Texas DPS Permit Test Guide 2026: Ages, Test Format, and Requirements

Texas handles driver licensing through the Department of Public Safety (DPS) Driver License Division, not a “DMV”, a common point of confusion for newcomers. Many services (practice tests, appointment booking, license status) run through the DPS online portal.

• Minimum age: 15, after completing the Impact Texas Drivers (ITD) program and the classroom phase of driver education (32 hours classroom + behind-the-wheel phases for teens).
• Knowledge test: 30 questions; 21 correct (70%) passes. Included in many driver-ed courses, which can spare you the DPS line.
• Vision test required at application.
• Supervision: a licensed driver 21+ must occupy the front seat.

At 16 (after holding the learner license 6 months) you may take the behind-the-wheel driving test. Until 18, Phase 2 restrictions:

• No driving midnight to 5 a.m. except for work, school, or emergencies.
• No passengers under 21 unless family, and no more than one passenger under 21 who is not family.
• Wireless-device use is prohibited for all drivers under 18, even hands-free.

Texas requires the 6-hour adult driver education course plus the ITD course before the road test for any first-time driver 18-24. The 25+ crowd takes only the knowledge and driving tests, though the course is still recommended.

• Learner license fee covers application through the provisional stage (about $25 for under-18s at time of writing).
• Permits and licenses expire on your birthday; the permit must be valid on road-test day.
• DPS appointments book out weeks in metro areas (Houston, Dallas, Austin), schedule the road test as soon as you become eligible.

From the official Texas Driver Handbook:

• Right-of-way: intersections, turn lanes, driveways, emergency vehicles, and funeral processions (a Texas-specific favorite).
• Speed limits: 70 mph rural interstates, 15 mph school zones, night limits on some roads.
• Insurance laws: the state’s minimum liability coverage and the consequences of driving uninsured.
• Work zones: fines double when workers are present.
• BAC limits: 0.08% adults; Texas zero-tolerance under 21, any detectable alcohol is a DUI charge.

1. Read the handbook’s right-of-way and penalty sections twice, Texas tests legal consequences more than most states.
2. Memorize numeric limits with flashcards: speeds, distances, insurance minimums, curfew hours.
3. Score 30/30 on practice runs before test day; the 70% bar is low but Houston and Dallas offices fail plenty of unprepared testers.
4. Bring paperwork complete: proof of identity, SSN, residency, VOE (Verification of Enrollment) if in school, and ITD certificate.

• Confusing DUI (under 21, any alcohol) with DWI (0.08%+ adults).
• Missing that you must yield to oncoming traffic when leaving a driveway or parking lot.
• Forgetting that passing a school bus with red lights flashing is illegal on both sides of undivided roads.
• Assuming turn signals are optional in roundabouts, Texas roundabout rules mirror standard yield-to-left practice.