How to Take a Texas Defensive Driving Course
Our Texas online defensive driving course can help you in a few ways. You can dismiss a traffic ticket, satisfy a court seat belt course requirement or receive an insurance discount.
The process for each is a little bit different; here’s the steps you’ll need to do for each.
How to Dismiss a Traffic Ticket
- 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 hold a valid non-commercial drivers license.
- Your citation is 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 within 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.
- 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)
- 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.
- 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!
How to Earn an Insurance Discount
- Contact your Texas insurance provider for eligibility info and discount details.
Your insurance provider will be able to tell you if you’re eligible to receive a discount for taking a Texas defensive driving class. If you can earn a discount, you should also ask how long that discount will remain in effect, and whether or not it can be renewed.
- Enroll in our Texas defensive driving course, and once you’ve completed it, submit your certificate of completion to your insurance company.
You may usually fax, mail, or hand-deliver your completion certificate to your insurance provider, who will then process it and apply your discount to your premium. We’ll send you a copy for free via U.S. Mail, but if you need it sooner, we have options for expedited delivery via FedEx.
Be sure to find out exactly when your new rates will go into effect – some companies will wait until your next 6-month coverage cycle, and others will apply it immediately. And that’s all you need to do!
