You just got a speeding ticket in Texas. Now what? Will this ticket haunt your driving record? And, if so, for how long? Most importantly, is there anything you can do about it?
Fighting a speeding ticket in Texas is difficult. How can you prove you weren’t going faster than the speed limit?
But there is one effective way to fight your speeding ticket. You can take defensive driving in Texas to dismiss your ticket. This is the single best way to fight a speeding ticket in Texas.
Know the Rules for Defensive Driving in Texas
First, anyone can take a defensive driving course in Texas at any time. You might just want to brush up on your driving skills. Or you might want to take a course to earn an auto insurance discount.
But if you specifically want to use defensive driving in Texas to dismiss your speeding ticket, you need to follow the rules.
Rule #1: You Must Be Eligible
Some speeding tickets are not eligible for dismissal through a defensive driving course. In general, you are not eligible for having your ticket dismissed if:
You have a commercial driver’s license.
You have taken court-ordered defensive driving in Texas in the year leading up to your speeding ticket.
You don’t have a valid Texas driver’s license.
You were driving 95 mph or more (or 25 mph over the posted speed limit).
Rule #2: You Need Court Permission
As long as you are eligible to have your speeding ticket dismissed with a defensive driving course, the court should grant permission for you to do so. But you still need to go through the process of getting court permission.
Instructions for getting court permission might be printed on your citation — they can vary depending on the jurisdiction where you got the ticket. Otherwise, you can check in with your local court system through the Texas Judicial website.
In most cases, you’ll need to submit a copy of your Texas driver’s license and proof of insurance to the court to receive permission to dismiss your traffic ticket with defensive driving in Texas.
Rule #3: You Must Pay All Court Fees
Taking a defensive driving course can remove a speeding ticket from your driving record, but it can’t eliminate the fees.
You’ll still need to pay all fees associated with the citation itself and with the local court system.
Rule #4: You Will Need to Provide Proof of Completion to the Court
It’s not enough to complete the defensive driver course. To get your speeding ticket dismissed in Texas, you’ll need to prove completion of the course to the court. What’s more, you’ll need to prove that you complete a state-approved course provider.
All iDriveSafely courses are state-approved, so you can be confident that your coursework will be accepted by the court system. You can even get a free digital course completion certificate to avoid the hassle of physical paperwork.
Rule #5: You’ll Also Need to Submit Your Driving Record
You would think that the court system already has access to your driving record, right? Well, they don’t. They require you to order a copy of your driving record at your own expense.
Luckily, iDriveSafely offers a low-cost way to order your driving record. And you can bundle this service with your online defensive driving course for a fast, convenient way to address this requirement.
Enroll in Your Texas Defensive Driving Course
When you need to fight a speeding ticket in Texas, iDriveSafely has you covered! Our online courses are:
Affordable.
State-approved.
Exam-free.
100% online.
Quick, easy, and convenient.
Confirm your eligibility, get court permission, and enroll in your defensive driving Texas course today!