How Much Is a Texas Learner License? Fees and Test Retakes (2026)
How much does a Texas learner license cost?
A Texas learner license for a person under 18 costs $16 at the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS): the $15 license fee set in law plus a $1 administrative fee. The fee gives you up to three tries at each exam part. If you fail, DPS holds your application for 90 days. After 90 days or a third failed try of a part, you apply and pay again.
Where these fees and retake rules come from
The amounts come from the DPS driver license fees page and Texas Transportation Code section 521.421. The retake and school testing rules come from Transportation Code section 521.161, section 521.1655, the Texas Driver Handbook (DL-7, revised January 2026) and the DPS learner license, provisional license and third-party skills testing pages. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Texas Department of Public Safety (dps.texas.gov) before you drive.
What Texas licenses cost at DPS in 2026
| License | Fee at DPS (U.S. dollars) | When it expires |
|---|---|---|
| Learner license, under 18 (Phase One) | $16 ($15 + $1) | On your 18th birthday |
| Provisional license (Phase Two) or other new license, under 18 | $16 ($15 + $1) | On your 18th birthday |
| Motorcycle-only (Class M) learner license, under 18 | $16 | On your 18th birthday |
| Class C license with learner restrictions, age 18 and older | $33 ($32 + $1) | Generally after eight years |
| New driver license, age 18 to 84 | $33 ($32 + $1) | After eight years, on your birthday |
| Replacement driver license | $11 | Your expiration date does not change |
How the $1 DPS administrative fee works
Every amount in the DPS fee table includes a $1 administrative fee. If you do several transactions at the same time, you pay the $1 only once. DPS does not charge the $1 for transactions that you do by mail.
What happens if you fail the Texas knowledge test?
Under Texas law, your fee covers three examinations of each exam part for each application. The parts are vision, road signs, traffic laws, bicyclist rights and duties, distracted driving, and the driving test. The same rule covers the driving test: after a third failed driving exam on one application, you submit a new application and pay the fee again.
When do you pay the DPS fee again?
Avoid a retake: the 70 percent pass mark
You need a score of 70 percent or better to pass any Texas knowledge exam. Test yourself with the free question on how the 70 percent pass mark works. For the topics and the format of the test, see our guide to the Texas learner license test.
Paying at DPS: the steps to your learner license
- 1Bring your learner license documents to your appointment at a driver license office.
- 2Pay the application fee. You must pay before any exam is given, and you get a payment receipt.
- 3Pass the vision exam.
- 4Pass the knowledge exam at the office if you did not take it in your driver education course.
- 5Get a temporary permit to drive right away. The official card usually arrives by mail in 2 to 3 weeks.
Do driver education schools charge their own test fees?
Yes. DPS does not regulate the fee that a driver education school charges for a driving test. Under the third-party skills testing (TPST) program, a school that DPS certified can give the Class C driving test. Ask the school for its price in writing before you book. You still pay the DPS application fee for the license; after a test at some TPST schools, you can pay it online through Texas by Texas. An in-person or online driver education provider may also give its students the vision, road sign and traffic law parts of the knowledge test. A parent-taught provider may give the sign and traffic law parts.
Key takeaways
- A learner license for a person under 18 costs $16 at DPS: a $15 license fee plus a $1 administrative fee.
- A new adult license (age 18 to 84) costs $33 and lasts eight years. A replacement license costs $11.
- One fee gives you up to three tries of each exam part. After 90 days or a third failed try of a part, you apply and pay again.
- DPS does not regulate what a driver education school charges for a driving test, so ask the school first.
- Next step: practice on the free Texas Class C learner license practice test. It is in English only.
Texas learner license fees: common questions
Do I pay again for the provisional license in Texas?
Yes. When you apply for the provisional license (Phase Two), you pay the application fee at DPS again. A new license for a person under 18 costs $16: the $15 license fee plus the $1 administrative fee. It expires on your 18th birthday.
How much does a Texas driver license cost at 18?
A new license for ages 18 to 84 costs $33 at DPS: $32 plus the $1 administrative fee. It lasts eight years. An adult who wants to practice driving first gets a Class C license with learner restrictions at the same price.
How much does a replacement Texas driver license cost?
A replacement driver license costs $11 at DPS, and the $1 administrative fee is already in that amount. The $11 covers a lost, stolen or damaged license and a change of address or name. Your expiration date does not change.
Does a Texas learner license expire?
Yes. A learner license expires on your 18th birthday. You must hold it for at least six months unless you turn 18 first. If your license is suspended, the six-month period grows by the number of days of the suspension.
How much is a motorcycle learner license in Texas?
A new Class M (motorcycle only) learner license for an applicant under 18 costs $16 at DPS, the same as a car learner license. It expires on your 18th birthday. If you already have a Texas driver license, DPS charges $16 to add a motorcycle to it.
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