What Age Can You Get Your Permit In Texas?

Published on 2021-12-31 in Driver License

If you are wanting to get behind the wheel in Texas, you might be wondering at what age can you get your permit in Texas? It's time to dive into that topic and see what the requirements are for the Texas Department of Public Safety when it comes to getting behind the wheel!

Graduated Driver License Program

In the state of Texas, any prospective driver under the age of 18 must go through the Graduated Driver License Program (GDL Program). With this initiative, new drivers go through different phases of driving privileges before they can earn the right to a full, unrestricted drivers license.

The First Phase

The GDL Program begins with teens having to complete a driver's ed course. You can begin taking this course as soon as you turn 14. However, you must wait until you are 15 years of age to be eligible for a learner license (a.k.a. learner's permit).

Driving Age Requirements in Texas

With the learner license in hand, you will be allowed to drive a vehicle with the sole purpose of learning how to drive. You must have your learner license in order to drive with a licensed passenger aged 21 or older. By following the GDL Program, that would mean the youngest age anyone can drive in Texas would be 15 years old.

You will hold the learner license for at least six months before moving on to the next phase of the GDL Program and obtaining your intermediate license. Until then, focus on passing driver's ed and turning 15 years old so you can start driving with your permit!

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to our friendly support staff. If you want to start your driver's training journey with Coastline Academy, make sure to sign up for Drivers Ed and book your driving lesson today.


About the Author

Nigel Tunnacliffe

Nigel Tunnacliffe is the co-Founder and CEO of Coastline Academy, the largest driving school in the country, on a mission to eradicate car crashes. An experienced founder and technology executive, Nigel and his team are shaking up the automotive industry by taking a technology-centric approach to learning and driver safety. Having served over 100,000 driving students across 500+ cities, Coastline was recently named the 6th fastest-growing education company in America by Inc. Magazine. Nigel is a frequent podcast guest and quoted driving education expert for major publications such as Yahoo!, GOBankingRates, and MSN.