Texas defensive driving for a ticket: rules and the TDLR-licensed online providers

In Texas the course is officially called a driving safety course. Any provider licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) may offer the 6-hour course that courts accept, but the court has to approve you first.

Who is usually eligible (example court rules)

Eligibility is set by Texas law and applied by each court. As one official example, Hood County Justice of the Peace Precinct 4 lists these conditions (checked November 14, 2026):

• A valid Texas driver license; drivers with a commercial license are ineligible.
• Current proof of Texas liability insurance.
• No defensive driving class taken in the 12 months before the date of the alleged offense, and not currently taking one for another ticket.
• You request the course on or before your appearance date.

That court lists offenses that do not qualify, including speeding 25 mph or more over the limit, going 95 mph or more, passing a stopped school bus, a moving violation in a construction zone with workers present, and leaving the scene of an accident. The same court gives 90 days from payment to finish the course and requires a driving record from the Texas DPS along with the certificate. Your court's fees, deadlines, and paperwork can differ, so follow your own court's instructions.

After the course

According to TDLR, the provider must send your certificate of completion, you should receive it within 14 days, and you are responsible for sending it to the court or insurer. If it never arrives, or is wrong because of the provider's error, you can ask for a free copy within 30 days of finishing. TDLR also offers a certificate validation tool.

TDLR-licensed providers with an online 6-hour course on file

On November 14, 2026, TDLR's public provider data listed 510 current driving safety provider licenses. The 117 below have an online course type on file in TDLR's search data. Another 11 list only in-person course types, and 382 current licenses show no course type in the data at all, so they are not in this table (look them up in TDLR's provider search). Many brand names below belong to the same company; we show them exactly as TDLR registers them.

TDLR says inclusion in its directory is not an endorsement, and neither is inclusion here. We list license data only. We do not show prices, pass rates, or reviews. Check the provider's own site for its price and the court for the deadline.