Driving Tests

How to Get a Texas Learner License at 15 (2026 Steps)

informational·how to guide·Published July 30, 2026

How do you get a Texas learner license at 15?

You can apply for a Texas learner license when you are 15 or older and under 18. First finish the classroom phase of an approved driver education course (6 hours with the concurrent method, 24 hours with the block method) and pass the knowledge exam. Then book a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) appointment. You must hold the license at least six months unless you turn 18.

Where the Texas learner license rules come from

The rules come from the DPS Phase I learner license page, Texas Transportation Code section 521.222 and the Texas Driver Handbook (DL-7, revised January 2026). The phone rule comes from Transportation Code section 545.424. Fee, document, school and exam details come from other DPS pages, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) and Transportation Code chapter 521. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Texas Department of Public Safety (dps.texas.gov) before you drive.

What to finish before you go to DPS

Be at least 15 and under 18.
Finish and pass the classroom phase of an approved driver education course. Parent-taught students follow the hours of their course provider.
Pass the knowledge exam with a score of 70 percent or better.
Get proof of school: a high school diploma, a GED or a Verification of Enrollment and Attendance (VOE) form from your school.
Get your Texas driver education certificate from your course provider.

Concurrent or block: how many classroom hours do you need first?

You choose the concurrent method

Finish the first 6 hours of classroom instruction and pass the knowledge exam. You can then get the learner license and finish the remaining 18 hours of classroom instruction while you practice.

You choose the block method

Finish all 24 hours of classroom instruction first. Then take the knowledge exam and apply for the learner license.

What does the VOE need to show?

The law asks for at least 80 days of school attendance in the fall or spring semester before your application. Your school also sets its own conditions before it signs the VOE, so ask the school office early. A VOE is valid for 30 days from the day your school issues it, or 90 days if it is issued from June through August. Plan your DPS appointment inside that window. The guide to Texas learner license documents lists what else to bring.

Steps to get your Texas learner license

1
Finish the classroom phase
Complete the classroom hours for your method with an approved driver education provider.
2
Pass the knowledge exam
Take it with your course provider if the provider offers it. If not, you take it at the DPS office.
3
Get your VOE or diploma
Ask your school for the VOE form, or bring your high school diploma or GED.
4
Book a DPS appointment
DPS offices work by appointment only. Texas Scheduler lets you book up to 180 days ahead.
5
Bring a parent or guardian and your documents
Bring a parent or legal guardian, or the notarized application signed by the parent or guardian. Bring your driver education certificate, proof of citizenship or lawful presence, proof of Texas residency, proof of identity and your Social Security number. Bring proof of insurance for each vehicle you own, or sign a statement at the office that you own none.
6
Pass the vision exam and pay the fee
DPS tests your vision at the office. The learner license fee is $16 (U.S. dollars) as of 2026. DPS also takes your signature, thumbprints and photo.
7
Check your temporary permit
You get a temporary permit to drive right away. Check the information on it before you leave, and tell the specialist about any mistake.

Who can supervise you on a learner license?

The person in the seat beside you must hold a license for that type of vehicle, be 21 or older and have at least one year of driving experience. You must have your learner license with you whenever you drive. The supervisor may not sleep, be intoxicated or do anything that stops them from watching and responding to what you do. The question on who may supervise a learner license driver tests this rule.

Can you use a phone with a learner license?

No. Texas law bars any driver under 18 from using a wireless communication device while driving, except in an emergency. The ban includes hands-free devices. The question on the under-18 wireless device rule tests it.

Texas learner license rules at a glance

Texas learner license rules at a glance
Rule	What Texas requires
Age	15 or older and under 18
Who rides with you	A licensed person in the seat beside you who is 21 or older and has at least one year of driving experience
Phone	No wireless device, even hands-free, except in an emergency
Minimum holding time	Six months, unless you turn 18
Expiry	Your 18th birthday

How long must you hold it, and what comes next?

Hold the learner license for at least six months, unless you turn 18 first. If your license is suspended while you hold it, the six-month period grows by the number of days of the suspension. The license expires on your 18th birthday. Next is Phase Two of the Graduated Driver License program, the provisional license. You must be 16 or older, finish the behind-the-wheel part of driver education (including 30 hours of practice, 10 of them at night, with a licensed driver 21 or older) and pass a driving test. The Texas provisional license rules explain what you can do with it.

Key takeaways

You can apply for a Texas learner license at 15 or older and under 18. You can start driver education at 14.
Before DPS, finish the classroom phase (6 hours concurrent or 24 hours block), pass the knowledge exam (70 percent) and get your VOE or diploma.
A supervisor must sit beside you, be 21 or older and have at least one year of driving experience. No phone use, even hands-free.
Hold the license at least six months unless you turn 18. It expires on your 18th birthday.
Next step: practice the traffic laws and signs on the free Texas Class C learner license practice test.

Texas learner license: common questions

Can I start driver education at 14 in Texas?

Yes. You can start the classroom phase of a driver education course at 14. You cannot apply for a learner license until you are at least 15, so you can finish the classroom hours first and book your DPS appointment for the time you turn 15.

Do I take a driving test to get a Texas learner license?

No. Texas does not give a driving test for a learner license. At the DPS office, you take the vision exam, and the knowledge exam too if you did not pass it in your course. The driving test comes later, when you apply for the provisional license at 16 or older.

I got my learner license at 15. Can I get my provisional license after six months?

Only if you are also 16 by then. Texas law asks for two things before a provisional license: you are 16 or older, and you have held a learner or hardship license for at least six months. If you get your learner license soon after you turn 15, you wait until your 16th birthday.

I am 17. Do I still have to hold a learner license for six months?

Yes, unless you turn 18 first. The six-month rule applies only while you are under 18, and the learner license expires on your 18th birthday. From 18 to 24, DPS requires a 6-hour adult driver education course before you test for a driver license.

How long does a Texas learner license take to arrive?

Your official learner license usually arrives by mail within 2 to 3 weeks after your DPS visit. Until then, you drive on the temporary permit that DPS gives you at the office. You can track the card on the DPS mailing status webpage.