Requirements

Your request must be presented on or before your court date; otherwise you will lose the right to take defensive driving. To be eligible for defensive driving, you cannot have completed a class within one year of your ticket date and you cannot presently be in the process of taking this class elsewhere. You cannot sign up for Defensive Driving online.

Defendant is not eligible for defensive driving if the violation is for 25 MPH or more over the speed limit, passing a school bus stopped for loading or unloading, or offenses occurring in a construction zone with workers present. Per state law, commercial drivers may not take defensive driving for citation dismissal even if offense occurred while in a private vehicle.

Do NOT take the class before presenting the following information. 

You will need to present to the court on or before your court date:

A photocopy of a valid Texas driver’s license. (Only ACTIVE DUTY military personnel and dependents are exempt from this rule. Must provide a photocopy of military ID and a state issued drivers license.)
A photocopy of a current insurance card with your name or the vehicle driven listed on the policy.
A state cost of $144.00 is required. Payment is by money order or cashiers check only if paying by mail. No personal checks are accepted. If the offense occurred in a school zone, ADD $25.00.

Making Your Request

Requests may be made in person or by certified mail and must also include the bottom portion of your citation, a signed request to take defensive driving, a plea of “guilty” or “no contest” to the charge, and a self-addressed, stamped business size envelope, along with your payment and photocopies. Failure to provide any of the above listed items by your court date will result in your not being able to take defensive driving to have your citation dismissed. Request must be received by your court date.

Completion Information

You must turn in all required documentation to the court within 90 days from your request. It will take approximately three weeks to receive your certificate of completion from your school; do not wait until the last days to take your class! If your due date falls on a Sunday or a holiday, all paperwork must be received by 6:00 pm the following business day. Failure to provide the proper paperwork to the court will result in the fine amount becoming due and a conviction being entered on your driving record. A warrant for your arrest may also be issued, resulting in additional charges.

Completion Requirements

To complete your defensive driving you will need to provide a certified copy of your driving record obtained from the Department of Public Safety in Austin (request form included in your instruction packet has the website to obtain the record online), the certificate of completion from your school, (court copy showing “Universal City Municipal Court,” signed). Both forms must be dated and received by your completion due date. There are no extensions granted. 

 If you choose to return the information by mail, it is your responsibility to verify that the court has received it.