Apply for a Driving Safety Provider License

Before You Apply

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 1001.209.

The bond must be completed by a company authorized to do business in Texas and made payable to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

The bond must be valid for the complete term of the license.

The information on the bond must match the provider information.

• exact provider name
• legal ownership name
• physical address of the provider

A Driving Safety Provider may not use a Registered Agent’s address as their physical address.

The bond must remain in effect until the provider’s license is no longer active. You must submit a bond continuation agreement with each subsequent renewal.

Verification of Ownership

You must provide names and contact information for each person who owns a stake in the provider business. Driving safety providers must be located, or maintain a registered agent, in the State of Texas.

Student Information and Records

Driving safety providers must develop and implement rigorous security and privacy protocols to prevent the disclosure of confidential student information, including PII and financial information.

A written copy of the privacy policy must be made available to all students.

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.

Online Courses

There is no special approval process for offering online courses to students. Any licensed provider may offer online courses, provided that the curriculum and administration thereof meet the requirements established in law and rules.

Please see the curriculum standards page for details.

Curriculum Standards

You must either develop your own curriculum or obtain it from a third-party.

TDLR does not approve curriculum. All curriculum offered by your school must meet the requirements established in law and rules.

See the curriculum standards page for more information.

Application and Fee

Submit a completed online application form with the non-refundable application fee of $500.

Apply Online

For assistance with using the Versa system, please see the following step-by-step guides:

• How to Register as a New User in Versa (PDF)
• How to Apply for a New License in Versa (PDF)

Applicants with Criminal Convictions

If you have ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor (other than a minor traffic violation) or pleaded guilty or no contest (resulting in a deferred adjudication) to any in-state, out-of-state or federal criminal offense, you must provide a completed Criminal History Questionnaire (PDF) along with your application materials.

The department will conduct a criminal history background check on all persons who apply for or renew a license. Criminal convictions are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Licenses may be denied based on the nature of the conviction and how long prior to the application the conviction occurred. Depending on your criminal history, a review can take from one to six weeks to complete.

Individuals may request TDLR review their criminal background before actually applying for a license. TDLR uses the same process for this pre-application evaluation as the process described below. See the& Criminal History Evaluation Letter page for more information.

Please see the Guidelines for License Applicants with Criminal Convictions, which describe the process that TDLR uses to determine whether a criminal conviction renders an applicant an unsuitable candidate for the license, or whether a conviction warrants revocation or suspension of a license previously granted.