How do you take a defensive driving course in Texas?

A defensive driving course in Texas can be taken either online or in person at a commercial driving school. Traffic courts, the Texas DPS and car insurance companies can assist a driver in choosing the defensive driving course that best suits his needs.

Commercial driving schools offer drivers interaction and hands-on learning in a classroom environment, but drivers seeking convenience and flexibility often opt for online courses. Online defensive driving courses must be completed from a Texas Education Agency-approved online provider and can be timed. Typically, if the online course is not completed within the designated time frame, the course is considered failed and a refund is not issued.

Defensive driving courses can fulfill a traffic court requirement, remove points from a driver's record and may help lower a driver's car insurance rate. Most courses will cover topics such as road signs and symbols, Texas drunk driving laws and safe driving habits. A course can last up to eight hours and includes a final examination before completion.

For situations in which a driver is attempting to dismiss a traffic ticket, he must complete an approved ticket dismissal defensive driving course within 90 days of entering a plea. If the traffic court approves the course, the defensive driving certificate earned following the final examination needs to be submitted to the court for ticket dismissal.