Driving Safety Courses


 State law allows drivers licensed in Texas the opportunity to take a driving safety course (also known as DSC or “defensive driving”) once a year to dismiss certain types of traffic citations. You may take DSC if:
  • You have a valid Texas Class C driver’s license ( any other driver license is allowed for military personnel and their families.);
  • You do not have a commercial driver’s license;
  • You have current insurance;
  • You have not taken DSC to have a citation dismissed in the year prior to the date of your citation;
  • Your citation is for a “Rules of the Road” violation (including, for example, speeding, stop signs, red lights and seat belts), for violating a warning sign or a barricade, or if you are under 17 and accused of most any violation of the Transportation Code;
  • You enter a plea of guilty or no contest and request DSC on or before the appearance date (usually the 14th day after the date of your citation); and
  • You pay the DSC fee (instead of the price of the citation) of $144.00, or $169.00 for a violation in a school zone. 
 You cannot take a DSC course for the following:
  • Speeding 25 mph or more above the posted speed limit or speeds greater than 94 mph,
  • No insurance or failure to maintain financial responsibility,
  • Leaving the scene of a collision,
  • Passing a school bus, or
  • Cited while driving in a construction zone when workers were present
Requesting DSC:
 A DSC course can be requested by mail or in person at the Court. (By mail, send the DSC fee along with a copy of your driver’s license and your insurance to the Court at 611 Bluff Street, Wichita Falls, TX, 76301. Please be sure to include your citation number on any documents submitted to the Court.) After you have signed up, you will have 90 days to submit to the Court your DSC completion certificate and a certified copy of your driving record from DPS (Certified List of All Accidents and Violations in Record - Type 3A). You may order and print out a copy of your driving record from DPS by clicking HERE.

Failing to Comply with DSC  Terms:
If you fail to comply with any of the requirements of the DSC, your case will be set for a show cause hearing. The hearing is your opportunity to speak with a judge regarding why you failed to comply with terms of your DSC.  If you fail to appear at your hearing, a conviction will be entered, the conviction will be placed on your record, and, if there is still a balance on the case, a warrant for your arrest will be issued.  

The Court staff will provide detailed information regarding these submissions to you when you sign up. Please call (940) 761-7880 with any questions.









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