About the Texas Parent-Taught Driver Education Online Courses
The Texas Parent-Taught Driver Education courses allow teens to complete their driver education requirements with their parent as their instructor. The courses are regulated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). Safe2Drive offers both the full Parent-Taught Driver Education course, which includes both the online classroom instruction hours and behind-the-wheel training, and the Parent-Taught Behind-the-Wheel ONLY course, which includes only the behind-the-wheel training.
Eligibility Requirements for Instructors
There are a few requirements a person must meet in order to be eligible to instruct a Parent-Taught Driver Education course:
- The instructor must be the student’s parent, step-parent, grandparent, step-grandparent, foster parent or legal guardian appointed by a court.
A power of attorney is not considered a legal guardian. Additionally, a parent, legal guardian, or a judge of a court with jurisdiction over the student can designate a person to instruct the course who:
- is at least 25 years old;
- does not charge a fee for conducting the course; and
- has at least seven years of driving experience.
- The instructor must possess a valid license for the preceding three years that has not been suspended, revoked, or forfeited in the past three years for an offense that involves the operation of a motor vehicle.
- Instructors cannot have:
- a conviction (including a probated sentence) of criminally negligent homicide;
- a conviction (including a probated sentence) of driving while intoxicated in the last seven years; and
- a conviction in the preceding three years of:
- three or more moving violations described by Section 542.304, Transportation Code, including violations that resulted in an accident; or
- two or more moving violations described by Section 542.304, Transportation Code, that resulted in an accident.
Instructors are responsible for checking their criminal and driver records prior to requesting the PTDE Program Guide. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) will verify the instructor’s record when it processes the student’s learner license and again when it processes the student’s provisional driver license.
If the DPS determines that the instructor does not meet the requirements, the DPS will deny the learner license or provisional driver license along with any prior classroom instruction or behind the wheel/in-car instruction provided by the ineligible instructor.
To verify your eligibility to be an instructor before ordering the PTDE Program Guide, please use the DPS Online Driver Record Request System.
The Full Texas Parent-Taught Driver Education Course
The full Parent-Taught Driver Education course consists of 32 hours of online instruction and 44 hours of behind-the-wheel training and practice. Safe2Drive provides the curriculum and a behind-the-wheel teaching guide. Parents monitor their teen's progress through the online course and follow the behind-the-wheel instruction guide to provide behind-the-wheel training. Teens take the first six hours of online instruction to obtain a learner license. Thereafter, the online instruction (a.k.a., "theory") and behind-the-wheel training (a.k.a., "practice") occur in parallel.
The course is divided into two components:
- 32 Hours of Online Instruction (Theory)
- 44 Hours of Behind-the-Wheel Training (Practice)
The TDLR regulates the topics that must be covered in both the online instruction and behind-the-wheel training. The 32 hours of online instruction include:
- Rules of the Road
- Distracted Driving
- Driving Emergencies
- Protecting Yourself While Driving
- Driving in All Seasons
- Adult and Child Safety Equipment
- Impaired Driving
- Driving Behaviors
- Recent Trends in Driving
- Best Practices and Procedures
The behind-the-wheel training is divided into three parts:
- 7 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction
- 7 hours of behind-the-wheel observation
- 30 hours of practice driving (10 hours of which must be done at night)
The topics covered in the behind-the-wheel training include:
- Pre-Drive Tasks
- Basics of Vehicle Operation and Control
- Attention and Communication
- Managing Vehicle Space
- Reference Points
- Turns, Changing Lanes, and Passing
- Parking
- Aggressive Drivers
- Distracted Driving
- Traffic Laws and Right-of-Way
- Safe Driving Techniques
- Driving in Adverse Weather
A 6-hour certificate is issued when a teen completes the first six hours of online instruction. This certificate can be used to obtain a learner license. The learner
license allows a teen to begin driving with a licensed driver age 21 or older in the front passenger seat. A second certificate (a "Certificate of Completion") is issued upon completing the course. This certificate is
submitted to the Texas Department of Public Safety to obtain a driver license. Keep in mind that there are other requirements that must be met in order to get your driver license, such as completing the ITTD course, being at least 16 years old, having resided in Texas for at least 30 days prior to applying for your driver license,
and having held your learner license for at least 6 months. You will also need to gather the required documents and pass the driving skills test at the DPS.
The Texas Parent-Taught Behind-the-Wheel Only Course
The Texas Parent-Taught Behind-the-Wheel Only course allows parents to serve as their teen's instructor for the required 14 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction that is required for licensing. The course provides a step-by-step guide for parents to help their teens acquire the knowledge and skills about basic vehicle operation such as turning, backing, and parking.
The Parent-Taught Behind-the-Wheel ONLY course is divided into two components:
- 7 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction
- 7 hours of behind-the-wheel observation
The topics covered in the training include:
- Pre-Drive Tasks
- Basics of Vehicle Operation and Control
- Attention and Communication
- Managing Vehicle Space
- Reference Points
- Turns, Changing Lanes, and Passing
- Parking
- Aggressive Drivers
- Distracted Driving
- Traffic Laws and Right-of-Way
- Safe Driving Techniques
- Driving in Adverse Weather
The Texas Parent-Taught Behind-the-Wheel ONLY course is much less expensive than hiring a certified driving instructor. It is easy to understand and self-paced. Our materials guide parents on how to instruct their teens
on the rules of the road, right-of-way, the basics of driving skills, intermediate safe driving practices, and more. Logs are included to help parents track,
document, and prepare their teens' driving histories for submission to the Texas DPS.
*Please keep in mind that in addition to this 14 hours of behind-the-wheel training, teens must complete 30 hours of practice driving (10 hours of which must be done at night) with an adult who is at least 21 years of age and who has had his or her driver license for at least a year. This practice time must be certified by the teen's parent/guardian.
After completing the 14-hour Parent-Taught Behind-the-Wheel ONLY course and the 30 hours of practice driving (10 hours of which must be done at night), there are some additional requirements you'll need to meet prior to applying for your driver license.
You will need to complete the ITTD course, be at least 16 years old, have resided in Texas for at least 30 days prior to applying for your driver license,
and have held your learner license for at least 6 months. You will also need to gather the required documents and pass the driving skills test at the DPS.
Back to Top