Texas Teen Provisional License

By Javier Marín, Editor·Last reviewed September 2026·How we check this

A Texas teen who has held a learner license for six months, completed 30 hours of supervised driving, and finished the required driver education course can apply for a provisional driver license at age 16. The provisional license carries adult-style driving privileges, but with a layer of restrictions Texas keeps in place until the driver turns 18.

Eligibility

The Texas Graduated Driver License (GDL) program requires every teen applicant for a provisional license to:

Be at least 16 years old.
Have held a Texas learner license for a minimum of 6 months with no convictions during the last 6 months.
Have completed an approved 32-hour driver education course (classroom plus 14 hours behind-the-wheel and observation).
Have logged 30 hours of supervised driving, including 10 at night, on the DPS-issued logbook.
Have completed the Impact Texas Teen Drivers (ITTD) 2-hour video module within 90 days of the road test.
Have proof of school enrollment or a Texas VOE if still in high school.

The road test

Most Texas teens take the road test at a third-party DPS-licensed testing site rather than a DPS office, since most driver-education programs partner with these testers. The exam covers stopping, lane changes, head checks, parallel parking, three-point turns, and freeway entry where the route allows. The provisional license is then issued by DPS, typically by mail within 2-4 weeks, with a 60-day paper temporary in the meantime.

GDL restrictions for the first 12 months

For the first 12 months after the provisional license is issued — or until the teen turns 18, whichever is sooner — Texas applies these restrictions:

Passenger limit: No more than one passenger under 21 who is not an immediate family member.
Nighttime curfew: No driving from midnight to 5 a.m. unless the trip is to or from work, a school activity, or a medical emergency.
Cell phone: Texas prohibits any use of a wireless communication device, including hands-free, by any driver under 18. The only exceptions are 911 calls and a stopped vehicle.
Seat belts: Required for the driver and every passenger; this is enforced with extra weight against the teen's record.

Two-conviction rule

Texas does not use a numeric point system for adults, but it applies a strict standard to GDL drivers. Two moving violation convictions within 12 months on a provisional license can trigger a 30-day license suspension. A third conviction within the same window typically extends the suspension to 6 months. Convictions for racing, evading arrest, or any DWI immediately escalate to additional penalties under Texas DWI law, and even an underage alcohol violation triggers a separate 30-day suspension.

Graduating to a full license

The provisional license automatically converts to an unrestricted Class C driver license on the teen's 18th birthday. There is no extra DPS visit and no road test required for the conversion as long as the teen has not had the license suspended. A reissued card showing the new expiration date is mailed automatically; the teen can also visit a DPS office before the 18th birthday to swap the provisional card for a standard card with the gold REAL ID star, which is the more practical option for travel.