Texas›Speeding ticket guide›How to request

How to ask a Texas court for defensive driving

Send the court on your citation a short request on or before your answer date: your plea, a request for the course, your license, proof of insurance and the court's fee. You can do it in person, by certified mail, or by email or online portal if your court offers one.

Most requests that fail don't fail on what's inside. They fail on timing. Here are the three mistakes courts reject, then exactly what to send.

Build my request ↓▶ Watch the step-by-step (4:04)

By Road Ready Safety, TDLR provider CP1234 · Checked against Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 45A.352 and individual courts' published instructions · Updated October 6, 2026

What gets a request denied?

Three things, according to the courts' own instructions. Avoid these and the rest is paperwork.

✕ Sending it lateIt must reach the court, or be postmarked, by the answer date on your citation.

✕ Leaving something outProsper’s form puts it plainly: incomplete requests will be denied.

✕ Taking the course firstCertificates dated before the court approves you are routinely refused.

How can you send the request?

Texas law allows all three. Your court decides which it accepts, so check its listed method before you send.

Fastest, where offeredEmail or online portalOnly if the court has designated one. Allowed by statute since September 2025.

Works everywhereCertified mailReturn receipt requested, postmarked on or before your answer date.

Short on timeIn person or by attorneySome courts waive the notary requirement when you show up in person.

Find your court's method →

What goes in the request?

Five things. Use your court's own form if it has one, since it usually bundles the first two. Tick them off as you gather them.

Your packet0 of 5

Tick each item as you gather it.Mailing it? Some courts, like Boerne, Buda and Prosper, also want a notarized affidavit.

What should you write if there's no form?

One page, five short parts. Courts process thousands of these, so clear beats formal. Fill in the brackets:

To the [Court name] Clerk,

Re: Citation [number], [charge], issued [date] to [your full name as on your license].

I enter a plea of no contest to this charge, and I request permission to take a driving safety course for dismissal under Code of Criminal Procedure chapter 45A.

I hold a valid Texas driver license and current insurance (copies enclosed), and I have not completed a driving safety course for dismissal in the 12 months before the offense date. The court fee of $[amount] is enclosed.

[Mailing address] · [Email] · [Phone]
[Signature] [Date]

What happens after you send it?

The court sends back an order with your deadline. Wait for it, then the rest takes one evening.

1Send the requestBy your answer date
2Wait for the orderDon’t start the course yet. No reply in two weeks? Call.
3Take the courseAny TDLR-approved provider. 6 hours online.Within 90 days
4Order your Type 3A$12 online from DPS. Check if your court wants it dated after approval.
5Submit bothLeave a few days: TDLR says certificates can take up to 5 days to validate.Before day 90

Work out your answer date and 90-day window →

▶ Watch: How to Request Permission for a Texas Driver Safety Course (Step-by-Step Guide)

What does Road Ready Safety charge?

$25, and that's the only number you'll see at checkout.

The 6-hour TDLR-approved course (CP1234) Verify on TDLR ↗
Certificate the moment you finish, court and insurance copies
Unlimited quiz retakes
No delivery, rush or record fees
Full refund if you request it before you complete the course or get your certificate
Two costs we can't include: the court's fee and the DPS record, because the court and DPS collect those. Our full pricing policy

Start the $25 course → Haven't asked your court yet? Do that first.

Quick answers

Can I request defensive driving online in Texas?

At many courts, yes. Since September 2025 the law allows requests by a court’s designated email or online portal. It’s court by court, so check your court’s listed method.

How much does it cost to request?

The court’s fee, commonly $144 or $169 in a school zone, usually goes with the request. The course and the $12 Type 3A record come later. Full cost breakdown

Do I need a notarized affidavit?

Depends on the court. Some require one for mailed requests but not in person. Others build a sworn statement into their form.

My answer date is tomorrow. What do I do?

Call the clerk first thing and ask how to request today. Many courts take in-person requests through the answer date, and portals work until the deadline.

My answer date already passed. Is it too late?

Not always. A judge can still allow a late request before the case is finally resolved (art. 45A.352(c)). Call the clerk and ask. Missed your court date?

Your next step

Not sure you qualify?
Check eligibility in 4 questions →Need your court’s form?
Search the court directory →Ordering your record?
Type 3A, step by step →Want the full picture?
Texas ticket dismissal guide →

Road Ready Safety is a TDLR-licensed Texas driving safety provider (CP1234). General information, not legal advice. Procedures vary by court and judge, so confirm with the court on your citation. Last updated October 6, 2026. Sources: Tex. Code Crim. Proc. arts. 45A.351–.359, including the 2025 request-method amendments; published instructions of the individual Texas courts named on this page; TDLR certificate validation guidance.

Already approved? Start the $25 course