how to get defensive driving course in advance of court date texas

by Kimberly Sporer 4 min read

Contact your court and request permission to take a defensive driving course. You may do this by phone, in writing (on the back of your citation), or in person. You have until the appearance date on your citation to request permission.

Contact your court and request permission to take a defensive driving course. You may do this by phone, in writing (on the back of your citation), or in person. You have until the appearance date on your citation to request permission. At that time, you must plead guilty or no contest to your violation.

Full Answer

Can you take a defensive driving course online in Texas?

Mar 23, 2021 · Step 5: Confirm the Court has Received and Processed Your Certificate. The final step to submitting a defensive driving certificate in Texas is to follow up with the court to make sure your certificate was received and processed. Request a written confirmation so you will have a clean paper trail. Once your defensive driving certificate has ...

What is a certificate of completion for defensive driving in Texas?

All you need to do is either complete your defensive driving course at least 2 weeks ahead of your due date or call the court clerk’s office in the district …

How do I get a defensive driving ticket dismissed in Texas?

Once you complete DefensiveDriving.com’s defensive driving course you will receive a Certificate of Completion which is accepted by all courts in Texas for ticket dismissal. You will receive a Certificate of Completion that includes one court copy and one insurance copy. Sign the court copy and send to your court per their instructions.

What should I do after taking a defensive driving course?

Your defensive driving due date will be set by the court. If you are unsure about when you need to have your completion certificate turned in, contact the court that issued your citation. We recommend that you complete the course at least a week before your due date to allow time to receive your document and deliver it to the court.

Can I take defensive driving before my court date Texas?

You have until the appearance date on your citation to contact your court and request permission to take a defensive driving course. On your appearance date, you must plead guilty or no contest to your violation.

How do I take my defensive driving certificate to court in Texas?

How to Submit a Defensive Driving Certificate in TexasStep 1: Make Sure You are Eligible for a Defensive Driving Course. ... Step 2: Pay Your Traffic Ticket. ... Step 3: Complete Your Defensive Driving Course on Time. ... Step 4: Provide the Defensive Driving Certificate to the Court.More items...•Mar 23, 2021

How long do you have to take defensive driving after a ticket in Texas?

How long do you have to take defensive driving after a ticket in Texas? For ticket dismissal and to keep the citation off your driving record, drivers have 90 days from the date of plea to complete a stated approved defensive driving course.

How long does an online Texas defensive driving course take?

six hoursThe defensive driving course takes just six hours to complete, and many students finish it in one day. Because the course is entirely online, you can take it on your schedule and at your own pace.

Can I just pay my ticket and not go to court Texas?

If you do not want to appear in court, you have the option of paying your fine by mail or by paying in person at the Justice Court as directed on your citation or summons.

Can I email my defensive driving certificate in Texas?

In Texas, as of November 2018, emailed court driving safety certificates are acceptable for court purposes. The certificate can be emailed to you after completing the class, then you need to print the certificate, sign the court copy, and send the signed printed copy to the court.

How many times can I take defensive driving in Texas?

once every yearHow often can you take defensive driving in Texas? You can take a defensive driving course in Texas once every year for ticket dismissal. Insurance discounts for defensive driving courses expire every three years.

Can I do a driving course instead of points?

Speed awareness courses are four to five-hour long education sessions for people caught speeding. They're offered as an alternative to points on your licence. It's like going back on an intensive, theoretical driving lesson where you're retaught the dangers of speeding or dangerous driving.Mar 15, 2013

How much does it cost to take defensive driving in Texas?

$25.00When you need to take a Defensive Driving course, the state of Texas requires the minimum price be $25.00.

What is the easiest defensive driving course online?

#1: iDriveSafely iDriveSafely is my top recommended easiest online traffic school for 2022. They've been around since before online traffic school even existed.

When can you take defensive driving in Texas?

For ticket dismissal, you can take a defensive driving course once a year. If you're seeking an insurance discount with such a course, it expires every three years. If you took the course for an insurance discount only, that does not count against the once per 12 months limitation.

Is iDriveSafely approved in Texas?

Because this course is 100% approved by the Texas TDLR, you can take it no matter where in Texas you live: For example: Denton.

What is an approved defensive driving course?

Approved Course. Approved Course is a Houston-based online defensive driving course in Texas. This is by far one of the easiest online defensive driving courses you can sign up for in Texas for 2021. I’m not sure exactly what it is about Approved Course that makes it so easy, but this course is simple to pass.

How much does a defensive driving course cost in Texas?

The state of Texas regulates pricing for online defensive driving schools by setting a minimum price they are allowed to charge. That price is $25. The vast majority of Texas state-approved online defensive driving schools sell their course at the state-minimium, but you may find a few that charge more than $25.

How long does defensive driving school last?

Make sure you read the fine print for whatever defensive driving course you sign up for, but in general, online defensive driving school will expire 90 days after you first start the coursework. Once 90 days is up, you will be locked out of the course and you will need to pay for another one.

How far ahead of time do you have to take defensive driving?

All you need to do is either complete your defensive driving course at least 2 weeks ahead of your due date or call the court clerk’s office in the district you received your traffic ticket to get an extension. In most cases, all you have to do is ask and they give you one with no problems.

What is a go to traffic school?

Go To Traffic School is a defensive driving course in Texas that has been around since literally the 1990’s. They first started by offering home-based defensive driving programs that were sent through the mail using VHS tapes and booklets. As time progressed, they began to change their business model, and in the early 2000’s they began offering their home-based defensive driving course online in Texas.

Is defensive driving online in Texas?

Get Defensive is yet again, an online defensive driving class in Texas that has been approved for over two decades. This course guarantees to be the cheapest, and after going through it personally, I can say with certainty that it is extremely easy. For some reason, the quizzes in this course seem even easier than the other ones (which is saying a lot. Unlike some of the other courses on this list, this defensive driving school is focused solely on the state of Texas.

Is iDriveSafely a good online defensive driving course?

You can either take the traditional text-based course, or you can opt for the video-based course. If you want a legitimate Texas online defensive driving course that has proven themselves over a 20-year history, then iDriveSafely is a safe bet. In fact, they guarantee you’ll be satisfied or you get your money back.

Register for a Texas Defensive Driving Course Online

It only takes a few minutes to sign up for a Texas driver safety course. You'll need to create a user name and password that you can use to log in and out when it's convenient for you.

Complete the Chapters

You have the freedom to take this Texas defensive driving school all at one time or in sections. You are the one that sets your schedule, not a teacher.

Have your Ticket Dismissed

When you finished the course for Texas defensive driving, we'll send two certificates of completion: one to submit to your court, and one to give to your auto insurance company that may help you qualify for a discount.

Online Texas Defensive Driving Courses

Our Texas state approved online defensive driving course will dismiss your traffic ticket and keep the points from appearing on your Texas driving record. Our Texas online Driving Safety course will also get you discounted insurance rates up to 10%.

What Makes GetDefensive different?

GetDefensive has been offering Texas online defensive driving courses since 2004. Our course was written and designed by course professionals and expert driving safety instructors. We do not give you long pages of text.

Best Course and Website Features

The bottom line is that our Texas online defensive driver safety course is an easy course that contains no final exam. So you do not have to memorize the course material in order to pass a final exam.

Take Our Course Anytime and Anywhere

The best part of our defensive driving courses is that you can take your Texas Defensive Driving Online course anytime and from any place. You can also take our online defensive driving courses from any device-including all tablets and iphone and android phones.

How To Get Started

Getting started is easy. Simply click on the registration button and complete our short enrollment form, pay for the course and you are on your way. The courts in Texas require that you submit your Texas driver record with your Texas online defensive driving course completion certificate.

What is defensive driving class in Texas?

The class will teach skills that will increase your driving knowledge and help you watch out for other unsafe drivers and situations.

How to keep receipts for defensive driving?

This includes proof you took the course, payment receipts, and receipts from the clerk of the court that the documents were received. Confirm that the court has received your certificate of completion and confirm the dismissal of the ticket from your record.

Where to take a certificate of completion?

Take your Certificate of Completion to the court address on the notice you received as well as the receipt for the ticket fine. Pay the ticket BEFORE you submit all your documents to the court.

Can you take defensive driving classes online in Texas?

Ensure the court will accept an online Texas defensive driving certificate BEFORE you take the class online. The online course must be approved by the state of Texas, and you can ask your local clerk of the court to find out what online schools are acceptable.

Can you get a defensive driving ticket dismissed in Texas?

Submitting them late can result in the ticket not being dismissed. Once the class is completed and you have learned about defensive driving, Texas insurance companies will view you as a safe driver.

How long is a defensive driving course?

By law, a TDLR approved defensive driving course is required to be a minimum total of six hours in length. Waiting until Day 89 means you’ll sit for six straight hours staring at your computer, nervously tapping your fingers while timers expire.

How much does a defensive driving class cost in Texas?

Texas state law mandates that the minimum price for a driver safety (a.k.a. defensive driving) class is $25.00. If you find one for less, you’ll only wind up with a worthless certificate and the opportunity to take the course again, this time through a legitimate provider.

How long does it take to get a driver's license back in Texas?

Most Texas courts give you 90 days to return your certificate. the best approach here is to get it done as close to the first of those 90 days as you can. Come on, you know how you are. The further you get away from that initial court date, the less you’ll think about having to take defensive driving at all.

Can you double dip in Texas?

Good news, Texans. The way defensive driving is handled in the Lone Star State allows you to double dip. After your course, you will receive two completion certificates, one for the court and one for your insurance company. Most drivers save 2-10% on their premiums after completing a driver safety course.

Do defensive driving courses have timers?

State law requires defensive driving courses to be equipped with timers to make sure students stay in the course for the required amount of time. Sorry. A part of the process where you don’t want to spend any extra money is on expedited shipping.

So Will I Be Paying for the Ticket AND Defensive Driving?

You will be giving some money to the court, but it’s not technically for a ticket.

How Do I Get Permission to Take Defensive Driving?

The instructions for contacting your specific court will be printed on your ticket. The citation will also reflect a date by which you must contact the court. Be very sure not to miss that date! If you do, your choices about what to do about the ticket will be made for you, and there may be a warrant involved.

Which is Better: Defensive Driving or Paying the Ticket?

If you’ve received a ticket, you may be wondering the best way to deal with it. Let’s take a look at the decision you will most likely be faced with.

Can My Ticket be Dismissed with Defensive Driving?

Defensive driving is offered for the dismissal of most minor traffic offenses. These offenses include things like minor speeding, illegal lane changes, and following too closely. Tickets that cannot be dismissed with a trip to traffic school include:

Beating Your Defensive Driving Court Date

Once you have received permission to take defensive driving, it’s time to start looking for a course. Even if 90 days feels like a million years away, get on it now. There’s a couple of reasons for this.