|
Municipal
Court
Resolving Traffic Tickets /
Fines and Payments / Court Issued Warrants
/
Court Docket
Defensive Driving - Driver Safety Course
Requirements / Accident Reports
Defensive
Driving/Driver's Safety Course Requirements
You
may choose to take a Defensive Driving/Driver's Safety Course (DSC) on any
one of the moving violations shown on the ticket you were
issued. If you were cited while operating a motorcycle, you may be able to
require dismissal of this charge by taking a Motorcycle Operators Training
Course (MOTC). The eligibility for requesting a Motorcycle Operators
Training Course is the same as the Defensive Driving/Driver's Safety
Course with the exception that you must have been cited while operating a
motorcycle.
You
are eligible to request this course if you:
If
you were cited for any of the following, you are not eligible to
take defensive driving for that violation.
-
Speeding
25 mph or more above the posted speed limit
-
No
insurance or failure to maintain financial responsibility
-
Leaving
the scene of a collision
-
Passing
a School Bus, or
-
If
you were cited while driving in a Construction Zone.
-
If
you have a commercial driver's license you are not eligible to
take defensive driving
Please
note that you can only take defensive driving for ticket dismissal once
per year. Additionally you MUST request permission to take this
course for purposes of ticket dismissal by the appearance date shown on
your ticket. To take defensive driving and get your violation
dismissed, you must complete these steps.
-
Request
permission to take defensive driving for dismissal of your violation
by the appearance date shown on your ticket.
* Please note that you do not have to set up a docket
appearance and talk to a prosecutor for permission to take the course.
You may come to a court location
on or before the due date at the bottom or your ticket. You may also
request defensive driving by mail refer to the green ticket labeled
Driving Safety Course (DSC) Instructions and follow all instructions
carefully.
-
Complete
the course before the 90-day deadline established by the Court when or
if permission is granted.
-
Obtain
a copy of your driving record from Texas Department of Public Safety
within the 90 day deadline. The form will be given to you when
signing up in person, mailed to those who choose to request DSC by
mail, or is available from the DPS web page using the following link:
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/internetforms/Forms/DR-1.pdf
You
will need to mail $10.00 and the form mentioned above to Texas
Department of Public Safety. You may also order your driving record on
line from DPS at
http://www.texas.gov/ Select
Drivers & Vehicles and then select
Driver's Record..
(You will need to choose Type 3A)
-
Show
proof of driving record and certificate of completion to the Court
within the 90 day deadline.
These
steps are listed in detail below.
Request
Defensive Driving
You
may request defensive driving in person or by mail. Follow the
instructions on the green sheet the police officer gave you when your
ticket was issued. Only the person who was issued the ticket may fill out
the Affidavit.
On
or before the appearance date on your ticket, you must submit the
following:
-
A
completed and notarized signature on the Affidavit form. The Affidavit
is available for download by clicking here: DRIVING
SAFETY COURSE AFFIDAVIT
-
Proof
that you have a valid Texas Drivers License.
-
The
Court administrative fee: $132.10 for speeding in a school zone or
$107.10
for all other violations.
-
Proof
that any of the following forms of insurance were in effect on the day
your request for defensive driving was notarized:
If
all of the above criteria for Defensive Driving are met, your permission
to take the Driver's Safety Course should be granted. You will
receive written permission from the Court by mail or told in person.
Time
to Complete the Course and Submit Information to the Court
You
will have 90 days from the date the affidavit is notarized to complete the
defensive driving course, obtain your driving record, and submit both
documents to the court. Proof must be submitted prior to the end of the
90th day. If you fail to show proof, you will be scheduled for a hearing
before a Municipal Court Judge or pay the remainder of your fine
($150.00). A notice of the hearing will be mailed to you at the
address listed on your citation, unless you notify the Court of a change
of address.
Class
Locations
For
a list of class locations visit the website of the Texas Education Agency
at: www.tea.state.tx.us/drive.
Proof
of Completion
To
show proof of completion of the defensive driving course you may bring it
to
4403 Highway 3.
You may also mail the original certificate of course completion from a
certified defensive driving school and copy of your driving record to
4403 Highway 3, Dickinson, Texas 77539.
It is your responsibility to ensure that the proof arrives at the Court no
later than the 90th day after the date that your Driving Safety Course
Request Affidavit was notarized.
|
