DE-964 Certificate in Texas: What It Is & How to Get It
Every Texas teen who earns a driver license needs a DE-964 certificate, and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) lists it as a required document for both the learner license and the provisional license. It is one of the most-searched forms in Texas driver education, and one of the most misunderstood.
If you are a parent trying to figure out what a DE-964 is, where it comes from, and what DPS will check when you hand it over, this guide walks you through it in plain English.
The short version: you do not apply for a DE-964. Your teen earns it by completing driver education with a licensed Texas provider. SafeWay Driving issues it as part of every teen course.
Key Takeaways
The DE-964 (also printed as DEE-964) is the official Texas Driver Education Certificate, regulated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).
Your teen earns two of them: one for the learner license after the first 6 classroom hours, and one for the provisional license after all 24 classroom hours and the in-car training.
It comes only from a TDLR-licensed driver education school or an approved parent-taught provider. There is no separate application.
The certificate itself does not carry an expiration date, but the other documents in the process do.
Bring a printed copy to DPS. If the certificate has a green background, print it in color.
What Is a DE-964 Certificate?
The DE-964 is the Texas Driver Education Certificate. It proves to DPS that a student has completed the required portion of a TDLR-approved driver education course. DPS will not issue a teen learner license or provisional license without it.
On newer certificates you may see the form written as DEE-964. That is the same document on an updated TDLR template, and the control number printed on it usually starts with “DEE.” Older valid certificates used a “PT” prefix for parent-taught students. DPS and TDLR verify the certificate by its control number, not by the prefix.
DE-964 vs. DE-964E vs. ADE-1317
Texas uses three driver education certificates, and each one belongs to a different program. Picking the wrong one is a common reason a DPS visit turns into two.
Certificate | Who gets it | Issued by | Used for |
DE-964 / DEE-964 | Teens ages 14–17 | TDLR-licensed driving schools (like SafeWay) and approved parent-taught providers | Teen learner license and provisional license |
DE-964E | Teens ages 14–17 | Texas public school driver education programs | Same as the DE-964; which one you get depends on where the course was taken |
ADE-1317 | Adults ages 18–24 | Providers of the 6-hour adult driver education course | First Texas driver license as an adult |
If your new driver is 18 or older, the DE-964 does not apply. They need the adult course and the ADE-1317 instead. Our adult driver training page covers that path.
The Two DE-964 Certificates Your Teen Will Earn
Most families talk about “the DE-964” as if it were a single form. In practice, your teen will use two versions during the course.
1. The learner license certificate
This one is marked “for learner license only.” Your teen earns it after completing the first 6 hours of classroom instruction and passing the knowledge exam. You take it to DPS along with the other learner license documents, and your teen can legally start practicing with a licensed adult.
This is the “concurrent” path most Texas families use: get the permit early, then finish the remaining classroom hours while logging in-car practice. We explain that first DPS visit step by step in our Texas learner license guide.
2. The driver license certificate
This one is marked “for driver license only.” It is issued once your teen has finished all 24 classroom hours (Texas reduced this from 32 hours in December 2024) and completed the in-car requirements: 7 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction, 7 hours of in-car observation, and 30 hours of supervised practice, with at least 10 of those hours at night.
You present this certificate at the provisional license visit, after your teen has held the learner license for at least six months and passed the driving test.
One timing detail worth knowing: Texas rules cap classroom instruction at 6 hours per day, so the driver license certificate cannot legally be earned within a couple of days of the learner certificate. The course is designed to be spread out, and that is by design.
How to Get a DE-964 Certificate in Texas
There is no form to fill out and nothing to request from TDLR. The certificate is generated by your course provider as your teen hits each milestone.
Enroll in a TDLR-approved teen driver education course. SafeWay’s teen driver training program is licensed by TDLR (license #C3442) and includes both certificates.
Complete the first 6 classroom hours and pass the knowledge exam. The learner license certificate is issued at this point.
Visit DPS for the learner license. Bring the certificate, a current Verification of Enrollment (VOE) form, proof of identity, Social Security number, proof of Texas residency, and a parent or guardian.
Finish the remaining 18 classroom hours and all 44 in-car hours. The driver license certificate is issued when everything is complete.
Take the driving test and return to DPS for the provisional license. Bring the driver license certificate, the Impact Texas Teen Drivers (ITTD) certificate, and a fresh VOE.
Parent-taught families follow the same two-certificate structure. The parent-taught provider issues the DE-964, and it carries identical legal value to one from a driving school. Our parent-taught driver education page explains how SafeWay supports that route.
What DPS Checks on Your DE-964
A DE-964 is rarely rejected because of the certificate itself. It is rejected because something on it does not match the rest of the application. Before you drive to DPS, give it a 60-second review.
Name and date of birth match your teen’s ID exactly, down to the spelling.
It is the right certificate for this visit: learner license certificate for the permit, driver license certificate for the provisional license.
The control number is present and legible. The DPS application asks for an “ADE/DE control number.” This is it.
The provider’s TDLR license number and signature are on the form.
It is printed correctly. DPS notes that green-background certificates must be printed in color. A black-and-white printout of a green template is the single most common reason families get turned away. Newer grey or black-and-white templates print fine either way.
You have the paper copy. DPS expects printed documents, not a phone screen.
Does a DE-964 Expire?
The DE-964 certificate does not carry a printed expiration date. When a parent tells us a certificate “expired,” it is almost always one of the other documents in the licensing process. This table clears it up.
Document | Time limit |
DE-964 learner license certificate | No printed expiration |
DE-964 driver license certificate | No printed expiration |
ITTD certificate | 90 days from completion |
VOE form | 30 days from issue (90 days if issued June–August) |
Texas learner license (permit) | Expires on the teen’s 18th birthday |
Two practical notes. First, DPS applies a time window to the knowledge test result, so if years pass between the course and the permit visit, DPS may ask your teen to retake the written test at the office; the certificate stays valid. Second, the ITTD and VOE clocks are short, so complete ITTD only when the road test is a week or two away and request the VOE close to each DPS visit. We cover both in our Impact Texas Drivers guide and our Texas VOE form guide.
Lost Your DE-964? Here Is What to Do
Only the provider that issued the certificate can reissue it. TDLR does not mail replacements, and no other school can issue a DE-964 for coursework completed somewhere else. If your teen trained with SafeWay, contact your SafeWay location and we will reprint it. Nothing has to be retaken.
Switching driving schools mid-course
This is the scenario the generic guides skip, and it comes up more than you would think. If your teen started driver education elsewhere and wants to finish with SafeWay, the original provider must issue a transfer certificate documenting the classroom hours already completed. SafeWay then picks up where they left off. Our transfer package is built for exactly this, and it is the cleanest way to keep the DE-964 trail intact when a student moves between providers.
If your teen takes the driving test at SafeWay
If your SafeWay location administers the DPS driving test on site through the DPS Third-Party Skills Testing (TPST) program, your driving test results travel to DPS in a sealed envelope or through the TPST submission portal, and you present the DE-964 driver license certificate at DPS when you pick up the provisional license. See our teen road test page for how that works at your location.
Conclusion
The DE-964 is not a hurdle. It is proof that your teen did the work, and it comes automatically from any licensed Texas driver education program. Enroll with a TDLR-approved provider, keep the two certificates in the folder with the VOE and ITTD paperwork, check the name and date of birth before each DPS visit, and print the green version in color. That is the whole job.
Where families get stuck is everything around the certificate: timing the ITTD, refreshing the VOE, sorting out a mid-course transfer, and knowing which certificate goes to which visit. That is where a school that has walked thousands of Texas teens through DPS earns its keep.
FAQ
What is a DE-964 form in Texas?
The DE-964 is the Texas Driver Education Certificate, the document DPS requires to prove a teen completed a TDLR-approved driver education course. It is issued by licensed driving schools and parent-taught providers, never by DPS or TDLR directly. Your teen earns one version for the learner license and a second for the provisional license.
How do I get a DE-964 certificate?
Enroll your teen in a TDLR-approved driver education course and the provider issues the certificate as each milestone is completed. The learner license certificate comes after the first 6 classroom hours and the knowledge exam. The driver license certificate comes after all 24 classroom hours and the 44 in-car hours are finished.
Can I drive with my DE-964 certificate?
No. The DE-964 is proof of course completion, not a license. Your teen must take it to DPS and be issued a learner license before practicing on public roads, and must be issued a provisional license before driving without a supervising adult.
Does the DE-964 certificate expire?
The certificate itself has no printed expiration date. The time-limited documents are the ITTD certificate (90 days), the VOE form (30 days, or 90 in summer), and the learner license, which expires on the teen’s 18th birthday. DPS may also require a retake of the knowledge test if a long time passes between the course and the permit visit.
What is the difference between the DE-964 and the ITTD certificate?
They are separate requirements. The DE-964 comes from your driver education course and proves the classroom and in-car training are done. The ITTD certificate comes from the free Impact Texas Teen Drivers video program run by DPS, must be completed before the driving test, and is only valid for 90 days. Your teen needs both for the provisional license.
Ready to get your teen on the road with every form handled? Explore SafeWay teen driver training, find the SafeWay Driving location near you, or contact us and we will walk you through the DE-964 and every DPS step that follows. Official requirements are published by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and the Texas Department of Public Safety.