Driving Tests

Texas Adult Driver Education: Who Needs the 6-Hour Course (Ages 18 to 24)

informational·how to guide·Published July 16, 2026

Do you need driver education in Texas if you are 18 to 24?

Yes, for a first Texas license. Texas law bars the Department of Public Safety (DPS) from issuing a license to anyone younger than 25 without a driver education certificate, and DPS names a 6-hour adult course for ages 18 to 24. You also need the 1-hour Impact Texas Adult Drivers (ITAD) video before the driving test. At 25 and older, no course is required.

Where the Texas adult driver education rules come from

Texas Transportation Code section 521.1601 sets the driver education rule for drivers younger than 25. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) how to apply page lists the 6-hour adult course. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) driver education page lists the course options. The test and course details come from Transportation Code sections 521.161, 521.1655 and 521.167, Education Code sections 1001.1015 and 1001.1102, the DPS Impact Texas Drivers, third-party skills testing and moving to Texas pages, the TDLR student FAQ and the 2026 Texas Driver Handbook. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Texas Department of Public Safety (dps.texas.gov) before you drive.

Who needs the 6-hour adult driver education course in Texas?

You need it if you are 18 to 24 and you apply for your first Texas driver license. DPS says the 6-hour adult course is required for all persons between 18 and 24 before they test for a license, so finish the course first. The law has one exception: the rule does not apply to a person who holds a valid driver's license from another state.
Under 18, the adult course is not an option. You take the full teen course, which has 24 hours of classroom instruction plus in-car training.

What each driver needs before the Texas driving test

What each driver needs before the Texas driving test
Your situation	Driver education	ITAD video
18 to 24, first Texas license	Required: the 6-hour adult course (a TDLR-approved course)	Required (1 hour)
25 and older, first Texas license	Not required	Required (1 hour)
18 or older with a valid license from another state	Exempt	Exempt

What is the 6-hour adult course?

It is a driver education course only for adults, approved by TDLR under Education Code section 1001.1015. TDLR sets its curriculum by rule. By law, the course must teach alcohol and drug awareness, Texas traffic laws, and highway signs, signals and markings. It must also cover common causes of collisions, such as distraction, speed, impaired driving, driving at night and phone use. Since September 1, 2025, the law also tells TDLR to add information on construction and maintenance work zones to each driver education course.
When you finish, the school gives you a certificate of completion. Keep it: DPS needs it before it issues your license.

Does the adult course let me skip the DPS knowledge test?

Partly. By law, after a TDLR-approved adult course, you skip the highway sign and traffic law parts of the DPS exam if a licensed driver education instructor decides that you completed them. A licensed in-person or online school may also give its students the vision, sign and traffic law parts. The 2026 Texas Driver Handbook says that after certain courses, you do not take the Class C knowledge exam at the license office. Before you pay, ask if the school gives these tests.
You still need the driving test. At DPS, you need 70 percent or better to pass the knowledge exam: see the free question about the passing score.

Do I need the ITAD video?

Yes, if you are 18 to 24 and must take an adult course, or if you are 25 or older. Impact Texas Adult Drivers (ITAD) is a 1-hour video.
Take it after the behind-the-wheel driver education requirements and before the driving test.
The certificate is valid for 90 days. Bring it to your driving test appointment: you cannot take the test without it.
ITAD does not replace the distracted driving module in the 6-hour adult course. You need both.
If you are 18 or older and hold a valid out-of-state license, DPS says you are exempt from the ITD program.

How an 18 to 24 driver gets a first Texas license

1
Finish the 6-hour adult course
Take it with a TDLR-approved provider, and keep the certificate of completion.
2
Complete the ITAD video
Do it online, after the behind-the-wheel requirements and before the driving test. Print the certificate: it is valid for 90 days.
3
Pass the knowledge test and the driving test
DPS says you may take the tests at a DPS office or with a third-party provider. DPS may not issue a license until you pass each required exam. The guide to the Texas driving test has more on the road test.
4
Get your license
DPS gives you a temporary driver license first. Your card typically arrives by mail within 2 to 3 weeks.

Can an 18-year-old take the 24-hour teen course instead?

Yes. TDLR lists three options for a person over 18: the 6-hour adult course, the 24-hour minor course or a parent-taught course. With the 24-hour course, you may be able to complete some testing requirements with your provider rather than at DPS.
Do not mix the courses. Classroom hours from a teen course cannot count toward the 6-hour adult course, so you must finish the full adult course or the full teen program.

What if I am 25 or older?

At 25 and older, you do not need a driver education course for your first Texas license. You still complete the 1-hour ITAD video, and you cannot take the driving test without its certificate. If you are older than 25 and take the driving test at a driver education school, DPS says driver education is not required but is highly recommended.

What if I have a license from another state?

You are 18 or older and hold a valid license from another state

The driver education rule does not apply to you. DPS says you surrender the old license and are exempt from the knowledge and driving tests, the ITD video and the adult course. The guide to moving to Texas with a driver license has the full steps.

Your out-of-state license is expired

Do not count on the waiver. The law names a valid license, and the DPS pages use different words for an expired one. Confirm with DPS before you plan around it.

You took driver education in another state

Those hours do not transfer to Texas. Enroll in a Texas driver education course to meet the rule.

Key takeaways

At 18 to 24, a first Texas license needs a driver education certificate. The 6-hour adult course is the one DPS names.
At 25 and older, no driver education is required, but you still take the 1-hour ITAD video before the driving test.
The adult course can let your school clear the sign and traffic law parts of the DPS exam. You still pass the driving test.
A valid license from another state exempts you from the course and the ITAD video. If your license has expired, confirm with DPS first.
Next step: practice the rules of the road on the free Texas Class C learner license practice test.

Texas adult driver education: common questions

How do I get a new certificate if I lose mine?

Contact the driver education school that you attended and ask for a duplicate certificate of completion. If you took a parent-taught course, contact the driver education provider with the parent-taught endorsement instead. Ask for the copy early, because a third-party testing school checks the certificate before the driving test.

Can I switch driving schools in the middle of the course?

Yes. TDLR says you may transfer to another driver education school, as long as your previous school was licensed in Texas. For more information about a transfer, contact the TDLR driver education and safety program staff.

Does a defensive driving course count as driver education?

No. Texas law says a driving safety course may not be approved as an adult driver education course. At 18 to 24, take a TDLR-approved driver education course, such as the 6-hour adult course, and keep its certificate of completion for DPS.

Can I take the driving test at a driving school?

Yes, at a driver education school that DPS has certified for third-party skills testing. A driver 18 to 24 needs a valid DE-964 or ADE-1317 course certificate, a valid restricted driver license and an ITAD certificate dated within 90 days before the test. DPS does not regulate the fee that a school charges for the drive test.