Requirements for Completing a Driving Safety Course
To be eligible to take a Driving Safety Course or a Motorcycle Operator Training Course for ticket dismissal, you must:
- Possess a valid Texas Driver's License or permit.
- Show proof of financial responsibility or vehicle liability insurance in your name or with you as a listed driver
- Enter a plea of "guilty" or "no contest."
- Pay the court costs and applicable fees of
- $129 (or $154 in a school zone) for offenses before January 01, 2020.
- $144 (or $169 in a school zone) for offenses January 01, 2020, or after.
The following make you ineligible to take a Driving Safety Course:
- Completed a Driving Safety Course within one year preceding the date of the current citation.
- Cited with speeding 25 mph or more over the posted speed limit.
- Possess a Commercial Driver's License
- Have not committed one of the following:
- Failure to stop and leave I.D.
- Passing a school bus
- Speeding in a construction zone with workers present
- Any serious traffic violations as defined under Chapter 522 Transportation Code
How to Request Permission to Take a Driving Safety Course
- Request must be made within 10 calendar days of the date of citation.
- Request may be made in person, email, or by mail.
- If applying by mail or email, please wait until you have received a permission letter from the court to take the course.
Once approved you will have 90 days to successfully complete the course and return all documents, the course completion certificate and a certified copy of your driving record from the Texas Department of Public Safety, to the court.
Failure to Complete
If you fail to complete any of the requirements by your due date, your case will be set for a Show Cause Hearing and a letter will be mailed to the address on your citation. There are NO resets for a Show Cause Hearing except for an emergency that can be verified by Court Personnel. If you fail to appear at the Show Cause Hearing, judgment will be imposed. You will have 10 days from the Hearing date to either pay or appeal the total judgment before a "capias pro" fine warrant may be issued. You may waive your Hearing by signing the waiver on your Show Cause letter or by writing to the Court to waive your Show Cause Hearing and pay the remaining balance of the fine