Last updated: June 2026
The Quick Answer
The DE-964 — sometimes written as the DE 964 form or DEE-964 — is the official Texas driver education certificate, issued by a TDLR-licensed provider. Your teen earns one certificate for the learner permit and a second for the provisional license, and the certificates themselves never expire.
The Three DE-964 Certificates
Most families talk about "the DE-964" as one document, but your teen will actually use two during the course — and a third exists for students who switch providers. In a parent taught drivers ed program, both course certificates are generated automatically as your teen completes each milestone.
| Certificate | When your teen earns it | What it's for | Expires? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Learner License Certificate (DE-964E) Marked "FOR LEARNER LICENSE ONLY" | After the first 6 classroom hours (Lesson 1) plus passing the in-course DPS written exam — Step 5 in our course | Presented at the DPS to get the learner license (permit) | Never |
| Driver License Certificate (DE-964) Marked "FOR DRIVER LICENSE ONLY" | After all 24 classroom hours (12 lessons) — no sooner than 3 calendar days after the learner certificate | Presented at the DPS with the provisional license application | Never |
| Transfer Certificate | Issued on request when a student transfers to a commercial driving school | Documents the classroom instruction completed, with a classroom verification log attached | Never |
The 3-day gap between certificates isn't a provider policy — the Texas Administrative Code caps driver education at 6 instruction hours per day, so the driver license certificate can't be earned sooner than 3 calendar days after the learner certificate. If your teen is switching to a driving school, see how transfer certificates work.
Do DE-964 Certificates Expire? (No — Here's What Actually Expires)
No. Once issued, a DE-964 never expires. When parents tell us a certificate "expired," it's almost always one of the other documents in the licensing process:
| Document | Expires? | Details |
|---|---|---|
| DE-964E Learner Certificate | No | Valid indefinitely |
| Written test score (on the DE-964E) | Yes | 2 years from the test date — only matters if your teen hasn't gotten the permit yet |
| DE-964 Driver License Certificate | No | Valid indefinitely |
| Transfer certificate | No | Valid indefinitely |
| ITTD certificate | Yes | 90 days from completion |
| DPS-issued learner license (permit) | Yes | Expires on your teen's 18th birthday |
The 2-year written test rule works the same way: if more than 2 years pass between passing the in-course exam and the permit visit, your teen retakes the written test at the DPS (a small fee applies) — the DE-964E certificate itself is still valid. For the full expiration deep-dive, see do drivers ed certificates expire in Texas.
What's On the Certificate (and the Control Number DPS Asks For)
Every DE-964 carries the same core fields:
- Your teen's full name and date of birth
- The provider's name and TDLR school license number (ours is C3539)
- Instructor information
- The completion date
- The designation: "FOR LEARNER LICENSE ONLY" or "FOR DRIVER LICENSE ONLY"
- The certificate's control number
That last one matters at the DPS: the driver license application asks for an "ADE/DE control number" — that's the control number printed on your teen's DE-964. Modern certificates carry a "DEE"-prefixed control number, while older valid certificates used a "PT" prefix. DPS and TDLR authenticate a certificate by its control number — not by the prefix.
Certificate Templates: Green, Grey, and the "Rev." Date
TDLR periodically revises the certificate template — recent revisions include Rev. 11/25/24 and a grey-header DEE-964 Rev. 1/24/25 version. The "Rev." date printed on the form is the template version — it is not the date the certificate was issued, and it is not an expiration date.
Students who earned their learner certificate before May 31, 2025 stay on the earlier green-background template for both certificates. TDLR requires both of a student's certificates to be on the same template version, so a green-template certificate is exactly what TDLR expects to see and is fully valid. If a DPS employee questions the format, the certificate can be verified with TDLR directly — see our guide to DPS certificate acceptance, or contact us and we'll help.
A certificate showing Rev. 11/25/24 was issued on TDLR's then-current template and remains a valid DE-964. If a DPS office pushes back on the format of any certificate we issued, email us at [email protected] and we'll help resolve it.
What DPS Checks at the Counter
Before you drive your teen to the DPS, give the certificate a 60-second check against what the clerk will look for:
- Name and date of birth match the application — exactly, down to the spelling.
- It's the right certificate for the visit — the DE-964E learner certificate for the permit; the DE-964 driver license certificate for the provisional license.
- The control number is present and legible — it's the ADE/DE number the application asks for.
- The dates line up — DPS checks certificate timing against your PTDE packet receipt date, and if both certificates are presented, it may compare their issue dates to each other.
- It's printed correctly — see below.
How to Get the DE-964
There's no separate application — the certificates come from the course itself:
- Enroll your teen in a TDLR-approved course. Our $60 parent-taught course (TDLR license #C3539) includes both DE-964 certificates — no extra certificate fees.
- Lesson 1 + the in-course exam earns the learner certificate. After the first 6 classroom hours, your teen takes the DPS written exam inside the course — a few runs through the free permit practice test beforehand helps. The DE-964E is issued instantly when they pass.
- Finishing all 12 lessons earns the driver license certificate. Once all 24 classroom hours are complete, the DE-964 is issued instantly — no mailing or waiting on the provider (state pacing still applies; see the table above).
Not enrolled yet? See how parent taught drivers ed works — one $60 payment covers the full course and both certificates.
Lost or Misplaced? How to Replace a DE-964
If your teen earned the certificate with us, log in to their account and download a fresh copy — it's free, unlimited, and nothing has to be retaken. Print it in color if it's the green template. If you can't get into the account, contact support and we'll help you regain access.
One important limit: if the course was taken with a different provider, only that provider can reissue the certificate — no school can issue a DE-964 for coursework completed elsewhere. For the step-by-step, see replacing a lost certificate.