Drivers Safety Course

Please note: You must submit your driver’s safety request with the court before you take the course. Please see eligibility conditions below to be sure you qualify for driver’s safety.

Eligibility Conditions To Request Driver’s Safety

The defendant is NOT eligible to take a driver safety course if:

  1. You have completed a defensive driving course in the past 12 months prior to your citation.
  2. You are currently taking a driver safety course for a traffic violation in another court.
  3.  The offense is for speeding 25 or more miles per hour over the speed limit in a regular zone; 15 or more per hour over the speed limit in a school zone.
  4. The offense is for speeding 95 miles per hour or more
  5. The defendant has a CDL (commercial driver’s license)
  6. The offense relates to the "Duty to Give Information and Aid" (leaving the scene of an accident).
  7. The offense relates to "Overtaking and Passing a School Bus."
  8. The offense is committed in a construction or maintenance work zone while workers are present.
  9. The offense is identified as a serious traffic violation in Section 522.003(25) of the Transportation Code.

Driver’s Safety Request Procedures

You must submit the following required items to the court on or before your initial Court date: 

  1. $144 Court Cost Fee OR $169.00 Court Cost Fee for offenses in a school zone;
  2. A valid copy of your Texas drivers license (or other approved documents such as a permit, proof of active military duty or proof that you are a spouse or dependent child of a person on active military duty);
  3. A current copy of your automobile insurance card with your name listed on the policy; it cannot be a company policy;

You may submit your request for driver’s safety one of three ways:

  1. Online: To submit your driver’s safety request online, please click here. 
  2. Please note : It is your responsibility to enter a valid email address to receive instructions from the court when requesting driver's safety online. All documents or instructions for driver's safety, payment arrangements and deferred disposition will be sent to the email address that you provided. Failure to upload required valid and complete documents for defensive driving will result your request to be rejected.  
  3. In Person: You may appear at the court window (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) and speak with the clerk. He/she will provide you with the appropriate request form, obtain copies of the required documents, and process the payment.
  4. Mail: You MUST fill out the request form and mail it to the court with the Court Cost Fee and all other required documents listed above. All requests and payments must be mailed/postmarked by the initial court date listed on the front of your citation. Failure to do so could result in the request being denied.

As mentioned at the top, you must wait to take the course until you receive instructions from the court. Your instructions will include your due date. You must not turn in a certificate of completion for a course before submitting this request and receiving our instructions. 

Driver’s Safety Compliance

Once you submit your request and receive instructions back from the court, you will need to complete the following within 90 days (if requesting by mail, court staff will mail you instructions including the affidavit):

  1. Complete the driver safety course (outside vendor - approximate cost of $30-$50)
  2. Obtain your driving record from the State - you will need "Type 3A" (www.texas.gov)
  3. Sign the affidavit and return it to the court (this is included on your instruction sheet that we will mail to you if you submit your request via mail)

You MUST submit the original, signed court copy of your driver’s safety certificate of completion. If you fail to sign your court copy of the certificate of completion or fail to sign the affidavit, you may then be required to pay the balance of your citation and it will be counted as a conviction on your driving record.

***If you are having difficulty finding the Town of Westlake when selecting the city with your defensive driving company, we are typically found by searching under Denton County.***