Texas permit test cheat sheet

Texas-specific rules from our question bank, condensed to one line each with the handbook page. Read it the night before; don’t use it instead of practicing.

Study sheet for before your test. Notes aren’t allowed in the DMV test room. See the study sheets to print.

Test format
Not published
Passing score
70%
Permit and test fees
$16 total
Minimum age for a permit
15 years
Supervised driving
30 hours (10 at night)
Hold your permit
6 months minimum

Permits & licensing

  • A Texas learner license can be issued at 15. p. 7
  • The supervisor must be a licensed driver who is at least 21 and has at least one year of driving experience. p. 7
  • A learner's supervisor must be able to observe and respond to what the new driver is doing. p. 7
  • Phase One of the Texas Graduated Driver License program requires holding a learner, hardship, or combined license for at least six months. p. 8
  • A suspended license is invalid, so those days do not count toward Phase One. p. 8
  • During Phase Two, a provisional driver may not carry more than one passenger under 21 who is not a family member. p. 9
  • Provisional drivers may not drive between midnight and 5:00 a.m. p. 9
  • The midnight-to-5 a.m. restriction has three exceptions: work, a school-related activity, or a medical emergency. p. 9
  • Texas driver education requires 30 hours of behind-the-wheel practice, with at least 10 of those hours at night, plus in-car instruction. source
  • Texas requires a grade of 70 percent or better on any knowledge exam. p. 13
  • Under the Less Tears More Years Act, applicants younger than 25 must complete an approved driver education course. p. 13
  • Code B is the learner-style restriction: a licensed driver 21 or older must ride in the front seat. p. 89

Alcohol & drugs

  • A Texas driver 21 or older is legally intoxicated at a BAC of 0.08 or more. p. 61
  • Texas law does not allow any blood alcohol for minors. p. 62
  • Under implied consent, refusing a breath or blood test brings a 180-day suspension, up to 730 days for later refusals. p. 64
  • If you take the test and your BAC is 0.08 or more, your license may be suspended for 90 days, or up to 365 days for later offenses. p. 64
  • A minor's first refusal to provide a breath or blood specimen brings a 180-day suspension; a second refusal brings 2 years. p. 63
  • A minor whose specimen shows any detectable alcohol below 0.08 loses the license for 60 days on a first offense, 120 days on a second, and 180 days after that. p. 63
  • It is illegal to have an open container of alcohol in the passenger area of a vehicle on a public highway, whether it is moving, stopped or parked. p. 62
  • DWI with a passenger under 15 is a state jail felony: up to a $10,000 fine and 180 days to 2 years in state jail. p. 63