Defensive Driving

Requests

You may request a driving safety course in person, by mail, or online, on or before your citation due date. You are eligible for the course if you have not completed a driving safety course for dismissal of a citation within the past 12 months and your citation is not in failure to appear status.

There are some traffic offenses that are exceptions and defendants charged with those offenses are not eligible for a driving safety course. The following traffic offenses are exceptions from taking a driving safety course:

Offense committed by a commercial driver's license (CDL) holder (Article 45.0511(a), C.C.P.)
Offense committed in construction and maintenance zone when workers are present (Sections 472.002, 543.404, and 729.004, T.C.)
Offense of speeding 25 miles or more over the posted limit (Article 45.0511(c)(4), C.C.P.)
Offense of passing a school bus loading or unloading children
Offense of leaving an accident scene after causing damage to a vehicle (Article 45.0511(p), C.C.P.)

Request by Mail

Requests by certified mail must include the following:

A written statement requesting the opportunity to take a driving safety course for the dismissal of the citation. Said request must include a plea of Guilty or No Contest and a sworn statement that you have not completed a driving safety course within the last 12 months for dismissal of another citation and must be received by the court on or before your citation due date.
A copy of your citation.
A copy of your current insurance policy (the insurance must be in your name or you must be a listed driver on the policy).
A copy of your valid Texas driver's license.
If the citation was issued on or after January 1, 2020 and was not in a school zone, you must submit a cashier's check or money order in the amount of $144. Do not send cash in the mail.
If the citation was issued on or after January 1, 2020 and was in a school zone, you must submit a cashier's check or money order in the amount of $169. Do not send cash in the mail.
If the citation was issued from September 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019 and was not in a school zone, you must submit a cashier's check or money order in the amount of $134. Do not send cash in the mail.
If the citation was issued from September 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019 and was in a school zone, you must submit a cashier's check or money order in the amount of $159.
If the issue date on your citation is prior to September 1, 2019 and was not in a school zone, you must submit a cashier's check or money order for $114. If your citation was issued in a school zone, prior to September 1, 2019, you must submit a cashier's check or money order for $139.

Once your payment and request have been received and approved, you will be given 90 days to complete the driving safety course and request a copy of your driver record.

Driving Record

The driver record can be obtained from the Texas Department of Public Safety. This form is necessary to prove that you have not taken the course within the past 12 months. It takes approximately 3 to 6 weeks to receive your driver record from the Department of Public Safety.

You may now request your driver record online. The process for ordering a driver record online is simple. A person only needs information from their current driver's license to complete the transaction. The fee for a Type 3A record, the Certified Complete Driving History, is $12. This record is acceptable for a driver safety course. You must have access to a printer when ordering your record online.

Failure to Complete Course or Submit Forms

If you do not complete the course and submit the completion forms to the Court in the time period prescribed, your case will be set for a show cause hearing by written notice to you at the last known address on file with the Court. It is your responsibility to update any address change with the Court. Failing to appear at the show cause hearing will result in the issuance of a capias pro fine warrant for your arrest and a conviction on your driver record.