• Texas law allows drivers to take a defensive driving course to dismiss a ticket.highway image by Ekaterina Sidorenko from Fotolia.com
  
  Texas law allows drivers to have one driving ticket a year dismissed if the driver agrees to take a course teaching defensive driving. The law spells out how much the driver should pay for the class, what types of courses are allowed and what the course must teach. The classes must be accredited through the Texas Education Agency and drivers must follow specific steps to get permission to take the class.These laws are found in the Texas Education Code and the Texas Transportation Code.
  
  

Course Requirements

• The Texas Education Agency regulates and certifies driver education programs under a law set up under Chapter 1001 of the Texas Education Code. The class can be taught over the Internet, on videos or in person, but the law requires the course last at least six hours. It must teach drivers how to drive safely and avoid accidents.
  
  

Eligibility Rules

• A court must grant permission for a driver to take a defensive driving course in lieu of paying the ticket fine amount. Often, the court will also assess court fees that equal close to what the fine amount was, but it has have the benefit of not going on your driving record.
  
  The law only allows some drivers to dismiss a ticket by taking the course. It's not open to those who have a commercial driver License. You also must plead guilty to the driving offense. You cannot take a course to dismiss a speeding ticket if you were speeding by 25 miles per hour or more above the speed limit.
  
  

Costs

• The Texas Transportation Code requires that the defensive driving course cost at least $25. Most schools charge exactly this amount because of the high competition for students. The Texas Transportation Code also allows schools to charge a fee for course materials that is at least $3.00.
  
  

Certificate

• After completion of the course, the Transportation Code requires the driving school to mail you a certificate of completion. It's this form that you send to the court to have your ticket dismissed.