This program offers more flexibility for the busy student and parent than the traditional classroom environment.  The student completes the classroom instruction via an online program and then the instructional driving with our certified and licensed instructors.  The parent must also drive and document a minimum of 30 hours of driving with the student.

The FAQs for the teen driver education program at Green Light Driving Academy follow the guidelines & requirements for Teen Driver Education from the Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and only pertain to the way that Green Light Driving Academy has adopted these requirements. 

For more information about the official state guidelines – refer to these sites:

• Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation
• Texas Department of Public Safety - Teen Drivers

HOW DOES A TEEN OBTAIN  A TEXAS DRIVER LICENSE?

A teen (ages 16-18) must take an approved teen driver education program.  This program is comprised of two phases:

• Phase I: 32 hours of classroom instruction
• Phase II: 44 hours of driving instruction (14 hours of instructional driving, 30 hours of driving with parent)

Green Light Driving Academy offers a program to meet the needs of every teen driver and is approved by the state of Texas.

Traditional Classroom / Instructor-Led Driving / Parent-Taught driving

This program offers a traditional classroom environment for the classroom instruction and instructional driving with our certified and licensed instructors.  The parent must also drive and document a minimum of 30 hours of driving with the student.

• Phase I: 24 hours of classroom instruction (16 days, 2 hours per day) 

NOTE: In most cases, our classroom schedule will be a 4 week schedule with classes held Monday-Thursday.  There may be other times during the year when a 3-week schedule will be used (which would be Monday-Friday with one Saturday class), for example around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. 

We also have class schedules that work around the traditional breaks at Christmas and Spring Break and will meet on weekends and during those days of the holiday breaks.

• Phase II: 14 hours of in-car (behind-the-wheel) instruction (7 lessons, 2 hours per lesson) (“drive lessons" or "drive times”).  This is also referred to as "instructional" driving.
• The in-car instruction includes 7 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction and 7 hours of observation of another student driving. The in-car instruction is scheduled as 2-hour drive period so that the student can get one hour of driving and one hour of observation in one drive session.
• Since the in-car instructions is scheduled by you, it is flexible and can be scheduled around the student's other activities and the driving school's available drive time hours. The student can start this phase after the 2nd week of classroom instruction (after Day 8) and if we have a copy of their learners permit.  Scheduling of these lessons is done on our drive lesson scheduling system:  Schedule 2 Drive.  The student must schedule ALL drive times on-line at www.Schedule2Drive.com.
• The state of Texas also requires parents to drive and log a minimum of 30 hours with their student. These hours can be tracked on paper, however must be entered and tracked via Schedule 2 Drive once the account has been created.

Online Classroom / Instructor-Led Driving / Parent-Taught driving

This program offers more flexibility for the busy student and parent than the traditional classroom environment.  The student completes the classroom instruction via an online program and then the instructional driving with our certified and licensed instructors.  The parent must also drive and document a minimum of 30 hours of driving with the student.

• Phase I: 24 hours of classroom instruction (up to 2 hours per day) 

With this program, the student completes the instruction using an online program and does this at their own pace and cannot complete more than 2 hours of instruction per day, BUT, can take the instruction at their convenience.

• Phase II: 14 hours of in-car (behind-the-wheel) instruction (7 lessons, 2 hours per lesson) (“drive lessons" or "drive times”).  This is also referred to as "instructional" driving.
• The in-car instruction includes 7 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction and 7 hours of observation of another student driving. The in-car instruction is scheduled as 2-hour drive period so that the student can get one hour of driving and one hour of observation in one drive session.
• Since the in-car instructions is scheduled by you, it is flexible and can be scheduled around the student's other activities and the driving school's available drive time hours. The student can start this phase after we have received a copy of their learner's permit.  They do have to complete the course, however, do not have to wait until the end to start the driving instruction.  Scheduling of these lessons is done on our drive lesson scheduling system:  Schedule 2 Drive.  The student must schedule ALL drive times on-line at www.Schedule2Drive.com.
• The state of Texas also requires parents to drive and log a minimum of 30 hours with their student. These hours can be tracked on paper, however must be entered and tracked via Schedule 2 Drive once the account has been created.

Traditional Classroom Only OR Driving Only Instruction

We can offer only do the Classroom Instruction Phase OR the Driving Instruction Phase and the parent completes the other phase via the parent-taught program.

If this option is chosen, before the parent handles their part of the instruction, they must purchase the "Parent-Taught Driver Education Packet" from the state of Texas via the Texas Dept of Licensing & Regulation and then purchase the appropriate curriculum (classroom or driving) from an approved course provider.

The classroom or driving instruction is handled as described above.

Classroom and Driving Instruction handled COMPLETELY by Parent

The state of Texas allows a parent to teach their student using an approved driver education program.  There are certain qualifications for doing this and more information can be found on our website (see below).

If this option is chosen, before the parent starts this process, they must purchase the "Parent-Taught Driver Education Packet" from the state of Texas via the Texas Dept of Licensing & Regulation and then purchase the appropriate curriculum (classroom and/or driving) from an approved course provider.

A 3% convenience fee applies to ALL (online & in person) credit & debit card transactions.

Our complete fee list is provided here:  Fees List

For questions regarding  fees, please contact a GLDA office.

Grapevine & EMS- ISD: 817-310-0193

Coppell: 469-549-0002

Roanoke & Boyd:  817-491-1700

1. Cash - (Cash payment not available with online registration)

2. Check - (Payment by check not available with online registration online registration)

3. Credit Card or Debit Card - A 3% convenience fee applies to ALL (online & in person) credit & debit card transactions.

4.  Payment plans available

Please refer to our payment plan options here:  PAYMENT PLAN OPTIONS

(Convenience fees (i.e. credit card fees) are not refundable. NO EXCEPTIONS)

GLDA DOES NOT accept money orders, traveler's checks, or third party checks as a form of payment.

Texas state law requires that Parents drive and record driving instruction with their teens.  Parents must drive and log a minimum of 30 hours of driving with their students.  10 of those hours must be driven at night.

More information about the Parent Logged Driving instruction along with a guide for this instruction can be found here:

Behind-the-Wheel Guide for Parents

Registration can be done on-line through this website or completed by going into one of the office locations and registering in person.

You must register in person if you wish to pay the tuition in cash, with a check, make a partial payment, set up a payment plan or use any of our discounts or gift certificates not offered through the website.

At our satellite location in Boyd, we also offer several on-campus registration dates during the school year.  Refer to our Announcement page regarding these dates.

The Texas Dept. of License & Regulations requires that a student attend all 32 hours of classroom instruction.Students can make-up any class(es) missed. Students must attend the full classroom session and successfully complete the daily assignment for that class session to receive make-up credit. All 32 hours of classroom instruction must be complete before the contract deadline & before the course completion certificate (DE964) will be issued. You will need to coordinate with the GLDA office for make-up class options. 

 GLDA MAKE-UP POLICY 

WHAT IS THE WEATHER CANCELLATION POLICY AT GLDA?

The in-car instruction can be started after the 2nd week of class (after Day 8) and if we have a copy of their permit in our office.  Driving instruction must be completed ONE YEAR from the day that the student started their classroom session (traditional class), ONE YEAR from the day that the log-in information is provided (online classroom).

TRADITIONAL CLASS ONLY:  If a student has missed 5 or less classes, they can begin their in-car instruction once their account has been created on our scheduling system (Schedule 2 Drive).  Students that have missed 6 or more classes must complete their classes before starting the in-car instruction (refer to our Make-up Policy above).

A contract extension my be purchased before the contract expires.

Cost of extension:

CONTACT OFFICE FOR PRICE

THE EXTENSION MUST BE PURCHASED BEFORE THE CONTRACT EXPIRES OR CONTRACT IS SUBJECT TO TERMINATION.

Yes. Texas state law requires persons less than 18 years of age to successfully complete an approved driver education course before they are eligible to receive a driver’s license.

NOTE: If a student is already 18, they do not have to take the complete course as described above.

If a student starts the driver education course before they are 18 years of age, they MUST complete the course in order to get their drivers license OR they must start over with the over 18 course which is a 6-hour on-line course that prepares them for taking the permit test and this is offered by Green Light Driving Academy on-line through I AM ROAD READY.

The state of Texas allows a student to begin driver education class at age 14, however, we STRONGLY recommend that the student turn 15 within 3 months (90 days) of starting the class.

Our contract is set up for one year and begins on the day they start their classroom instruction.  It will expire one year later.  This is the maximum time the state allows for a driver education contract.  If your student cannot complete all of the classroom and driving instruction before the deadline, the contract will be terminated unless an extension is paid for. 

A student is not allowed to apply for a learner’s permit until they are at least 15 years of age and they have completed at least Six (6) instruction hours of a driver education classroom program administered by the school and passed the state-approved permit tests.

Green Light Driving Academy has structured its curriculum so that the permit tests are given on the third day of classroom instruction. The student will be given a certificate indicating that they have completed the first 6 hours of class and has passed the permit test.  If the student is 15 years of age,this certificate can be taken to the DPS along with other documentation to get the student’s permit.

If the student has not reached age 15, they will still take the permit tests with their class, but must wait until they are 15 years old to go to the DPS to get the permit.

The state requires that the following items be provided along with verification of passing the learner’s permit test.

We do not gather or take documents to the DPS to get the permit for the student.

GLDA will provide a certificate (form DE-964) to the student after they have completed the first 6 hours of class and have passed the written tests. This certificate along with the following items can be taken to the DPS to get the permit at your earliest convenience. NOTE: A parent must take the student to the DPS to have this taken care of.

• Form DE-964 – Showing that the student has completed the first 6 hours of class and has passed the written permit tests (this form will be provided by Green Light Driving Academy during the first week of class)
• Birth Certificate (original or certified copy) **
• Social Security Card (original card) **
• Verification of Enrollment form (TEA form) from student’s school **
• DL-14A – Application for Driver’s License (form provided by Green Light Driving Academy)
• $16.00 permit processing fee (subject to change by the Texas DPS)
• Verification of Texas Residency (the parent that takes the student to the DPS must provide this documentation - 2 acceptable forms with their name and their address)
• Student will be given a vision test at the DPS

** If not available, substitutions can be provided. For more information about substitutions, please refer to the Texas Department of Public Safety website for allowable documentation:

Identification Documents Allowed

PLEASE NOTE: If your student is not a U.S. citizen, additional documentation may be required to obtain the learner’s permit (see the link above)

Traditional Classroom Program:

• Students will not be able to start the driving portion of the driver education course until they have completed the first we weeks of class (after the 8th day) AND we have a copy of their permit.

Online Classroom Program:

• Students enrolled in our online class program may begin their driving instruction once we have a copy of their permit and the tuition is paid in full.

Driving Only Program:

• To start the Drive Only program, we must have a contract and payment of tuition and a copy of the student's permit.  Driving instruction can begin once we have created the account (normally with 24 hours of getting this information.)

NOTE:  A student can begin driving with a Licensed Operator in the Front Seat of the Vehicle that is 21 years or older (LOFS) as soon as they get their permit.

A teen must be at least 15 years of age to receive an INSTRUCTION PERMIT also called a LEARNER’S PERMIT or DRIVING PERMIT.

After completing an approved driver education course, a teen must be at least 16 years of age before receiving a provisional driver’s license and they must have held their permit for at least 180 days.

Texas does allow the issuance of a hardship license. Application for a hardship license is handled through the Texas Department of Public Safety AFTER the student has completed the driver education course.

The state of Texas instituted a graduated driver's license program in January 2002. It creates two phases of driving requirements for minors under age 18.

Phase 1 requires that a minor under age 18 must hold their learner's permit for six months before applying for provisional license. During the time the minor has the learner's permit; they can only drive with an insured, licensed driver over the age of 21 in the front seat of the car.

After the six months have passed and the minor has reached age 16, and they have completed a state approved driver education course, they can get a provisional license (valid until age 18) with restrictions. This is Phase II.

These restrictions are:

• Cannot have more than one passenger under the age 21 in the car who is not an immediate family member
• Cannot operate a vehicle after midnight or before 5 a.m., unless driving is necessary for employment, school or a school-related activity or a medical emergency.
• Cannot use a wireless communication (cell phone, any mobile communication device which includes Blue Tooth, Hands Free, etc) device while driving, except in the case of an emergency.

The above restrictions do not apply if the provisional license holder is accompanied by a license operator age 21 or older.

After Phase II has been completed, the driver is issued a full license with none of the above restrictions.

Yes, however a teen must still complete an approved driver education course. After completion, the teen and parent may apply for a hardship license at the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).

No, Green Light Driving Academy cannot do this for you. You must go to the Texas DPS to obtain another copy of your permit. Your information is in their computer system, so all you need to do it provide identification (Social Security Card and Birth Certificate are best) and they will issue a duplicate copy. The cost is $11.00.

You must have a VALID permit with you to take a drive lesson. Any student that does not have a VALID permit in readable condition when they come for a scheduled drive time, will not be allowed to drive or observe and will be charged a $50.00 fee, just as if they did not show up or if they cancelled less than 24 hours. This is not a Green Light Driving Academy rule, but a rule from the Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation and the State of Texas.

Please contact Green Light Driving Academy for a duplicate original copy. The cost for preparing this duplicate copy is $25.00. We do not charge to make a photocopy if needed for insurance purposes, but to use the DE-964 to get the license, it must be an original.

Yes, most insurance companies do provide a discount on automobile insurance for successfully completing an approved driver education course; however it is best to consult with your agent to confirm this.

Yes, please contact the school office for information about this service.

Roanoke817-310-0193 

Grapevine: 817-491-1700 

Coppell: 469-549-0002