The FAQs for the teen driver education program at A-Plus Driving School follow the guidelines and requirements for Teen Driver Education from the Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and only pertain to the way that A-Plus Driving School has adopted these requirements. For more information about the official state guidelines – refer to these sites:

• Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation
• Texas Department of Public Safety - Teen Drivers

 

How does a teen obtain their driver license in the state of Texas?

A teen (ages 16-18) must take an approved teen driver education program.  This program is comprised of two phases:

• Phase I: 32 hours of classroom instruction
• Phase II: 44 hours of driving instruction (14 hours of instructional driving, 30 hours of driving with parent)

What is the impact ITTD video?

 This is the state required video to be watched online at home once your have completed your full course and received your final DE964 and made your appointment to take the DPS Road Test.  This Impact video expires in 90 days.  See DPS Road Tests on our website for more details.

What types of programs does A-Plus Driving School provide?

A-Plus Driving School offers these programs for a teen driver and is approved by the state of Texas.

Traditional Classroom / Instructor-Led Driving /Parent Taught Driving

This program offers a traditional classroom environment for the classroom instruction and instructional driving with our certified and licensed instructors.  The parent must also drive and document a minimum of 30 hours of driving with the student.

• Phase I: 32 hours of classroom instruction (16 days, 2 hours per day) 

NOTE: In most cases, our classroom schedule will be a 4 week schedule with classes held Monday-Thursday.  There may be other times during the year when a 3-week schedule will be used (which would be Monday-Friday with one Saturday class), for example around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. 

We also have class schedules that work around the traditional breaks at Christmas and Spring Break and will meet on weekends and during those days of the holiday breaks.

• Phase II: 14 hours of in-car (behind-the-wheel) instruction (7 lessons, 2 hours per lesson) (“drive lessons" or "drive times”).  This is also referred to as "instructional" driving.

• The in-car instruction includes 7 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction and 7 hours of observation of another student driving. The in-car instruction is scheduled as 2-hour drive period so that the student can get one hour of driving and one hour of observation in one drive session.
• Since the in-car instructions is scheduled by you, it is flexible and can be scheduled around the student's other activities and the driving school's available drive time hours. The student can start this phase after completing the first 6 hours of classroom instruction (after Day 3) and have obtained their learners permit from the DPS office.  Scheduling of these lessons is done on our drive lesson scheduling system:  Schedule 2 Drive.  The student must schedule ALL drive times on-line at www.Schedule2Drive.com.
• The state of Texas also requires parents to drive and log a minimum of 30 hours with their student. These hours can be tracked on paper, however must be entered and tracked via Schedule 2 Drive once the account has been created.

Online Classroom / Instructor-Led Driving /Parent-Taught driving

This program offers more flexibility for the busy student and parent than the traditional classroom environment.  The student completes the classroom instruction via an online program and then the instructional driving with our certified and licensed instructors.  The parent must also drive and document a minimum of 30 hours of driving with the student.

• Phase I: 32 hours of classroom instruction (up to 2 hours per day) 

With this program, the student completes the instruction using an online program and does this at their own pace and cannot complete more than 2 hours of instruction per day, BUT, can take the instruction at their convenience.

• Phase II: 14 hours of in-car (behind-the-wheel) instruction (7 lessons, 2 hours per lesson) (“drive lessons" or "drive times”).  This is also referred to as "instructional" driving.

• The in-car instruction includes 7 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction and 7 hours of observation of another student driving. The in-car instruction is scheduled as 2-hour drive period so that the student can get one hour of driving and one hour of observation in one drive session.
• Since the in-car instructions is scheduled by you, it is flexible and can be scheduled around the student's other activities and the driving school's available drive time hours. The student can start this phase after we have received a copy of their learner's permit.  They do have to complete the course, however, do not have to wait until the end to start the driving instruction.  Scheduling of these lessons is done on our drive lesson scheduling system:  Schedule 2 Drive.  The student must schedule ALL drive times on-line at www.Schedule2Drive.com.
• The state of Texas also requires parents to drive and log a minimum of 30 hours with their student. These hours can be tracked on paper, however must be entered and tracked via Schedule 2 Drive once the account has been created.

 Driving Only Instruction

We can offer to only do the Driving Instruction Phase and the parent completes the other phase via the parent-taught program.

If this option is chosen, before the parent handles their part of the instruction, they must purchase the "Parent-Taught Driver Education Packet" from the state of Texas via the Texas Dept of Licensing & Regulation and then purchase the appropriate curriculum (classroom or driving) from an approved course provider.

Any student completing a classroom course from another driving school or online instructor taught course will need to request a Transfer of the classroom hours to receive full course credit.

The classroom or driving instruction is handled as described above.

What DPS Forms and Information do we need?

 *TEXAS RESIDENCY AFFADAVIT & LIST OF RESIDENCY DOCUMENTS DPS WILL ACCEPT: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/DriverLicense/residencyReqNonCDL.htm

*APPLICATION FOR PERMIT: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/ choose: DRIVERS LICENSE/NEW LICENSES/APPLY FOR A DRIVERS LICENSE/APPLICATION FOR DRIVERS LICENSE

*TEEN GRADUATED LICENSE LAWS & INFORMATION: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/DriverLicense/teenDriver.htm

What is the Parent Logged Driving Instruction requirements?

Texas state law requires that Parents drive and record driving instruction with their teens.  Parents must drive and log a minimum of 30 hours of driving with their students.  10 of those hours must be driven at night.  These hours can be logged on our online schedule2Drive.com.

How Does my Teen make Up Any classes missed

 A-Plus will provide your teen with a class calendar. Use this calendar to keep up with missed lessons.  If your teen is absent contact us the following business day for the next scheduled make up lesson missed. 

can I miss a class  and still complete the session schedule?

The state of Texas requires that a student attend all 32 hours of classroom instruction.

A student may miss up to 5 of the scheduled classes in their session and complete the course with the scheduled session. The classes missed must be made up, however, within one year of starting the course. If a student misses 6 or more classes, they will be removed from that class and will need to be placed in another class (as space is available) where they can complete their class work. There is a transfer fee of $100.00 required to transfer to this new classroom session.

Please contact our office for Dates and times for make up lessons missed.

What is the weather cancellation policy at A-Plus?

        A-Plus Driving School will cancel classes if the KISD school district has canceled classes.  We will contact all students by email if cancelling any classes.

How long does a student have to complete the in-car instruction phase of the course?

The in-car instruction can be started after the 3rd night of class once the student has obtained their Texas Permit.  Driving instruction must be completed ONE YEAR from the day that the student started their classroom session.

If a student has missed 5 or less classes, they can begin their in-car instruction once their classroom session is complete. Students that have missed 6 or more classes must complete their classes before starting the in-car instruction (refer to our Make-up Policy above).

Online Course is ONE YEAR from the day email was sent from A-Plus to begin online course.

What if my teen's contract is about to expire?

A contract extension may be purchased before the contract expires.

Cost of extension: $100 Cash Only

THE EXTENSION MUST BE PURCHASED BEFORE THE CONTRACT EXPIRES OR CONTRACT IS SUBJECT TO TERMINATION.

Is a teenager required to complete a driver education course before receiving their driver’s license?

Yes. Texas state law requires persons less than 18 years of age to successfully complete an approved driver education course before they are eligible to receive a driver’s license.

If a student starts the driver education course before they are 18 years of age, they MUST complete the course in order to get their drivers license before their 18 birthday OR they must renew the driving permit since it will expire on students 18 birthday,  A student may continue to complete the teen course once the permit has been renewed.  The 6 month rule is not required after student turns 18.

If you choose not to complete the teen course, and you have turned 18 you may take an Adult 6 hour course and renew your permit with the Adult certificate.  Driving Lessons are not required to get a drivers license if you are 18 or older.

At what age can a student enroll in a driver education class?

The state of Texas allows a student to begin driver education class at age 14, however, we STRONGLY recommend that the student turn 15 within 3 months (90 days) of starting the class.

Our contract is set up for one year and begins on the day they start their classroom instruction.  It will expire one year later.  This is the maximum time the state allows for a driver education contract.  If your student cannot complete all of the classroom and driving instruction before the deadline, the contract will be terminated unless an extension is paid for. 

When does a student get their learner’s permit?

A student is not allowed to apply for a learner’s permit until they are at least 15 years of age and they have completed at least Six (6) instruction hours of a driver education classroom program administered by the school and passed the state-approved permit tests.

A-Plus Driving School has structured its curriculum so that the permit tests are given on the third day of classroom instruction. The student will be given a certificate indicating that they have completed the first 6 hours of class and has passed the permit test.  If the student is 15 years of age,this certificate can be taken to the DPS along with other documentation to get the student’s permit.

If the student has not reached age 15, they will still take the permit tests with their class, but must wait until they are 15 years old to go to the DPS to get the permit.

What is the documentation required to apply for a learner’s permit?

The state requires that the following items be provided along with verification of passing the learner’s permit test.

We do not gather or take documents to the DPS to get the permit for the student.

A-Plus will provide a certificate (form DE-964) to the student after they have completed the first 6 hours of class and have passed the written tests. This certificate along with the following items can be taken to the DPS to get the permit at your earliest convenience. NOTE: A parent must take the student to the DPS to have this taken care of.

• Form DE-964 – Showing that the student has completed the first 6 hours of class and has passed the written permit tests (this form will be provided by A-Plus Driving School during the first week of class)
• Birth Certificate (original or certified copy) **
• Social Security Card (original card) **
• Verification of Enrollment form (TEA form) from student’s school **
• $16.00 permit processing fee (subject to change by the Texas DPS)
• Verification of Texas Residency (the parent that takes the student to the DPS must provide this documentation - 2 acceptable forms with their name and their address)
• Student will be given a vision test at the DPS

** If not available, substitutions can be provided. For more information about substitutions, please refer to the Texas Department of Public Safety website for allowable documentation:

Identification Documents Allowed

PLEASE NOTE: If your student is not a U.S. citizen, additional documentation may be required to obtain the learner’s permit (see the link above)

I have my permit, when can I start the driving portion of the Driver education course?

Traditional Classroom Program:

• Students will not be able to start the driving portion of the driver education course until they have completed the first 6 hours of the course, have obtained the Texas Permit from DPS and opened account with Schedule2Drive.

Online Classroom Program:

• Students enrolled in our online class program may begin their driving instruction once we have a copy of their permit and the tuition is paid in full.

Driving Only Program:

• To start the Drive Only program, we must have a contract and payment of tuition and a copy of the student's permit.  Driving instruction can begin once we have created the account (normally with 24 hours of getting this information.)

NOTE:  A student can begin driving with a Licensed Operator in the Front Seat of the Vehicle that is 21 years or older (LOFS) as soon as they get their permit.

How old does a teen need to be before they receive a Tx driver’s license?

A teen must be at least 15 years of age to receive an INSTRUCTION PERMIT also called a LEARNER’S PERMIT or DRIVING PERMIT.

After completing an approved driver education course, a teen must be at least 16 years of age before receiving a provisional driver’s license and they must have held their permit for at least 180 days.

Texas does allow the issuance of a hardship license. Application for a hardship license is handled through the Texas Department of Public Safety AFTER the student has completed the driver education course.

What is a provisional driver’s license?

The state of Texas instituted a graduated driver's license program in January 2002. It creates two phases of driving requirements for minors under age 18.

Phase 1 requires that a minor under age 18 must hold their learner's permit for six months before applying for provisional license. During the time the minor has the learner's permit; they can only drive with an insured, licensed driver over the age of 21 in the front seat of the car.

After the six months have passed and the minor has reached age 16, and they have completed a state approved driver education course, they can get a provisional license (valid until age 18) with restrictions. This is Phase II.

These restrictions are:

• Cannot have more than one passenger under the age 21 in the car who is not an immediate family member
• Cannot operate a vehicle after midnight or before 5 a.m., unless driving is necessary for employment, school or a school-related activity or a medical emergency.
• Cannot use a wireless communication (cell phone, any mobile communication device which includes Blue Tooth, Hands Free, etc) device while driving, except in the case of an emergency.

The above restrictions do not apply if the provisional license holder is accompanied by a license operator age 21 or older.

After Phase II has been completed, the driver is issued a full license with none of the above restrictions.

Does Texas still allow hardship licenses?

Yes, however a teen must still complete an approved driver education course. After completion, the teen and parent may apply for a hardship license at the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).

I lost my permit – can A-PLUS DRIVING SCHOOL get another for me?

No, A-Plus Driving School cannot do this for you. You must go to the Texas DPS to obtain another copy of your permit. Your information is in their computer system, so all you need to do it provide identification (Social Security Card and Birth Certificate are best) and they will issue a duplicate copy. The cost is $11.00.

You must have a VALID permit with you to take a drive lesson. Any student that does not have a VALID permit in readable condition when they come for a scheduled drive time, will not be allowed to drive or observe and will be charged a $50.00 fee, just as if they did not show up or if they cancelled less than 24 hours. This is not an A-Plus Driving School  rule, but a rule from the Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation and the State of Texas.

I completed the course, but I’ve lost the completion certificate (DE-964)A-Plus Driving School provided to me. What do I do?

Please contact A-Plus Driving School for a duplicate original copy. The cost for preparing this duplicate copy is $30.00 Cash Only.   We do not charge to make a photocopy if needed for insurance purposes, but to use the DE-964 to get the license, it must be an original.

Is it true that I can get a discount on my automobile insurance if I successfully complete the course at A-Plus Driving School?

Yes, most insurance companies do provide a discount on automobile insurance for successfully completing an approved driver education course; however it is best to consult with your agent to confirm this.

Can my student take more driving time than the amount of time required by the state in conjunction with the course?

Yes, please contact the school office for information about this service.  281-353-9377

 

HOW DO I SCHEDULE MY dps ROAD TEST and what are the requirements?

TEENS AGE 16-24 (If completed a Teen Course)

A-Plus Driving School is a Third Party Skill Testing facility,  Contact us to make your appointment for the DPS Road Test. 

Requirements for Teens to take authorized DPS Road Test at A-Plus Driving School

• Completion of Texas teen drivers education course & receipt of completion documents, including form DE-964 certificate)
• At least 16 years of age
• Held valid learner’s permit for 180 days (see date on back of permit) & permit is not expired (Class C only)
• ITTD (Impact Texas Teen Drivers) Video Course Certificate (2 hour video) completed within 90 days of road test