Permit Testing

Permit Testing

Beginning March 1, 2010 photos will be required on beginning drivers' permits. All American will still be conducting the written exam and the eye test, but students will have to go to the DPS office for a photo to be taken.

Also, persons seeking class C licenses will have to do a road test with a Department of Public Safety official no matter when they began or completed their driver education.

Obtaining a driving permit requires the following:

  1. T.E.A. Form (provided by your school's attendance office)
    * Class may be started without one, but is required by the DPS in order to issue a driving permit. The TEA form expires 30 days from issuance. Be sure you permit test promptly after receiving one. If no longer in school, you must provide a diploma or GED.
  2. Original birth certificate or Texas ID Card. Hospital birth certificates are not accepted. Must be a certificate issued by the county with a stamped, embedded seal. NOTE: Students born outside of the U.S. must provide either a passport with a U.S. Visa, resident alien card, or citizenship papers - foreign birth certificates are not accepted.
  3. Social Security Card ("Actual Card" - no copies. Printout from Social Security Office, no longer accepted)
  4. Application (Provided by us) ... If you answer "yes" to any of the medical questions, you must complete a medical form at the D.P.S. office when you apply for the permit.
  5. DE 964 Form (Provided by us)
  6. Parent (Provided by you) - Both the student and the parent must sign in front of a notary. We provide one at testing, or if the parent is not available at our testing you may both sign at the DPS office when you go to apply for the permit and have the picture made.

We offer permit testing for our students to obtain their beginner's license. Students are eligible to test for their permit after six hours of class.

Throughout the year we offer permit testing on selected Fridays or Saturdays at all five of our locations. We conduct the written exam and the eye test for a fee of $20. This will allow you to have these two phases of the testing completed where all you will need to do at the DPS is present your paperwork and get your picture made. ($6 additonal if under 18 years old, $25 if 18 or older)

Check with a teacher or with the front desk for appointments and for weeks when testing is offered. In order for testing to be completed promptly, directions listed below must be read and followed.

Parents can either accompany the student to our testing to sign paperwork and have it notarized, or take care of the signing at the DPS office when the student goes in to have a picture made. Our permit testing is conducted by appointment only and averages 20 minutes, whereas testing at the DPS can sometimes take hours. We hope that you find our service convenient and worthwhile. Our intention is to save you time by taking care of all testing in advance of the student's photo being taken at the DPS office.

 

The following is required to make an appointment:

  • Contract signed and initialed by parent/guardian
  • Parent handout signed and submitted
  • A minimum of $360 paid

After completing testing with us, students must have the following on hand to present to the DPS:

  1. "Original" birth certificate issued by the county, with a stamped seal. "NO COPIES" or hospital versions will be accepted. A Texas ID Card can substitute for a birth certificate. NOTE: If a student is born outside the U.S., you must supply a passport with a U.S. Visa, a resident alien card, or citizenship papers. A foreign birth certificate is not accepted by the state.
  2. Original Social Security card. No copies will be accepted. A printout from Social Security Office is no longer accepted.
  3. $6 to pay for having a picture made if you are under 18 years of age. $25 if you are over 18 years of age.
  4. DE964 and T.E.A. form. We supply you with the DE964 form at the conclusion of your permit test. The TEA form is available at the attendance office of your school. TEA forms are only valid for 30 days, so be sure to test promptly after obtaining one. If your TEA form is obtained in the month of May, it is valid throughout the summer until school is back in session. If testing at the D.P.S. office, you will need to pick up your DE964 form after the third day of class and take with you for testing.

Permit licenses now require a licensed driver, 21 years of age or older, in the front seat with the new driver. Also, students must drive for a minimum of six months on their permit before they can apply for a driver's license. In addition to the 14 hours of in-car training that we provide in our program, students must now receive an additional 20 hours of training. 10 of these 20 hours must be done at night. These 20 hours also require a licensed driver who is at least 21 years of age, (preferably a parent / guardian). A maximum of one hour of instruction per calendar day is allowed. These 20 hours must be completed before we can issue the final paperwork to get a license. When a driver's license is received, the new driver can have no more than one minor in the car for the first twelve months.