A Texas driver's license is not only a document demonstrating authorization to drive but it is also a nationally accepted form of identification that can be used to prove your identity. Texas State ID is only used as an identification card.
Texas driver's license and Texas State ID are issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). Any international student, scholar, or dependent can apply for the Texas driver's license and the Texas State ID. For the application, DPS requires a letter by the institution sponsoring the international student/scholar, verifying the individual's good academic or non-immigrant standing. Please request this letter from the International Student Office.
Please refer to Texas Department of Public Safety Identification Requirements for a Texas Driver License or Identification Certificate page for more information on driver's license and identification certificate.
Some useful links are below:
In the state of Texas, driver license applicants between the ages of 18 and 24 who do not currently hold a U.S. State-issued license must successfully complete an approved driver education course and a driving skills test to become a licensed driver. The approved driver education course can either be a six-hour course exclusively for adults or a complete adult and teen driver education course that includes 32 classroom hours, 7 behind-the-wheel hours, and 7 observation hours. The six-hour driver education course exclusively for adults between the ages of 18 and 24 is available online at http://adultdriversed.idrivesafely.com/ or in person through one of the Licensed Driver Education Schools listed at http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/drive/activede.html The online course costs $49.95 and the education schools each set their own prices.
