How to get a Texas ticket dismissed with a 6-hour course
Ask your court for a driving safety course by the appearance date on your ticket, pay the court's fee, finish the course within 90 days, and send in the certificate. The court dismisses the charge, and by law it can't appear on your driving record.
Simple, but only in the right order. The mistake we see most is taking the course before the court says yes. First, make sure your ticket qualifies.
By Road Ready Safety, TDLR provider CP1234. We run one of the approved courses and track how roughly 1,700 Texas courts handle dismissal. · Checked against Tex. Code Crim. Proc. ch. 45A · Updated October 6, 2026
294,534
Texas tickets dismissed with a course in fiscal 2024 (Office of Court Administration)
90 days
to finish the course once the court approves you
0
convictions on your record when it’s dismissed
Which way off your record fits your ticket?
There are three. Paying isn't one of them: it's a guilty plea and a conviction.
Does your ticket qualify?
Four questions. If all four line up, the court has to let you take the course.
Do you have a valid Texas driver license? (Active-duty military and their families can use any state’s.)
Was it 25+ over, 95+ mph, in a work zone with workers, passing a school bus, or leaving a crash?
Do you hold a CDL, or did you when you got the ticket?
Have you used a dismissal course in the 12 months before this ticket?
Expired registration or no insurance? Those aren't dismissed with a course. Fix the problem and show proof instead. Registration · Insurance
Your result
Answer all four to see your route.
Most everyday moving violations qualify.
Or use the full eligibility checker →Course not available
CDL holders can’t dismiss with a course.
Federal rules keep moving violations on a CDL record, even in a personal car.
What works for CDL drivers →Course not available
This ticket is excluded by law.
For 25+ over or 95+, ask about deferred disposition. Work-zone tickets with workers present are barred from both.
See what still works →Too soon for another course
You’ve used it in the last 12 months.
Deferred disposition is usually the route for a second ticket. Ask your court before the appearance date.
How deferred disposition works →Check with your court
The course needs a Texas license.
Unless you’re active-duty military or family, out-of-state drivers usually go the deferred route.
Out-of-state drivers →Good news
Your ticket likely qualifies.
Ask your court for the course by the appearance date on your ticket. Once it says yes, the course is the easy part.
How to ask the court →What are the five steps, in order?
The order matters more than any single step. Course first, permission second, and the court won't count your certificate.
- 1Don’t pay the ticketPaying is a plea. Once it’s a conviction, there’s nothing to dismiss.
- 2Ask the courtIn person, certified mail, or the court’s email or portal.By the appearance date
- 3Send what it needsLicense, insurance, court fee, and a $12 Type 3A record.
- 4Take the course6 hours, online. $28 with us, certificate included.Within 90 days
- 5Submit, then it’s dismissedCertificate, record and any affidavit your court requires.
What are the deadlines?
Two, and the first is the one people miss.
Ask by your appearance date
It's printed on your ticket. Miss it and the court can refuse the course. Some courts set their own paperwork deadlines from 10 to 180 days. Deadlines by court
Finish within 90 days
Counted from the day the court grants the course. Leave a cushion: TDLR says a new certificate can take up to 5 days to show in its system.
Why do courts deny the course?
Either the law rules it out, or the paperwork went wrong. You can't change the first list. You can avoid everything on the second.
Ruled out by law
- ✕ Asked after the appearance date
- ✕ Used a course in the 12 months before this offense How it counts
- ✕ No valid Texas license (military excepted) Out of state?
- ✕ No insurance at the time of the offense
- ✕ 25+ over, 95+ mph, work zone with workers, school bus, leaving the scene
- ✕ Holds or held a CDL CDL guide
Avoidable paperwork mistakes
- ✓ Don't pay the fine first Already paid?
- ✓ Don't take the course before approval
- ✓ Send the certified Type 3A, not Type 3 or 2A Order it
- ✓ Include the court copy and any notarized affidavit Which courts
- ✓ Ask for an extension before the deadline runs out
- ✓ Leave 5 days for the certificate to validate Rejected?
How much does dismissal cost?
About $184 at the most common court fee. Paying the ticket usually costs about the same up front, plus a conviction your insurer can see for three years.
Court fee
~$144
$100–$184 across courts we've verified. $169 is typical in school zones.
Type 3A record
$12
Online from DPS, if the court asks you to order it.
The course
$28
All-in with us. $25 is the legal minimum. Check for certificate fees elsewhere.
How does your court handle it?
The law is statewide. The paperwork isn't. Three things to know before you send anything:
Some courts are e-file only
Harris County's justice courts and Dallas County JP 1-1 don't take paper. A mailed letter wastes your deadline.
Some want a notarized affidavit
A minority of courts require a sworn statement with the certificate. See the list
City court or JP court?
City police tickets go to municipal court. Sheriff and trooper tickets usually go to a JP court. Which is yours?
What does Road Ready Safety charge?
$28, and that's the only number you'll see at checkout.
- The 6-hour TDLR-approved course (CP1234) Verify on TDLR ↗
- Certificate the moment you finish, court and insurance copies
- Unlimited quiz retakes
- No delivery, rush or record fees
- Full refund if you request it before you complete the course or get your certificate
- Two costs we can't include: the court's fee and the DPS record, because the court and DPS collect those. Our full pricing policy
Quick answers
Can a defensive driving course dismiss a ticket in Texas?
Yes. If you qualify and ask by the appearance date, the court must dismiss an eligible moving violation once you finish a TDLR-approved course and submit the certificate and record (Code Crim. Proc. ch. 45A).
Can I do the whole thing online?
Often. Many courts take requests by email or portal since September 2025, the course is online, and courts like Harris County JP handle filing through portals. Others still want paper.
Can one course dismiss more than one ticket?
Only for charges from the same stop. Since September 1, 2025, one course can dismiss several eligible charges from one stop. Separate stops are limited to once every 12 months. Multiple tickets
What happens after it’s dismissed?
It’s gone from your driving record and can’t be used for any purpose. Keep the court’s notice and your certificate for a year in case your insurer asks.
Does Texas still use points?
No, not since 2019. What dismissal protects is the conviction on your record, which is what insurers price on.
Did the law change in 2025?
Yes. The rules moved from art. 45.0511 to chapter 45A on January 1, 2025, and from September 1, 2025 courts can take requests by mail, email or portal. A site still citing 45.0511 is out of date.
Find your ticket type
General information, not legal advice. Fees, forms and deadlines are set by each court; confirm with the court on your citation. Road Ready Safety is a TDLR-licensed course provider (CP1234), not a court. Sources: Tex. Code Crim. Proc. arts. 45A.351–.359; 49 CFR 384.226; Tex. Educ. Code §1001.352; Texas DPS; Office of Court Administration court activity data; our verified court dataset, refreshed August 2026. Last updated October 6, 2026.