What Do You Do After Finishing Adult Drivers Ed in Texas?
After you finish the 6-hour online course and the free Impact Texas Adult Drivers (ITAD) video, two steps stand between you and your license: pass the DPS driving (road) test — at a DPS office or an approved third-party driving school — and finish the licensing process at the DPS. This page covers those final steps and what to bring.
Bring your Certificate of Completion (ADE-1317) from our course to DPS. It shows you completed adult drivers ed and passed the in-course written exam, so you do not retake the road-signs-and-traffic-laws written test at the office. The vision and road tests are still taken at DPS. Plan to use your certificate within about two years of your completion date.
Where Do You Take the Driving Test — DPS or a Driving School?
You have two options for the driving (road) test, and both are accepted by the DPS. Pick whichever gets you a sooner appointment. For the full document checklist, vehicle inspection list, the maneuvers you are graded on, and how to pass on the first try, see our complete Texas road test guide.
| Option | Vehicle | Cost & availability | After you pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test at a DPS office | You bring your own (current registration, insurance, and inspection required) | No separate test fee; appointments can book out two to four weeks | A DPS examiner rides along and scores you, then you finish licensing at the same visit |
| Test at a third-party driving school | The school usually provides the vehicle | The school charges a fee; availability is often faster than DPS | You bring the school's results to the DPS to complete the licensing process |
Schedule a DPS appointment at public.txdpsscheduler.com.
What does the driving test cover?
The examiner evaluates your ability to operate a vehicle safely in real traffic. Per the DPS Form DL-60 (rev. 03-2026), you are graded on maneuvers including backing in a straight line, parallel parking, approaching intersections, turning, stopping in regular traffic, controlling the vehicle, observing traffic, maintaining vehicle position, and using signals. Parallel parking is currently a graded maneuver — if you heard it was removed, that is out of date.
If you got an optional learner permit, use your practice time to get comfortable with all of these maneuvers before the test. Our road test guide walks through each graded maneuver and the most common mistakes to avoid.
What Do You Bring to the DPS to Get Your License?
Missing even one item can mean rescheduling, so gather everything the night before. Bring the following to your DPS visit (for the full residency-proof rules and the adult application form, use our DPS document checklist):
- Certificate of Completion (ADE-1317) — from completing our course.
- Impact Texas Adult Drivers certificate — from the free DPS course.
- Driving test results — if you tested at a third-party school. (If you test at the DPS, you'll do the driving test as part of the visit.)
- Proof of identity and lawful presence — originals only.
- Social Security card — originals only.
- Proof of Texas residency.
- Proof of insurance — if you own a vehicle.
- License fee — paid at the DPS.
What Happens After You Pass?
Once you pass the driving test and complete the DPS process, you'll receive your standard Texas driver license. As an adult applicant, the teen restrictions (passenger limits, night curfew) do not apply to you — you get a standard Texas license. You pay the license fee at the DPS, get a temporary paper license so you can drive right away, and your permanent card arrives by mail within a few weeks.