Texas Driver License Fees: $16 Teen Learner License, $33 Adult Class C, and Retest Rules

Texas DPS charges $16 for an under-18 learner license. Applicants ages 18 to 84 pay $33 for a new Class C driver license; adults who still need supervised practice may receive that Class C credential with a restriction.

Those are DPS application fees. Driver education, optional lessons, and private third-party testing can create separate costs depending on the path you choose.

What the Base Texas Permit Fee Covers

Texas uses different fee categories for teen learner licenses and adult Class C applications. The published fee already includes the $1 administrative fee.

The application fee is paid before the required examinations are given. It is not a fee collected only after you pass.

If you are comparing the teen and adult paths, remember that the $33 adult payment is for a Class C driver license application, not the same under-18 learner-license product at a higher price.

Do I pay the Texas learner-license fee before or after the test?

Before.

Is the $33 adult fee a learner-permit fee or a Class C license fee?

It is the fee for a new Class C driver license application for ages 18–84. An adult who still needs supervised practice may receive that Class C credential with a restriction; Texas does not list a separate $33 adult learner-permit product.

Does the $16 learner-license fee include the provisional license later?

No. The under-18 learner-license application is one transaction. Moving to the provisional Class C stage is a later licensing transaction with its own applicable DPS fee.

Is the $1 Texas administrative fee already included in the published fee? Yes. The current published DPS driver-license fees already include the $1 administrative fee.

Retake Costs Are Covered Separately

Texas DPS does not list a separate per-attempt Class C knowledge-test retake fee. If failed-test rules require a new application, the applicable application fee is due again; see the Failed Knowledge Test guide for those triggers and retake rules.

Costs Outside the Texas DPS Application Fee

Costs outside the DPS application fee can include approved driver education, optional extra driving lessons, and a private Third Party Skills Testing (TPST) fee if you choose a private provider. Those prices vary by provider and are not part of the $16 or $33 DPS fee.

DPS takes the license photo during the licensing transaction, so applicants do not need to buy passport photos for a standard Texas driver license application.

Payment Methods at Texas DPS Counters

Texas DPS accepts several in-person payment methods. For the full list, tap-to-pay availability, and office-specific exceptions, see the dedicated Texas DPS payment methods guide.

How to Avoid Paying for a New Application or Unnecessary Services

Private driver-education and TPST fees are separate, so check the provider's own cancellation and retest policy before paying.