Hello again, dear reader. I see you are back for more! This is some of your first (or second) steps to adulthood. As you, dear reader, are an adult or on track to become one, this article will focus on one of the many necessary things to have going out into the big bad world. Hopefully, this can help you get a head start or get on track to adulting.

Out of the many things an adult needs in their daily life, the driver’s license is probably among the most important. After all, in modern-day America, a car is almost a necessity, and you can’t drive without your license, at least not legally. I hope you are a law-abiding citizen and do not drive without one.

First things first, everybody’s favorite part of the government, Documentation! I know. I did a long sigh with you. But it makes up the bulk of why this may be ‘complicated,’ and besides, it ain’t all that bad.

Item 1:

This should be easy. Proof of citizenship (or lawful presence). A birth certificate or valid passport can be used.

Item 2:

Proof of Texas Residency. To me, this might be the most tricky documentation to get. Unless you pay bills, you might need a parent or guardian who does, as it can be used as proof for you as long as you live with them. You may need to fill out a form there.

Item 3:

For this one, you just need to prove you are who you say you are. So if you have a birth certificate or a state ID, you should be fine. Keep in mind that it must be the original or a certified copy of the birth certificate for it to be valid.

Item 4:

You just need your Social Security number. Item 5:

For this Item, you need to prove that the vehicles you own or will be operating are registered

Item 6:

Ah, yes, probably the hardest thing on the list. Not because it’s hard to get, no, it’s just expensive. What is it? Insurance. You need proof of insurance for each vehicle you own or a statement that you do not own one (most of you will not have one).

Item 7:

For this item, you need to watch a 1-2 hour video (depending on if you’re an adult or not). After you complete the program, it stays valid for up to 90 days. You print the certificate and bring it to your driving skills test as you can not take the test if you do not have it.

Item 8:

Now, the last piece of documentation: if you are 18, you need to take a 6-hour driving course. Of course, if you renew your driver’s license, this is waived.

Okay, if you have successfully collected all of the above documents, then you are about 60% done with this whole thing. The next Step in your journey is actually to schedule the appointment itself, which, if you didn’t know, is probably the longest part of this process.

So, to apply for an appointment, you just need to search up Driver License Appointment click the first dps.texas.gov link then click the blue button that says ‘schedule a drivers license appointment’ and follow all the steps from there.

Next, you can complete the ‘Driver License Application’ at the DPS or online. If you wish to do this online, you can search ‘DL-14A’ and click the first dps.texas.gov PDF form. If you choose to do this online, once you fill out the form, you will need to get it printed, so save it to your drive. Do not use your school drive; just Google ‘printing services near me’ and head there to get it printed. As a disclaimer, it might cost you a little to get it printed, like .10 to .50 cents.

Let me put you through the scenario you might expect. So you are at the DPS. It only took like 2 months, but you’re here now, so that’s all that matters. You have all your documentation; you just take your ticket and wait to get called. An hour of waiting occurs, and then, finally, it is your turn. You walk up to the desk and hand over all the documentation we’ve talked about so far. All things look good; now you’re prompted to provide your signature and thumbprints. You are now using the hand sanitizer because you do not want to think about the number of people who have touched that thumb pad. Now that they have your signature and thumbs, you are told to stand up and have your picture taken, taking you back to your last picture day. After you rub your eyes from the blinding flash, you are told to cough up an application fee, luckily you read this article, so you came prepared, and you put down 16-33 dollars (16 for under 18 and 33 for over) in cash, while lamenting the fact that people don’t carry cash these days. Just when you thought you had finished, you are shuttled off to pass a vision, written, and Practical exam to ‘demonstrate your understanding of driving laws and safe driving practices’ or something like that, You grumble because you wonder if the people on the road to the DPS passed this exam because they seem to let anyone behind the wheel, as you found out after you pass the tests and are issued a temporary license. Great, after all that, you now have to wait 2-3 weeks to get the real thing. After cursing the government for taking so long, you can finally say you have one of the most important pieces of plastic in your life.

So that’s pretty much what you can expect the process to be like, with only some deviations like some orders of the tests or something.  You should note that you can complete the testing requirements at the DPS or a third-party provider.

Now, armed with everything you need to know, you are ready to go out into that big bad world and do some adulting. Good luck and I hope you don’t have to wait too long.