Driving Safety Course

About the Course 

If charged with a traffic offense under the Subtitle C, Transportation Code, a request may be made to take a driving safety course. This option will result in a dismissal once you have complied with all the terms.

Eligibility

• You are eligible for a Driving Safety Course if:
• You do not possess a Commercial driver’s license.
• You have not completed a Driving Safety Course for ticket dismissal in the previous 12 months (calculated from date of previous completion date to the violation date of your current citation).
• You have a valid Texas driver’s license.
• You have valid proof of insurance (printed) showing you as a covered driver.
• Your violation was not in a construction / work zone with workers present.
• Your violation was not “Passing a School Bus” or "Passing an Emergency vehicle".
• Your citation was for a moving violation.
• Your actual speed must be less than 25 mph over the speed limit (if cited for speeding).

Procedures for Driving Safety Course

You must submit the following required items to the court on or before your initial Court date:
If you are eligible, you may sign up for a Driving Safety Course by sending the following five items to the court or appearing at the court on or before your appearance date:

A current copy of your valid insurance showing you as a covered driver on the policy

A copy of your valid Texas driver’s license

The required fee: $144.00 for non-school zone $169 for school zone

The Driving Safety Course request Form

The Payment Authorization Form if paying by debit or credit

Application Process

You may submit your request for Driver’s Safety one of three ways:

In- Person- You may appear at the Court window between the hours of 8:30 a.m.. to 4:30 p.m.. and speak with the clerk. The clerk can process your request and provide the correct forms and process your payment

By Mail: You MUST fill out the Driver’s Safety Request form, provide a copy of your driver's license, and a copy of your current insurance listing you as a driver on the policy and mail it to the court with the Court Cost Fee ($144 for non-school zone violations and $169 for school zone violations). All requests must be mailed/postmarked on or before your initial appearance date on your citation. Failure to do so could possibly result in the request being denied.

By Email: You MUST fill out the Driver’s Safety Request form, provide a copy of your driver's license, and a copy of your current insurance listing you as a driver on the policy and email it to court@lakedallas.com with the Lake Dallas Municipal Court Plea and Payment Form. ($144 for non-school zone violations and $169 for school zone violations). All requests must bb on or before your initial appearance date on your citation. Failure to do so could possibly result in the request being denied. 

You have up to your due date on your citation to mail the Driving Safety Course Request Affidavit Form (see below), or bring the items listed below to the court and upon approval, the court will grant permission to take the course. If applying by mail, please wait to receive permission from the court before taking the course.

After Obtaining Approval & Paying Fees

Once you have obtained approval from the court and paid your fees, you must:

• Take a state approved driving safety course and return the course completion certificate within 90 days. 
• Obtain a certified copy of your driving record from the Texas Department of Public Safety in Austin.  FORM 3A from WWW.TEXAS.GOV
• Submit both of the following to the court by your 90-day deadline.

Where You Can Take a Driving Safety Course

The Driving safety course must be approved by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR). Court personnel cannot recommend a driving safety school. You can find more information about Driving Safety Courses through the TDLR’s Website.

Failure to Comply With Terms of Agreement

If you fail to comply with any of the requirements of the Driving Safety Course option, your case will be set for a Show Cause Hearing. The hearing is your opportunity to speak with the Judge regarding why you failed to comply. If you fail to appear at your hearing, a conviction will be entered and reported to the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the remaining balance of $200.00 will become due within 30 days of conviction or a warrant may be issued.