Do You Need Driver's Ed in Texas?

Driver’s ed is required in Texas. The state won’t issue a license to anyone under 18 who hasn’t finished an approved program.

What the requirement looks like

If you’re under 18, you need a state-approved course. That typically means 30+ hours of classroom work and several hours of in-car instruction with a licensed teacher. Online courses count in many cases, but check with your local DMV to make sure the program you pick is on the approved list.

Must complete classroom phase of driver education.

Practice hours on top of driver’s ed

Driver’s ed and supervised practice are two different requirements in Texas. You’ll need 30 hours behind the wheel with a licensed adult, 10 of them after dark. The course doesn’t count toward those hours.

More on the hour requirement: Texas permit hours.

Track your hours with Moda

Whether or not you take driver’s ed, you’ll need to log practice hours. Moda tracks every session automatically. Start, drive, stop. It records day vs. night, calculates your progress against Texas’s requirements, and exports a DMV-ready log when you’re done. No paper forms, no guessing.

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