To use our defensive driving course for ticket dismissal, just follow these steps:
Step 1. Contact your court and request permission to take a defensive driving course.
You may do this by phone, in writing (on the back of your citation), or in person. You have until the appearance date on your citation to request permission. At that time, you must plead guilty or no contest to your violation.
You must also meet the following eligibility requirements:
- You have a valid non-commercial drivers license.
- Your ticket was for going less than 25 MPH over the speed limit.
- You have NOT completed a defensive driving course within the past 12 months.
- You did NOT commit your infraction in a construction zone.
Make sure to ask if your court has specific forms or affidavits that it will require you to mail/bring in. You can often find copies of these specific forms to print on your court or county’s website.
Step 2. Mail or bring to court all of the required documents and forms.
These will include:
- Proof of valid Texas drivers license
- A copy of your insurance policy
- Your signed citation admitting guilt
- Any other documents specified by your county/court (court-specific affidavits, application forms, etc.)
- A court administrative fee (which varies by court)
Step 3. Enroll in and complete your TDLR-approved defensive driving course.
Be aware that you may be required to complete the course by a certain date; while the course is self-paced, you’ll need to allow yourself plenty of time to get through it.
Step 4. After you’ve completed your course, mail / bring the following documents to your court:
- Your I Drive Safely certificate of completion
- An official copy of your Texas driving record
- Once you have submitted your completion certificate, the court will notify you when your dismissal has been processed. Check your driving record to be sure that your Texas defensive driving course shows up!
