Texas defensive driving course›Speeding ticket guide
Got a speeding ticket in Texas? Don't pay it yet.
Paying is a guilty plea, and the conviction goes on your record. Most everyday Texas speeding tickets can instead be dismissed with a 6-hour course, and by law a dismissed ticket can't be part of your driving record or used for any purpose (Code Crim. Proc. art. 45A.357).
The question is whether your ticket qualifies. Four questions will tell you.
By Jackson Maitner, co-founder of Road Ready Safety (TDLR provider CP1234) · Checked against Tex. Code Crim. Proc. ch. 45A · Updated October 6, 2026
Can your speeding ticket be dismissed?
Usually yes, if all four of these line up. Answer them and you'll know your route.
Do you have a valid Texas driver license? (Active-duty military and their families can use any state’s.)
Were you under 25 mph over the limit, and under 95 mph?
Do you hold a CDL, or did you when you got the ticket?
Have you taken a dismissal course in the 12 months before this ticket?
Your result
Answer all four to see your route.
Most everyday speeding tickets qualify.
Or use the full eligibility checker →Also excluded: a work zone with workers present, passing a stopped school bus (§545.066), leaving the scene of a crash (§§550.022–.023), and a serious traffic violation as defined for commercial vehicles.
Course not available
CDL holders can’t dismiss with a course.
Federal rules keep moving violations on a CDL record, even in a personal car, and deferred disposition is excluded too.
What works for CDL drivers →Also excluded: a work zone with workers present, passing a stopped school bus (§545.066), leaving the scene of a crash (§§550.022–.023), and a serious traffic violation as defined for commercial vehicles.
Course not available
At 25+ over or 95+, the course is out. Deferred disposition isn’t.
Deferred disposition has no speed cutoff. Ask your court about it before your answer date.
Options at 25+ over →Also excluded: a work zone with workers present, passing a stopped school bus (§545.066), leaving the scene of a crash (§§550.022–.023), and a serious traffic violation as defined for commercial vehicles.
Too soon for another course
You’ve used it in the last 12 months.
Deferred disposition is usually the route for a second ticket. Ask your court before your answer date.
How deferred disposition works →Also excluded: a work zone with workers present, passing a stopped school bus (§545.066), leaving the scene of a crash (§§550.022–.023), and a serious traffic violation as defined for commercial vehicles.
Check with your court
The course route needs a Texas license.
Unless you’re active-duty military or family, ask your court about deferred disposition instead.
Options for out-of-state drivers →Also excluded: a work zone with workers present, passing a stopped school bus (§545.066), leaving the scene of a crash (§§550.022–.023), and a serious traffic violation as defined for commercial vehicles.
Good news
Your ticket can likely be dismissed.
Ask your court for a driving safety course by the answer date on your citation. Once approved, the course is the easy part.
How to ask the court →Also excluded: a work zone with workers present, passing a stopped school bus (§545.066), leaving the scene of a crash (§§550.022–.023), and a serious traffic violation as defined for commercial vehicles.
What are your options with a Texas speeding ticket?
Three. Only two keep it off your record, and doing nothing is the worst choice of all.
Ignoring it is worse than any of these: a missed answer date can bring a failure-to-appear charge and a hold on renewing your license, and a course does not clear that hold.
How do you get a Texas speeding ticket dismissed?
Five steps. The only one with real risk is the first: ask the court before your answer date.
- 1Ask the courtIn person, by certified mail, or through the court’s email or portal where offered. You must ask before you take the course.By your answer date
- 2Pay the court feePlus proof of a valid Texas license and insurance.When approved
- 3Take the course6 hours, online, on your phone. $25 with us, certificate the moment you finish.Within 90 days
- 4Get a Type 3A record$12 online from Texas DPS, if your court asks you to supply it. Some courts pull it for you for a small fee.Before you submit
- 5Submit and you’re doneCertificate plus record. The charge is dismissed and, by law, can’t be part of your driving record.Before day 90
What does dismissing a speeding ticket cost?
About $181 at the most common court fee. The court's fee is the big part, and you pay it whichever course you choose.
Work out your exact total →·What the fine itself costs·Fines by violation
Does Texas still use points? No. Convictions are what count.
Texas dropped its points system on September 1, 2019, when H.B. 2048 repealed the Driver Responsibility Program. Any site promising to "keep points off your record" is selling something that doesn't exist.
What a conviction does to insurance
Insurers price off your driving record, and a speeding conviction typically raises premiums for about three years. A dismissed ticket never reaches them. Many insurers also discount a voluntary course. Insurance discounts
What it does to your license
DPS still counts convictions. Four moving violations in 12 months, or seven in 24, can mean a habitual-violator suspension (Transp. Code §521.292). More on points vs convictions
What changed in Texas ticket law in 2025?
Two things worth knowing. If a site still cites "Article 45.0511," its information is out of date.
January 1, 2025
The law moved
Dismissal rules moved from art. 45.0511 to Code of Criminal Procedure chapter 45A (arts. 45A.351–.359). The substance carried over.
September 1, 2025
Easier requests, one course for one stop
S.B. 296 lets courts take requests by certified mail, email or portal, and one course can now dismiss several eligible charges from the same stop. Courts are still rolling out the mechanics, so ask yours. Full breakdown
How does your court handle it?
Each court sets its own fee, deadline and request method. Some give you only 15 or 20 days to ask. Find yours:
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
Quick answers
Can you dismiss a speeding ticket in Texas?
Yes, most everyday ones. Get the court’s permission by the answer date on your citation, take a 6-hour TDLR-approved driver safety course, and submit the certificate. You need a valid Texas license and no dismissal course in the 12 months before the offense.
How far over the limit disqualifies you?
25 mph or more over the posted limit, or 95 mph or faster, rules out the course. Deferred disposition may still be available.
Does Texas have a point system for traffic tickets?
No. Texas eliminated its surcharge points when the Driver Responsibility Program was repealed on September 1, 2019. DPS still counts moving-violation convictions, and four or more in 12 months (or seven in 24) can trigger a license suspension. What matters is keeping convictions off your record.
Will a speeding ticket raise my insurance?
A conviction usually does, often for about three years. A dismissed ticket never reaches your driving record, so there’s nothing for your insurer to see.
How long do I have?
Ask by the answer date on your citation. Once approved, you usually have 90 days to finish the course and submit the certificate. Courts can extend that for good cause, but don’t count on it.
Can a CDL holder use defensive driving?
No, even for a ticket in a personal car. Federal anti-masking rules (49 CFR 384.226) keep moving violations on a CDL record, and Texas excludes anyone who holds a CDL or held one at the time of the offense (art. 45A.351). CDL holders can still take the course voluntarily for a possible insurance discount.
Go deeper
Road Ready Safety is a TDLR-licensed Texas driving safety provider (CP1234). General information, not legal advice; eligibility and procedures vary by court, judge and the charge on your citation, so confirm with the court on your ticket before enrolling. Last updated October 6, 2026. Sources: Tex. Code Crim. Proc. ch. 45A (arts. 45A.301, 45A.302, 45A.351–.359); Tex. Educ. Code §1001.352; Tex. Transp. Code §§472.022, 521.292; 49 CFR 384.226; Texas DPS; Texas Department of Insurance; TDLR.