If you live in Texas, taking a state-approved defensive driving course from Ticket School is a great idea. From ticket dismissal to insurance discounts, such a course offers a wide range of benefits. Yet many people ask “How often can you take a defensive driving course?”
Texas state law permits drivers to take defensive driving to dismiss one traffic ticket every 12 months.1 If you haven’t taken a course for defensive driving within that time, you can take another—for example, to have a ticket dismissed. The convenience is you can take a defensive driving course online. You don’t need to travel to a specific location.
However, there are a number of restrictions. Aside from time limitations, you cannot take a defensive driving course in Texas if you’re taking one for another violation. You’re also not eligible to take a course if you have a commercial driver’s license.
There are also several violations that you cannot dismiss. These include:
- Driving at or over 25 miles per hour above the posted speed limit
- Not having car insurance at the time of a violation or vehicle crash
- An infraction for passing a school bus
- Leaving the scene of a crash or a hit and run
- Violations that occurred in a construction zone
A defensive driving course completion will be posted on your record once you have met all of the court’s requirements. The court will report it to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). Turning in your completion certificate to the court is, therefore, an extremely important step.
Once the court reports the completion to the DPS, it will show up on your driving record. This is why most courts require you to provide them with a copy of your driving record with your completion certificate. They are using that to check and make sure that a previous driver safety course completion is not showing up for the past 12 months.
In addition, insurance discount benefits are available in Texas, depending on the auto insurance provider. Some insurers offer as much as a 10% discount for three years.2 Although participation varies by company, the Ticket School course is approved by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), which means that the course will be accepted by any company that gives discounts for driver safety.
Your intent for taking the course should be noted during registration; the same course used for a discount won’t be accepted by a court for a ticket. However, if you take the course for a ticket, you will get a copy of your insurance in case your provider does offer discounts.
Can I Do Defensive Driving Twice?
How often you can take defensive driving in Texas depends on your goal. For ticket dismissal, you can take a defensive driving course once a year. If you’re seeking an insurance discount with such a course, it expires every three years.3 If you took the course for an insurance discount only, that does not count against the once per 12 months limitation. That requirement only applies to courses taken for tickets.
One thing to keep in mind is that courts and judges have the discretion to allow you to take the course again even if you have taken the course for a ticket in the past 12 months. Most of the time they will not allow this, but there are unique cases, so we cannot say anything with absolute certainty. It is always recommended to be honest and ask the judge for permission to take the course again.
Why Take a Defensive Driving Course from Ticket School?
There are a number of reasons to choose the online course with Ticket School. The first and most important reason is that you will receive your completion certificate quickly via email. This keeps you from having to wait for it in the mail or pay for express delivery. Email delivery is free. Emailed delivery is extremely useful if you have little time to complete the course and prove your certification.
The Ticket School Texas-approved defensive driving course is 100% online. You can access the content 24/7 from any internet-connected device. The online course is $25, the lowest amount allowed by law. The course is a mixture of text and videos. Instead of a final exam, short quizzes are presented at the end of each unit. For more information or to sign up for a Texas driver safety course online, go to Ticketschool.com.
Sources:
- https://tx-dps.com/
- http://ticketschool.wpengine.com/faqs/texas-defensive-driving-faqs/
- https://www.texasdrivingschool.com/defensive-driving/questions/