 or older and you surrender a valid license from another U.S. state, U.S. territory or Canada

You do not take the knowledge test or the driving test. You also skip the Impact Texas Drivers (ITD) course, because it is needed only before a driving test.

You are under 18

You must take the driving (skills) test. With a valid license or learner license from another U.S. state, U.S. territory or Canadian province, you skip the knowledge test. The DPS pages differ on which Texas license you get (see the table below). Plan for the strictest rule, a Texas learner license with a six-month holding period, and confirm with DPS before you book.

You are in the U.S. military on active duty, or you were discharged within the last 90 days, and your license from another state has expired

You may be exempt from the knowledge and skills tests. Bring a valid military ID and proof of your state's military extension policy.

Teens under 18: what each official Texas page says

Teens under 18: what each official Texas page says
Official page	What it says for a teen who moves to Texas
DPS moving to Texas page	A teen with a valid license or permit from another state gets the equivalent Texas version. Every applicant under 18 takes the driving test. A transferred learner license still needs the ITD course and the driving test before a provisional license.
Texas Driver Handbook	Age 16 or 17 with a valid out-of-state driver license: a Phase Two provisional license after the driving test. Age 15 to 17 with an out-of-state instruction permit: a Phase One learner license.
DPS Graduated Driver License page	Out-of-state transfers get a Texas learner license and hold it for six months, whatever license they had before, or wait until 18. Transfers may have different requirements during the application.

Does driver education apply if you are 18 to 24?

Texas requires a driver education certificate from applicants younger than 25, but not from a person who holds a valid driver license from another state. So at 18 to 24, you skip the six-hour adult course when you surrender a valid, unexpired license from another state. At 25 or older, Texas has no driver education rule. If you have no license to surrender, driver education hours from another state do not transfer, and you must enroll in a Texas program. The guide to Texas adult driver education explains the six-hour course.

Moving to Texas from another country

A license that is not in English or Spanish must be translated by a translation service or your consulate before you arrive in Texas. Texas has license reciprocity with France, Germany, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Taiwan. With a valid, unexpired license from one of these countries, the knowledge and driving tests are not required. Applicants under 18 from a country other than the U.S. or Canada must pass the knowledge test. The guide to a foreign driver license in Texas has the full steps.

Key takeaways

You may drive on the license from your previous state or country for up to 90 days after you enter Texas, if you are 16 or older.
Register your vehicles in Texas first: register each one within 30 days after you become a resident, because DPS needs the proof before it issues your license.
At 18 or older with a valid license from another U.S. state, U.S. territory or Canada, you surrender it and skip the knowledge test, the driving test and adult driver education.
Teens under 18 take the driving test. Plan for a Texas learner license with a six-month hold, and confirm with DPS.
Next step: practice Texas road rules on the free Texas Class C learner license practice test.

Moving to Texas: common questions

How much does it cost to transfer a driver license to Texas?

As of 2026, the DPS fee for a new Texas driver license is $33 at ages 18 to 84, and the license expires after eight years, on your birthday. Under 18, a new license costs $16 and expires on your 18th birthday. Each fee includes a $1 administrative fee. You pay it at your driver license office visit.

How far ahead can I book a Texas DPS appointment?

Up to 180 days ahead, through Texas Scheduler. Every service in a driver license office is by appointment only, and out-of-state transfers must apply in person. Book soon after you arrive, so that you get your Texas license inside your 90 days.

Can my car registration count as proof of Texas residency?

Yes. A valid, unexpired Texas motor vehicle registration or title is on the DPS list of residency documents, and so is a current auto insurance policy, statement or card. Each document must be printed and show your name and Texas home address. You need two documents in total.

I own no car. Do I still need proof of registration?

No. If you own no vehicle that must be registered, you sign an affidavit that says so. For insurance, you give a statement that you do not own a vehicle. You still bring two printed proofs of your Texas address, and you still surrender your old license.

Do I have to give up my old license to get a Texas license?

Yes. Texas does not issue your license until you surrender each driver license from another state or Canadian province that you hold. DPS then sends the issuing state or province the license, or a notice that you surrendered it. If you hold a license from a reciprocity country and choose to keep it, you must take the knowledge and driving tests.