Texas›What the course is
What is a Texas driving safety course?
It's a 6-hour, state-approved course you take online to get an eligible ticket dismissed or to earn an insurance discount. Most people call it defensive driving. You get your certificate the moment you finish.
If you're here because of a ticket, there's one rule that matters more than the course itself: the court has to say yes before you start.
By Road Ready Safety, TDLR provider CP1234. We run one of these courses, so every rule here points at its source. · Published October 6, 2026
Why do you need it?
Pick yours. The course is identical, but what you do before and after is different.
Get an eligible ticket dismissed, and kept off your record
- 1Ask the court for the course by the appearance date on your ticket. Don’t pay the ticket.
- 2Once the court says yes, take the 6-hour course within its deadline, usually 90 days.
- 3Send the court your certificate and, if asked, your $12 Type 3A record. The court dismisses the charge.
Lower your insurance. No ticket, no court.
- 1Check that your insurer offers a course discount. Each company sets its own.
- 2Take the 6-hour course whenever it suits you.
- 3Send the insurance copy of your certificate to your insurer.
What can't the course do?
Three things people expect from it that it doesn't deliver.
✕ Remove points
Texas hasn’t had license points since 2019. What it protects is the conviction on your record.
✕ Undo a paid ticket
Paying is a conviction. Once it’s entered, there’s nothing left to dismiss. Already paid?
✕ Dismiss it on its own
The court does that, after it approves the course and gets your paperwork.
Who can take it for a ticket?
Any licensed driver can take it for insurance. For a ticket, the law sets four conditions and a short list of exclusions.
You need
- ✓ A valid Texas license or permit (military families can use any state's)
- ✓ Proof of insurance
- ✓ To ask the court by your appearance date
- ✓ No dismissal course in the 12 months before this ticket How it counts
It's ruled out for
- ✕ 25+ mph over, or 95 mph and up
- ✕ A work zone with workers present
- ✕ Passing a stopped school bus or leaving the scene
- ✕ Anyone with a CDL, even in a personal car
Course ruled out? Deferred disposition usually isn't.
How do the six hours actually work?
Six hours is the state rule: at least five hours of lessons plus required breaks, enforced by timers. You don't have to do it in one sitting.
It saves your place when you switch.
Unlimited retakes with us, and no final exam.
An optional audio version reads each lesson aloud.
A “2-hour course” isn’t this course. Where the time goes
How long do you have, and what does it cost?
For a ticket: two deadlines and three payments, to three different places. For insurance: just the course.
Ask the court by the appearance date on your ticket. Miss it and the option is usually gone.
Finish and send the certificate within the court's deadline, 90 days unless it says otherwise.
Work out your dates →$25 is the legal minimum for any course. Watch for certificate fees added at checkout. Every fee explained
What do you get at the end?
One certificate, two copies. It's the same document whichever approved course you take.
Goes back to the court that approved you
With your driving record if required, before the court's deadline. How courts accept it
Is it the same as driver's ed?
No. Driver's ed gets you a license. This course is for people who already have one.
| Course | Who it's for | Helps a Texas ticket? |
|---|---|---|
| Texas driving safety course | Licensed drivers | ✓ Yes, if eligible |
| Driver education | Getting a license | ✕ No |
| New York “5-hour course” | New York drivers | ✕ No |
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)
- 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
Is a driving safety course the same as defensive driving?
Yes. Same six-hour course, same certificate. Texas law says “driving safety course”; most people say defensive driving.
How long is it?
Six hours: at least five of instruction plus breaks (16 TAC ch. 84). You can spread it over several days.
Can I take the course first and ask the court later?
No. The court has to approve it first, and you have to ask by the appearance date. A certificate the court never authorized won’t count. How to ask
Does it remove points?
Texas has no license points since 2019. Dismissal keeps the conviction off your record, which is what insurers read.
Can one course do both, the ticket and the discount?
Yes. Send the court copy to the court and the insurance copy to your insurer.
Where to go from here
How to request the course →Weighing your options?
Course vs. deferred disposition →Want the full process?
Texas ticket dismissal guide →No ticket, just the discount?
What insurers actually give →Comparing courses?
Check the final price →
Road Ready Safety is a TDLR-licensed Texas driving safety provider (CP1234). General information, not legal advice. Eligibility is set by statute; fees, forms and deadlines are set by each court. Confirm with the court on your citation. Last updated October 6, 2026. Sources: 16 TAC ch. 84 (course length and curriculum); Tex. Code Crim. Proc. ch. 45A (dismissal and eligibility); Tex. Educ. Code §1001.352 (price floor); our verified court dataset (court fees); Texas DPS (Type 3A fee).