How Often Can You Take Defensive Driving in Texas?

In Texas, you can take defensive driving once every 12 months if you do it for ticket dismissal, or once every three years if you’re applying for insurance discounts. You can take the course anytime if you just want to learn more about staying safe on the road. Here we’ll cover all the rules related to how often you can take defensive driving in Texas.

Defensive Driving Courses in Texas: Rules to Know

Defensive driving (aka driver safety) courses take about six hours to complete. To qualify, it’s necessary to have a valid non-commercial driver’s license and meet certain requirements: 

• You haven’t taken such a course for ticket dismissal over the past 12 months.
• You held liability insurance at the time of the offense.
• You’re charged with a minor moving violation, such as speeding or running a stop sign.
• You didn’t commit the offense in a construction zone with workers present.
• Your actions didn’t cause an accident resulting in property damage or bodily injury.
• You did not pass a school bus.
• You didn’t flee a police officer.
• You were sober at the time of the incident.

These requirements only apply if you want to complete defensive driver training for ticket dismissal. Just make sure you double-check with the court before registration, as each jurisdiction has different policies. 

Read: How Long Is the Defensive Driving Course in Texas?

Types of Tickets You Can Get Dismissed

In Texas, you can take defensive driving courses to dismiss minor moving violations like:

• Speeding (for a speeding ticket that’s less than 25 mph over the limit)
• Failure to yield the right-of-way
• Running a red light or stop sign
• Following too closely (tailgating)
• Improper passing
• Unlawful or unsafe U-turns
• Weaving in and out of traffic 
• Impeding the flow of traffic (e.g., driving too slowly)

Violations That Can’t Be Dismissed

Most states, including Texas, won’t dismiss serious charges like street racing or reckless driving just because you attend driver safety school. 

On the opposite end are parking tickets and other non-moving violations that don’t go on your record or impact your insurance rates; they don’t qualify for defensive driving courses either. 

That said, here are some examples of traffic offenses you cannot dismiss by completing defensive driver training:

• Excessive speeding (90+ mph)
• Failure to stop for a school crossing guard
• Failure to yield to emergency vehicles
• Evading a police officer
• Driving under the influence
• Driving with a suspended, revoked, or expired license
• Any traffic violation committed while driving a commercial vehicle
• Leaving the scene of an accident (hit-and-runs)

Ultimately, it’s up to the judge to decide whether or not you can attend a defensive driving course to dismiss a ticket. For example, an individual charged with the same offense multiple times may not be given this option, even if the offense itself qualifies.

Our advice is to request defensive driving when paying your ticket. If you do it after your payment is processed, you may no longer be eligible because the case will be considered closed. 

Read: How Much Is a Ticket for No License in Texas?

How to Get Your Ticket Dismissed with a Defensive Driving Course

Texas law makes it easy to get a ticket dismissed if you’re charged with a minor offense that qualifies for defensive driving. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Confirm your eligibility: Review the eligibility criteria for attending driver safety school. Even if you check all the boxes, you should still call the court to confirm you qualify. 
2. Request permission from the court: Submit your request to the court online, in person, or by mail on or before the appear-by-date on your citation. Again, we recommend that you do it when paying the fine. Prepare the following:
   • Proof of liability insurance
   • An affidavit for defensive driving (see this example)
   • A certified driving record (Type 3A), which can be obtained from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
   • A copy of your driver’s license
3. Find a TDLR-approved defensive driving course: Most courts will give you 90 days from the date of the request to complete defensive driver training. Start by choosing a school approved by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). 
4. Choose a course format: Determine whether you prefer to study online or in person. With either option, the course duration is around six hours — but online learning offers more flexibility and convenience. For example, our defensive driving course is untimed and can be completed from any device, allowing for self-paced study. (Learn more in How to Do a Defensive Driving Course in Texas.)
5. Take the course: TDLR defensive driving courses consist of several modules, or lessons, followed by quizzes. There’s no final exam, but you must go through all modules and pass the quizzes in order to complete training. At Traffic Safety Institute, we offer free unlimited retakes to make your learning experience as smooth as possible. 
6. Report course completion to the court: After you finish the course, your school will issue an electronic certificate of completion. Print and submit this document to the court in person or by mail before the due date. If you need more time, contact the court to request a deadline extension. 
7. Submit your certificate to the TDLR: Submit your completion information to the TDLR so the court can validate the certificate. At Traffic Safety Institute, we’ll do it on your behalf at no additional charge. 

Your ticket will be dismissed within two to five business days from the date you submit your certificate to the court and TDLR.  

Read: How to Get a Traffic Ticket Dismissed in Texas

One thing to be aware of is that completing defensive driver training doesn’t reduce the fine you must pay. However, you’ll still save money because the ticket won’t appear on your record, preventing insurance carriers from increasing your premiums. 

But that’s not all. Defensive driving classes can also help you:

• Qualify for car insurance discounts of 2-10%.
• Refresh your knowledge of Texas traffic laws.
• Learn to anticipate and respond to road hazards.
• Become more aware of the distractions that may arise while driving.
• Save on vehicle maintenance and repairs (by showing you how to drive more efficiently).

Read: 5 Defensive Driving Class Benefits

How to Sign Up for Defensive Driving in Texas

Once you’ve found an online course that meets your needs, you should be able to register and get started in minutes. If you sign up for in-person classes, you can only take the course on specific days. 

Follow the steps below to sign up for defensive driving at Traffic Safety Institute: 

1. Get the court’s approval and pay your fine.
2. Access our registration page.
3. Create a FREE account by entering your email address and password, or sign up with Google.
4. Start our defensive driving course.
5. Complete it in one sitting or over several days.
6. Pay a flat fee of only $31 after you pass.

Quick tip: Enter our defensive driving promo code at checkout to receive a discount.😉

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Once registered, you’ll be able to enjoy various perks like:

✅ Unlimited course retakes
✅ Free audio read-along
✅ Live chat support around the clock
✅ Instant electronic certificate 
✅ Same-day submission to the Texas DPS & TDLR
✅ 100% online, self-paced learning
✅ Our “Don’t Pay Until You Pass” Guarantee

🎉 Sign up for FREE to make your traffic ticket go away! 🎉

FAQs About How Often You Can Take a Defensive Driving Course in Texas

What else would you like to know about Texas defensive driving courses? Below are the answers to some frequently asked questions: