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Can you take the permit test online in Texas?

Not with TxDPS itself, but yes through an online driver education course. TxDPS runs no online or at-home knowledge exam of its own: you sit it at a driver license office, or you pass it inside a driver education course. Transportation Code s. 521.1655 lets a licensed in-person or online driver education provider give its own students the vision, highway sign and traffic law parts of the exam, and a pass there counts, so a student of a TDLR-licensed online provider can complete the knowledge exam through that provider. DPS states that if you did not take the test during the classroom portion of driver education, you take it at the driver license office. The course route is open to nearly every first-time applicant under 25, because s. 521.1601 requires a driver education course of each of them unless they hold a valid license from another state. What Texas does not offer is a stand-alone proctored exam at home for anyone outside a course. Checked in September 2026.

Source: TxDPS, Apply for a Texas Driver License and Texas Learners License as a Teen; Transportation Code ss. 521.1601, 521.1655, checked September 25, 2026.

Which TX test do you needTX
EExam simulatorFull TxDPS format: 30 questions, 21 to pass, every answer keyed to a statute.1Warm up runA shorter 20 question run pulled from across the TX bank, for a first look before the full sitting.SSigns and lane markingsSigns, signals and lane markings on their own: 61 questions, the group that costs the most points.LState statute questionsThe 24 rules that belong to Texas alone, each carrying the statute number it was drafted against.
Every Texas test and ruleNo account needed

If I finish an online driver education course, have I taken the permit test?

Only if the course provider gave you the DPS highway sign and traffic law exam as part of the course. Transportation Code s. 521.1655(a) lets a licensed in-person or online driver education provider administer the vision, highway sign, and traffic law parts of the s. 521.161 exam to its own students. Subsection (a-1) lets a parent-taught provider give the highway sign and traffic law parts, but not vision. Under s. 521.1655(b), a part passed that way counts as passed, which is why DL-7 says completing certain courses removes the Class C knowledge exam from your DPS visit.

Finishing the classroom hours is a separate thing. DPS's Choosing a Driver Education Course page lists four routes (a traditional course, an online course, parent-taught, and public school driver education), and its teen learner page says that if you did not take the test during the classroom portion, you take it at the driver license office. A certificate of hours with no exam result on it sends you to the counter.

The exam itself comes from DPS. Its Section 23 notice tells certified TDLR schools to email TPSTProgram@dps.texas.gov to receive the current Class C knowledge exams as PDFs, which are for the school's sole use and must be kept in a secure location. DPS publishes no public copy of the exam and no at-home test run by DPS itself.

Where the Texas knowledge exam actually happens
PathWho gives the examWhat you take to DPS
Teen, concurrent methodLicensed provider or parent-taught course, after the first 6 classroom hoursDE-964 or DEE-964 with notated results, results in a sealed envelope, or parent-taught results (DL-67)
Teen, block methodThe same providers, after all 24 classroom hoursThe same DL-67 evidence of a passed exam
Adult 18 to 24, 6-hour courseThe adult course provider. TDLR bars the certificate until you score 70 percent on each partADE-1317 or ADEE-1317
First license at 25 or overDPS at a driver license officeNo driver education certificate is required
Teen whose course did not testDPS at a driver license officeDL-67 box: "I will take the knowledge test at the driver license office"

Sources: TxDPS Choosing a Driver Education Course; TxDPS Texas Learners License as a Teen; form DL-67 (rev. 10/2025); Transportation Code ss. 521.1601 and 521.1655; TDLR Driver Education Course Exclusively for Adults application.

Who still sits the knowledge exam at a DPS counter?

Anyone whose course did not administer the highway sign and traffic law parts, and anyone applying for a first license at 25 or over. Form DL-67, the DPS checklist for a teen learner license, gives four ways to account for the exam: notated school results, results in a secure unopened envelope, parent-taught results, or a box for taking it at the office.

  • Age 25 or over with no license: TDLR states there is no driver education requirement, so there is no course exam to bring and you test at DPS.
  • Teens whose provider did not test after the first 6 (concurrent) or all 24 (block) classroom hours.
  • Parent-taught students whose provider did not give the highway sign and traffic law parts.
  • Ages 18 to 24 who chose the 24-hour course or a parent-taught course that did not test them. The 6-hour adult course is different: its certificate is issued only after both exam parts are passed.

That adult rule is in TDLR's approval application for adult courses: 360 minutes including breaks, and no certificate unless the student scores at least 70 percent on the highway signs exam and at least 70 percent on the traffic laws exam. TDLR also approves an online version of the adult course, and its program of instruction names the DPS Highway Sign and Traffic Law Examination as the required exam. An adult aged 18 to 24 can therefore meet the knowledge requirement through an approved online provider, but not through any DPS website.

Classroom hours before the knowledge exam is allowed
Teen concurrent method (first classroom block)6 hours
The remaining 18 hours continue after the learner license
Teen block method (all classroom first)24 hours
Adult course, ages 18 to 246 hours
The exam is the final assessment of the course
Age 25 or over, first Texas license0 hours
No driver education. Exam is at DPS
Classroom hours from TxDPS Choosing a Driver Education Course and TDLR POI-Adult Six-Hour (May 2026). They are hours of instruction completed before the exam, not time spent on the exam.

How do you sit the exam at DPS if the school never gave it?

Book an in-person appointment at a driver license office. DPS provides all services by scheduled appointment only, through txdpsscheduler.com, up to 6 months in advance. Arrive no earlier than 30 minutes before the slot. DPS cancels an appointment once you are 30 minutes late.

Office knowledge exam, when the school did not test you
  1. 1
    Finish the classroom hours your path requires

    Teens: the first 6 hours (concurrent) or all 24 (block), shown on a DE-964 or DEE-964, or a DE-964E from a public school. Ages 18 to 24 still need an approved course certificate under s. 521.1601. Ages 25 and over have no course requirement.

  2. 2
    Schedule at txdpsscheduler.com

    If your local office shows no dates, DPS says to pick the next closest office or check back for cancellations. Most offices also release a limited number of same-day appointments, which DPS says fill up quickly.

  3. 3
    Bring the application and identity documents

    Form DL-14B is the application for anyone under 17 years 10 months. DL-14A covers 17 years 10 months and older. A minor brings a parent or legal guardian, or an application notarized with the parent or guardian signature. DPS also needs proof of citizenship or lawful presence, Texas residency, identity, and a Social Security number.

  4. 4
    Pay, give biometrics, then test

    DL-7 says the fee is paid and the photo taken before any exam is given. The specialist also takes thumbprints and a signature, and your vision is checked at the office. The knowledge exam is offered in English or Spanish only, and a translator may help before and after the test but not during it.

Weekend traffic on Interstate 35 through downtown Austin, Texas
Weekend traffic on Interstate 35 through downtown Austin, TexasPhoto: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Passing the knowledge exam does not cover the later stages. DL-7 requires every applicant to complete the Impact Texas Drivers course for their age group before the driving test: ITTD is a 2-hour video for ages 15 to 17 in a teen or parent-taught course, and ITAD is a 1-hour video for adults. The certificate is valid for 90 days, so it belongs near the drive test date, not the permit visit.

What score does Texas require, and what happens if you fail?

DL-7 sets 70 percent or better as the pass mark for any knowledge exam. The adult course certificate adds its own condition, 70 percent on highway signs and 70 percent on traffic laws, scored separately. DPS does not publish how many questions are on the Class C exam.

Texas knowledge exam numbers DPS and TDLR do publish
70%
Pass mark on any knowledge exam
Texas Driver Handbook DL-7 (rev. January 2026)
3
Examinations of each element per application
Transportation Code s. 521.161(d)
90 days
Application held after a failed first attempt
Texas Driver Handbook DL-7 (rev. January 2026)

Transportation Code s. 521.161(d) allows three examinations of each tested element per application. DL-7 adds the clock: an application is held for 90 days after a failed first attempt, and after 90 days or three failed exams you start a new application and pay the fee again. DL-7 states no waiting period between attempts.

A school exam result expires after 2 years

TDLR's provider certificate FAQ (September 2026) says the DEE-964 and ADEE-1317 certificates do not expire, but the exams do. A written exam passed with a driver education provider is good for 2 years from the pass date, and that is the window to take it to DPS for the permit. After that, the certificate still proves your hours but the exam result no longer counts, so you test again.

Can you take the knowledge exam in Spanish or another language?

Spanish, yes. Any other language, no. DPS offers the driver license knowledge test in English or Spanish only. Transportation Code s. 521.162 requires a Spanish alternate exam in every county, identical to the regular exam except that directions and written material are in Spanish while highway sign text stays in English. TDLR lets a school teach its course in another language, but its curriculum standards say the knowledge test must still be taken in English or Spanish.

A translator may help you speak with the specialist before and after the test, not during it. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you may bring someone to translate or ask your local office for a certified ASL interpreter at least 4 business days before your visit. Commercial license knowledge tests follow a separate rule: since June 1, 2026, DPS gives them in English only.

What does the school-exam route look like for a teen, week by week?

Worked example

Caleb Nguyen, 16, Fort Worth, concurrent classroom in spring 2026

  1. 1Caleb turns 16 on February 11, 2026. On March 3, 2026 he enrolls with a TDLR-licensed provider using the concurrent method and starts the first 6 classroom hours.
  2. 2On March 21, 2026 the provider gives him the DPS highway sign and traffic law parts under s. 521.1655. He scores 70 percent or better, and the provider notes the results on his DEE-964, the certificate template providers have had to use since July 15, 2025.
  3. 3He books April 4, 2026 at a Fort Worth driver license office and brings form DL-14B, a parent, identity and residency documents, a VOE issued within the last 30 days, and the DEE-964 with his results. The March 21 result is good for 2 years, so the 2-week gap does not matter.
  4. 4At the office he pays the fee, has his photo and thumbprints taken, passes the vision check, and does not sit a second knowledge exam. He leaves with a temporary permit to drive right away.

Outcome. Caleb gets his learner license on April 4, 2026 without a knowledge exam at DPS. A learner license must be held at least 6 months, so his earliest provisional license date is October 4, 2026. Before then he still owes the remaining 18 classroom hours, 7 hours watching the instructor drive, 7 hours driving with the instructor, 30 hours of supervised practice (10 at night), and an ITTD certificate dated within 90 days of his drive test.

If you are the person sitting the knowledge exam at DPS
  • Appointment confirmation

    Booked at txdpsscheduler.com. All services are by appointment.

  • Application

    DL-14B under 17 years 10 months, DL-14A from 17 years 10 months. A minor brings a parent or legal guardian, or the application notarized with their signature.

  • Classroom proof, if you are under 25

    DE-964, DEE-964, or DE-964E (teen), or ADE-1317 or ADEE-1317 (adult 6-hour course).

  • Exam evidence, or a plan to test at the office

    DL-67 lists notated school results, results in a secure unopened envelope, parent-taught results, or the box for testing at the office.

  • VOE, diploma, or GED if you are under 18

    DPS asks for at least 90 percent attendance in the past semester. A VOE is valid 30 days from issuance, or 90 days if issued June through August.

  • Identity, residency, lawful presence, Social Security number

    The DPS REAL ID Document Check tool builds the document list for your situation.

From TxDPS Texas Learners License as a Teen, form DL-67 (rev. 10/2025), forms DL-14A and DL-14B, and TxDPS Apply for a Texas Driver License.

More questions about this in Texas

Does a TDLR online course let me skip the DPS office entirely?

No. A provider can administer the exam parts under Transportation Code s. 521.1655, but the learner license or first adult license is issued at a DPS driver license office. That visit covers the application, fee, photo, thumbprints, signature, and vision check, and it is where you receive the temporary permit. The school exam only removes the knowledge test from the visit.

Can I start Texas driver education at 14 and test at 14?

You can start the classroom phase at 14, but you cannot test at 14. DPS and TDLR both state that you cannot apply for a learner license until you are at least 15, and DPS's rule for exams given by schools and parent-taught providers, 37 TAC s. 15.64, says no student may be examined before the 15th birthday. Once you pass the provider exam at 15 or later, TDLR says the result stays good for 2 years.

If I fail the knowledge exam at the school, can I just try at DPS the same week?

DPS gives the exam at the office to anyone who has not passed it in driver education, and DL-67 has a box for exactly that. At DPS, Transportation Code s. 521.161(d) allows three examinations of each element per application, and DL-7 holds an application for 90 days after a failed first attempt. DPS does not say whether a failed attempt at the school counts toward those three, and it publishes no required gap between tries.

Does the Impact Texas Drivers video count as the permit test?

No. ITTD (2 hours, ages 15 to 17) and ITAD (1 hour, adults) are a distracted-driving program required before the driving skills test, and the certificate is valid 90 days. DPS says ITD does not replace the distracted driving module in the 24-hour teen course or the 6-hour adult course. It is a separate requirement from the knowledge exam.

Is there a public online knowledge test for a Texas CDL either?

Not from DPS. CDL knowledge exams follow their own order (Texas Commercial Rules, General Knowledge, Combination for Class A, Air Brake if applicable, then endorsements), and since June 1, 2026 DPS gives them in English only, with interpreters prohibited. DPS does certify third-party CDL testing companies to give knowledge and skills exams to their own students or employees. None of that is a public at-home Class C test.

Sources

Other questions about Texas

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How this works in other states

Florida, Texas, California, and New York have different rules. In Florida and New York, age decides if an online test is available. Read the guide.

Written by Vikas. Checked against the source above on September 25, 2026. TxDPS does not run this site and does not endorse it.