Green Light Driving Academy - Teen Driver Education
– FAQs
New and Updated Information: 3/26/2012, see ***
The FAQs for the teen driver education program at Green Light Driving Academy
follow the guidelines and requirements for Teen Driver Education from Region
XIII – Education Service Center and Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and
only pertain to the way that Green Light Driving Academy has adopted these
requirements. For more information about
the state guidelines – refer to these sites:
§ Region
XIII Education Service Center - Driver Training and Education
§
Texas
Department of Public Safety FAQs
What does the program at Green Light Driving Academy provide for
my teen?
Green Light
Driving Academy offers a state-approved driver education course for teenagers
that is held in two phases.
o
Phase I: 32 hours of classroom instruction (16 days, 2 hours per day)
Ř September – May: classes are
scheduled Monday through Thursday for 4 Weeks
Ř June – August: classes are
scheduled Monday through Friday for 3 weeks, but include ONE Saturday class.
Ř NOTE: There may be other times during the year when
a 3-week schedule will be used, for example around the Thanksgiving and
Christmas holidays.
o
Phase II: 14 hours of in-car (behind-the-wheel) instruction (7 lessons,
2 hours per lesson) (“drive times”)
Ř The in-car instruction
includes 7 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction and 7 hours of observation of
another student driving. The in-car instruction is scheduled as 2-hour drive
times so that the student can get one hour of driving and one hour of
observation in one drive time.
Ř The in-car instruction is
more flexible and can be scheduled around the student's other activities and
the school's available drive time hours.
Once the student has possession of their permit AND they have completed
the classroom schedule of instruction, they can schedule their drive times
through our on-line scheduling system, Schedule
2 Drive. The student must schedule
ALL drive times on-line at www.Schedule2Drive.com.
Ř The state of Texas also
requires parents to drive and log a minimum of 20 hours with their
student. These hours can be entered and
tracked in the online program, Schedule 2
Drive
If I
want to take the parent-taught program for the classroom instruction or the
driving instruction – do you offer a program where I can take only the
classroom or the driving with your school? ***
Yes, we do offer a CLASSROOM
ONLY or a DRIVING ONLY program at Green Light Driving Academy.
Please refer to our teen
driving information on our website here č TEEN
DRIVING PROGRAMS
How
much does the program at Green Light Driving Academy cost?
Refer to our complete fee listing č FEE LIST
What
is DADAP?
Read more about DADAP here č DADAP
What
is the Parent Logged Driving instruction required for all teen driving
students?
Read more about the required
Parent Logged Driving Instruction here č PARENT
LOGGED DRIVING INSTRUCTION
How
do I find out what classes are available and how do I register for the classes?
Click on the location below
to see our schedule of classes in Grapevine, Coppell and Trophy Club and
information about class registration č
Can I
miss any of the classroom instruction and still complete it within the class
session schedule?
The state of Texas requires
that a student attend all 32 hours of classroom instruction.
A student may miss up to 5
of the scheduled classes and complete the course with the scheduled
session. The classes missed must be made
up however within one year of starting the course. If a student misses 6 or more classes, they
will be removed from that class and will need to be placed in another class (as
space is available) where they can complete their class work. There is a transfer fee of $50.00 required to
transfer to this new classroom session.
Refer to our complete
Make-up policy here č MAKE-UP POLICY
How long
does a student have to complete the in-car instruction phase of the course?
The in-car instruction
cannot be started until the student has completed their scheduled classroom
session. If a student has missed 5 or
less classes, they can begin their in-car instruction once their classroom
session is complete. Students that have
missed 6 or more classes must complete their classes before starting the in-car
instruction (refer to our Make-up Policy above).
The in-car instruction must
be completed within one year of starting the course.
Is a
teenager required to complete a driver education course before receiving their
driver’s license?
Yes. Texas law requires persons less than 18 years
of age to successfully complete an approved driver education course before they
are eligible to receive a driver’s license.
NOTE: If a student is already 18, they do not have
to take the complete course as described above.
They must take a 6 hour course that prepares them for taking the permit
test and this is offered by Green Light Driving Academy on-line through I AM ROAD READY. Read more about this and other ADULT driving
instruction offered here č ADULT DRIVING INSTRUCTION
At
what age can a student enroll in a driver education class? ***
We have received
clarification from the state of Texas where we can allow a student that is 14
years of age to start driver education.
We will however,
require that the student turn 15 within 3 months (90 days) of starting the
class.
The student
contract deadline is one year from the day the student begins their classroom
instruction NOT from the day they turn 15.
If a student that starts class when they are 14 does not finish the
course by that deadline, an extension can be offered at an additional cost.
When does a student get their learner’s permit?
A student is not allowed to
apply for a learner’s permit until they are at least 15 years of age and they
have completed at least Six (6) instruction hours of a driver education
classroom program administered by the school and passed the state-approved
permit tests.
Green Light Driving Academy has
structured its curriculum so that the permit tests are given during the first
week of classroom instruction. If the
student is 15 years of age and has passed the written permit test, they will be
given a certificate showing that they have done this and this certificate can
be taken to the DPS along with other documentation to get the student’s permit.
If the student has not
reached age 15, they must wait until that time to go to the DPS to get the
permit.
Please refer to our permit
processing procedure here č PERMIT
PROCESSING
What is the necessary documentation required to apply for a
learner’s permit? ***
The state requires that the
following items be provided along with verification of passing the learner’s
permit test.
We do not gather or take
documents to the DPS to get the permit for the student.
GLDA will provide a
certificate (form DE-964) to the student after they have completed the first 6
hours of class and have passed the written tests. This certificate along with the following
items can be taken to the DPS to get the permit at your earliest
convenience. NOTE: The student must also go with you.
o
Form DE-964 – Showing that the student has completed the first 6 hours
of class and has passed the written permit tests (this form will be provided by
Green Light Driving Academy during the first week of class)
o
Birth Certificate (original or certified copy) **
o
Social Security Card (original card) **
o
Verification of Enrollment form (TEA form) from student’s school **
o
DL-14A – Application for Driver’s License (form provided by Green Light
Driving Academy)
o
$16.00 permit processing fee (subject to change by the Texas DPS)
o
Verification of Texas Residency (effective April 1, 2012)
o
Student will be given a vision test at the DPS
** If not available,
substitutions can be provided. For more
information about substitutions, please refer to the Texas Department of Public
Safety website for allowable documentation:
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/driver_licensing_control/identificationrequirements.htm
PLEASE NOTE: If your student is not a
I
have my permit, when can I start the driving portion of the driver education
course?
Students will not be able to
start the driving portion of the driver education course until they have
completed the classroom instruction, however they may begin driving with an
insured, licensed driver (over age 21) in the front seat of the car as soon as
they have possession of their permit.
Please read here for more information about this č LETTER TO PARENTS
How old
does a teen need to be before they receive a Texas driver’s license?
A teen must be at least 15
years of age to receive an INSTRUCTION PERMIT also called a LEARNER’S
PERMIT.
After completing an approved
driver education course, a teen must be at least 16 years of age before
receiving a provisional driver’s license.
Texas does allow the
issuance of a hardship license.
Application for a hardship license is handled through the Texas
Department of Public Safety AFTER the student has completed the driver
education course.
What is a provisional driver’s license?
The state of Texas
instituted a graduated driver's license program in January 2002. It creates two
phases of driving requirements for minors under age 18.
Phase 1 requires that a minor under age 18 must hold their learner's permit
for six months before applying for provisional license. During the time the
minor has the learner's permit; they can only drive with an insured, licensed
driver over the age of 21 in the front seat of the car.
After the six months have passed and the minor has reached age 16, and they
have completed a state approved driver education course, they can get a
provisional license (issued for one year) with restrictions. This is Phase II.
These restrictions include:
The first year of having
their license:
o
Not having more than one passenger under the age 21 in the car who is
not an immediate family member
o
Not operating a vehicle after midnight or before 5 a.m., unless driving
is necessary for employment, school or a school-related activity or a medical
emergency.
Until they are 18 years of age:
o
Cannot use a wireless communication device while driving, except in the
case of an emergency until age 18.
The above restrictions do
not apply if the provisional license holder is accompanied by a license
operator age 21 or older.
After Phase II has been
completed, the driver is issued a full license with none of the above
restrictions.
Does
Texas still allow hardship licenses?
Yes, however a teen must
still complete an approved driver education course. After completion, the teen and parent may
apply for a hardship license at the
I
lost my permit – can Green Light Driving Academy get another for me?
No, Green Light Driving
Academy cannot do this for you. You must
go to the DPS to obtain another copy of your permit. Your information is in their computer system,
so all you need to do it provide identification (Social Security Card and Birth
Certificate are best) and they will issue a duplicate copy. The cost is $10.00.
You
must have your ORIGINAL permit with you to take a drive time. Any student that does not have their ORIGINAL
permit in readable condition when they come for a scheduled drive time, will
not be allowed to drive or observe and will be charged a $25.00 fee, just as if
they did not show up or if they cancelled less than 24 hours. This is not a
I
completed the course, but I’ve lost the completion certificate (DE-964) that
Green Light Driving Academy provided to me.
What do I do?
Please contact Green Light
Driving Academy for a duplicate original copy.
The cost for preparing this duplicate copy is $10.00. We do not charge to make a photocopy if
needed for insurance purposes, but to use the DE-964 to get the license, it
must be an original.
Is
it true that I can get a discount on my automobile insurance if I successfully
complete the course at Green Light Driving Academy?
Yes, most insurance
companies do provide a discount on automobile insurance for successfully
completing an approved driver education course; however it is best to consult
with your agent to confirm this.
Can
my student take more driving time than the amount of time required by
the state in conjunction with the course?
Yes, please refer to our new
driving contract packages on our teen page č TEEN DRIVING.
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