Texas Driving School License: TDLR Requirements Explained

In Texas, driving schools are licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), which calls them driver education providers. To open one you need a $10,000 bond, a $500 application fee plus a $300 endorsement fee, an approved curriculum, and licensed instructors who each pass a background check.

This guide explains the license types, what TDLR asks for, the course rules, how certificates work, and what inspectors look at.

Key takeaways

TDLR licenses driver education providers, driving safety providers and driver education instructors.
A driver education provider needs a $10,000 bond, a $500 application fee and a $300 endorsement fee for in-person, online or parent-taught delivery.
Instructors need a full Texas license held three years in good standing, fingerprints, a background check and a $50 fee. Licenses last one year.
Providers buy DE-964 certificates or certificate numbers from TDLR, at $1.00 each.

License types

TDLR's Driver Education and Safety at a glance sheet lists these license types:

Driver education provider: primary, branch, online only and parent-taught. In fiscal year 2025, TDLR reported 434 primary, 114 branch, 19 online-only and 38 parent-taught providers.
Driving safety provider: schools that teach the defensive driving course used for ticket dismissal. TDLR reported 317 of these.
Driver education instructor: 2,505 licensees.

Most new "driving schools" that teach teens apply as a driver education provider. If you also want to run defensive driving courses, that is a separate driving safety provider license.

What a driver education provider needs

According to TDLR, a driver education provider needs:

A $10,000 driver education bond
An Assumed Name Registration from the Texas Secretary of State
A registered agent if the business is located outside Texas
A $500 application fee and a $300 endorsement fee (in-person, online or parent-taught)
A curriculum that meets Chapter 84 rules and Education Code Chapter 1001

TDLR's forms page says providers can apply or renew online. It also has the provider bond and branch bond forms, bond continuation agreements, statements of assurance (Move Over or Slow Down, street racing and human trafficking) and a school site visit request.

Each branch needs its own license. The at-a-glance fee schedule lists $500 for each initial in-person, online, parent-taught or branch license, and $100 to renew the primary or a branch license.

For how bonds are priced, see Driving School Surety Bonds: Which States Require Them. For a full budget, see Driving School Startup Costs: Fees, Bonds, Cars and Insurance.

Instructor licenses

To get a Texas driver education instructor license, you must:

Have a current, valid Texas Class A, B, C or CDL license, held at least three years in good standing. A learner or provisional license does not count, and a suspension or revocation in the past three years disqualifies you.
Submit fingerprints to the Texas Department of Public Safety through the IdentoGo service and pass a criminal history check. Some records require a Criminal History Questionnaire.
Pay a $50 non-refundable fee.

Licenses last one year from issue. Renewal costs $25, and instructors need at least 2 hours of continuing education each license cycle, in driver education, driving safety or instructional techniques. Instructors must carry their license while teaching. To compare with other states, read How to Become a Driving Instructor: Requirements by State.

Course types and hours

The at-a-glance sheet summarizes the teen driver education course as:

At least 24 hours of classroom instruction
7 hours behind the wheel and 7 hours of in-car observation
30 more hours of parent-monitored driving, including 10 at night

Students can get a learner license at 15 after finishing the first 6 hours or all 24 classroom hours, with a DE-964 certificate. A provisional license comes at 16 or older, after holding the learner license at least 6 months and finishing the course and driving test.

TDLR also publishes program guides: the 32-hour course (POI-DE), the Adult Six-Hour course and the 6-hour driving safety course. The laws and rules page says curriculum requirements moved out of Chapter 84 into these guides. The forms page shows the adult course is for students 18 to under 25.

Certificates

Texas controls the completion certificates. Providers log in to TDLR's certificate system to buy DE-964 paper certificates or certificate numbers, and ADE-1317 adult driver education certificates. Driving safety providers buy DS-230 certificate numbers. A provider that wants to issue electronic certificates must first submit its template to TDLR for approval.

The at-a-glance sheet lists the fee as $1.00 per driver education or driving safety certificate. TDLR also runs a certificate validation search. Inspectors check that certificates are secured. For why that matters, see How to Spot a Fake Driving School Certificate: A Checklist.

What TDLR inspectors check

TDLR describes its driver education school inspections in detail. Inspectors look at:

Licenses: a valid provider license, a license for each branch, and licensed instructors who carry their licenses
Advertising: no false or misleading claims; ads must show the provider name and license number
Records: student files, daily attendance, instructor timecards and schedules, and the refund policy, kept for three years. Contracts must be signed before money is taken.
Postings: a consumer complaint sign and the most recent inspection report
Facilities: adequate space and materials, and classrooms not in a private residence
Vehicles: owned or leased by the provider, with valid registration, inspection and insurance, an instructor brake and a rearview mirror

The page also lists prohibited practices, including instructors teaching more than 10 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction per day, more than 36 regular students in a classroom, or more than 4 students per instructor in the car.

Staying licensed

Plan for yearly renewals for instructors, keep your bond continuous (TDLR provides bond continuation forms), and keep three years of records ready. A clean inspection report on your wall is good for business.

Parents in Texas can look up providers and validate certificates through TDLR. RoadVerified lists licensed schools too: a free listing lets you show your TDLR license details, earn a verified-school check mark, and issue certificates with a verification code and QR that anyone can check at roadverified.com/verify.

FAQ

Who licenses driving schools in Texas?

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). It licenses driver education providers, driving safety providers and driver education instructors.

How much does a Texas driving school license cost?

TDLR lists a $500 application fee plus a $300 endorsement fee for a driver education provider, and a $10,000 bond. Each branch is $500, and renewing the primary license is $100.

How do I become a driving instructor in Texas?

Hold a full Texas Class A, B, C or CDL license for at least three years in good standing, submit fingerprints, pass a criminal history check and pay a $50 fee. The license lasts one year and needs 2 hours of continuing education per cycle.

What is a DE-964 certificate?

It's the Texas driver education certificate of completion. Providers buy the certificates or certificate numbers from TDLR, and students need one to apply for a learner license.

Get your school verified

Licensed by TDLR? claim your free listing on RoadVerified so Texas families can find and verify your school.