Arriving Prepared for your Driving Test

Documents to Bring

Please be sure to bring the following documents when you go for your road test. If you take your test at a driving school, they may not ask for all the documents listed, but when you bring your sealed results envelope to DPS, they may ask for additional items in this list.

• Unexpired Texas learner's permit with your picture on it. If you are under 18, you are not eligible to take a driving exam until the date listed (in tiny print) on the back of your permit (180 days from when it was issued), and you must be at least 16 years old.

• Unexpired printed certificate showing you have watched the free online Impact Texas video: 

  • • If you took a 6-hour adult driver's ed course, register for and watch the 1-hour Impact Texas Adult Drivers video. 

    • If you took a parent-taught/online teen driver's ed course (32 classroom hours) or completed a teen class at a driving school, you must register for and watch the 2-hour Impact Texas Teen Drivers video even if you are now 18 or older (unless you subsequently took a 6-hour adult driver's ed course and have the ADE-1317 certificate of completion from it, in which case you should watch the Impact Texas Adult Drivers video instead). Tip: On the Impact Texas Teen Drivers registration page under “Driver Education Type,” choose “Parent Taught (PTDE)” and then select the course you took in the dropdown. 

• If you got your permit through a teen driver's ed course but then later took a 6-hour adult course, bring the ADE-1317 adult course completion certificate with you to exempt you from the additional teen requirements listed below.

• A completed application for Texas Driver's License. If you are older than 17 years 10 months, use this form; if you are younger than 17 years 10 months, use this form. (You can also fill this out after you arrive at the DPS if you prefer. They will provide you with the correct form.)

• The required application fee.

• Eyeglasses or contacts if you need them for distance vision.

• It's a good idea to also bring recent proof of residency documentation, proof of Social Security number, and proof of identity documents (in addition to your learner's permit), just in case they ask to see these things again.

• If you took an online/parent-taught teen driver's ed course (32 hours of instruction)  or completed a teen class at a driving school, you must also bring the following even if you already turned 18: 

• • • A parent or legal guardian to sign forms.

    • Green (usually) DE-964 certificate of completion from your teen course. Bring the one that says "FOR DRIVER LICENSE ONLY" in the black bar at the top and is marked "DPS Copy". This shows that you have completed all 32 hours of classroom instruction. (If you took an online/parent-taught teen driver's ed course, the form will be designated "PT DE-964".)

    • Completed and signed 30-hour Behind-the-Wheel Instruction Log. Please note the instruction that you are only allowed to log 1 hour on any given day! (So you can't put the same date on more than one line.)  Also, parent's signature and driver's license number must be written on every line.

    • Verification of Enrollment (VOE) form from your school attendance office, dated within the past 30 days OR diploma showing you have graduated from high school. The VOE should have an original signature (not typed/printed) from the school official, and have the school name typed/printed (not hand written!) at the upper left. During the summer you may bring your most recent grade report in lieu of the VOE.

    • If you took an online/parent-taught teen driver's ed course (as opposed to a class at a driving school), you must also bring the following:

      • PTDE Program Guide Receipt Page (the first page of your program guide from TDLR).

      • 7+7 hour in-car instruction+observation log provided through your online/parent-taught course. With some parent-taught courses, this is combined with the 30 hour Behind-the-Wheel log to make a 44-hour log. (If you completed your teen driver's ed at a driving school, you do not need this.)

      • 32-hour classroom instruction log provided through your online/parent-taught course.

Also see the checklist from your online course provider to be extra sure you have everything covered!

Testing in Your Own Vehicle 

If you will be testing in your own vehicle (usually the case -- as opposed to a driving school vehicle), please make sure you have unexpired proof of insurance, that your windshield registration sticker is not expired, that you have both front and rear license plates, and that your turn signals, horn and brake lights (all 3!) are working. Also, you need to have license plates in both the front and back (unless you recently purchased the car, and have an unexpired Texas Buyers tag in the back). Lastly, windshield wipers should also be in working order and leave your windshield streak-free in case it is raining at the time of your test. 

Also see Tips for Passing Your Driving Test