Moving to Texas: do you have to retake the written test?
If you are 18 or over and you surrender a valid out-of-state license, no. The Texas Driver Handbook DL-7 states that the knowledge and driving exams are waived entirely for applicants aged 18 or older who surrender a valid license from another state, so a new Texas resident in that position is not retested on either. Two limits are worth knowing. The waiver as published turns on the license being valid and surrendered, so an expired license is not the case DL-7 describes. And it is stated for applicants 18 or older: for applicants under 18, Transportation Code s. 521.165(d) provides that the driving test can never be waived, so a teenager moving in should not assume the adult waiver reaches them. Checked in September 2026.
Source: Texas Driver Handbook DL-7 (rev. January 2026); Transportation Code s. 521.165(d), checked September 9, 2026.
What does TxDPS not publish on this?
What DPS requires of a new resident holding an expired out-of-state license, a foreign license or a learner permit from another state is not covered by the sources checked on September 9, 2026, so this page does not answer those three cases.
Other questions about Texas
- How many questions can you miss on the Texas permit test?
- What happens if you fail the permit test in Texas?
- What to bring for the Texas learner license test if you are under 18
- What to bring for the Texas license test if you are 18 or over
- Can you take the permit test online in Texas?
- Texas supervised driving hours, and whether the log is turned in
Ready to practice for the Texas test?
How this works in other states
One state publishes a clear waiver, two publish nothing, and here is the page to check for each. Read the guide.
Written by Vikas. Checked against the source above on September 9, 2026. TxDPS does not run this site and does not endorse it.