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Apply for a New Driver Education Provider License
On this page:
For information about branch locations, please see Applying for a Branch Location License.
Before You Apply
Applicants for a new Driver Education Provider license must meet all requirements in rules and statute, including:
Surety Bond
A surety bond in the amount of $10,000 must be provided and submitted with your application.
Bond requirements can be found in Education Code 1001.207 and section 84.40(b) of the administrative rules.
The information on the bond must match the information of the school license, including:
- the exact name of the school
- legal ownership name
- physical school address
The bond must remain in effect until the provider license is no longer active. You must submit a bond continuation agreement with each subsequent renewal.
Assumed Name Registration
You must include the assumed name registration documentation from the Texas Secretary of States Office. You must also check with the county where the business is physically located to determine if a DBA needs to be filed.
Curriculum Requirements
The courses that you will offer to students must meet the minimum established curriculum requirements.
For more information on what types of curriculum you can offer under your license, see Curriculum Standards for Driver Education Providers.
Motor Vehicle Fleet
Vehicles must comply with section 84.42 of the administrative rules, including:
- be properly registered, inspected, and insured
- be equipped with instructor-side brake pedals and rearview mirror
ADA Compliance
As part of your provider license responsibility, you must create a plan for making reasonable accommodations and providing aids to deaf or hard of hearing students.
See the accessible accommodations page for details.
Application and Fee
To apply for a Driver Education Provider license with an, online, in-person, and/or parent taught endorsement, submit a completed online application form and include the non-refundable application fee of $500.
If you wish to add multiple endorsements, you will do so in a separate transaction after the initial license is approved by the department. Each additional endorsement is $300.00.
Licenses are valid for a period of one year from the date issued.
You cannot enroll students or schedule or begin any classes until your license application has been approved. However, you may advertise as a prospective school that is opening soon.
For assistance with using the Versa system to apply for a new license, please see the step-by-step guides below:
- Register as a New User in Versa (PDF)
- Apply for Online Provider License in Versa (PDF)
- Apply for In-Person Provider License in Versa (PDF)
- Apply for a Parent-Taught Provider License in Versa (PDF)
- Add Instructors in Versa (PDF)
- Add Endorsements in Versa (PDF)
Endorsement Types
The driver education provider license has three possible endorsements for the method of delivery that will be used:
- In-Person
- Online
- Parent-Taught
When you apply for a driver education provider license, the first endorsement is included with your license application fee.
Subsequent endorsements require an additional fee of $300/each.
| Endorsements (Regardless of Type) | Fee |
|---|---|
| First Endorsement | Included with application fee |
| Second Endorsement | $300 |
| Third Endorsement | $300 |
Verification of Ownership
On the license application form, you must list each person, entity, or shareholder who owns a stake in the business.
Inspections
In-person Driver Education Providers
Before a license may be issued, the department must determine that all in-person driver education providers have adequate space, equipment, instructional materials, and instructors to provide quality training in the classroom and behind the wheel. In-person driver education providers must be inspected by the department before it may offer courses.
For more information on what inspectors will look for, please see What to Expect During a Driver Education School Inspection.
Online Providers
Online driver education providers are not required to have an inspection before offering courses or materials.
However, online driver education providers must have adequate instructors and adequate testing and security measures as per section 84.500 of the administrative rules.
Parent-Taught Driver Education Providers
Parent-taught driver education providers are not required to have an inspection before offering courses or materials. However, you should make note of the following requirements:
- Parent-taught driver education providers must have an adequate method for reporting completion of a course and passing of an exam
- You must implement testing and security measures to validate student identity and participation in a course, as described in section 84.500 of the administrative rules.