Driving Safety Course Information

DMC Driver SafetySubmitting Your Request for the Driving Safety Course

DO NOT sign up for a Driver Safety Course until you have  a written court order, from the judge, allowing you to participate in the Driver Safety Program. Driver Safety Certificates taken prior to your order or after the due date, may not be accepted by the Judge of the Court. 

You cannot have completed a driver safety course for a citation in the past twelve months anywhere in the state of Texas.


There are two ways to request the driving safety course: 

  • In person at the Decatur Municipal Court of Record, at 201 E. Walnut, Decatur, Tx 76234.
  • Via certified mail.

Please be sure that you have read and understand the requirements listed on this page and that when requesting by mail that you have included all required documents and included your payment for Court Costs. Any late or incomplete submissions will not be granted by the Judge of the Court.

Driving Safety Course (can keep a violation off your record)

If you are charged with a traffic offense, you may be eligible to ask the Judge to take a driving safety course to dismiss the charge. You may request to take the driver’s safety course in person or online.

You are eligible to take a Driving Safety Course if you:

- Have not taken a driving safety course for a traffic offense within the last 12 months in the State of Texas.
- Are not currently taking the course for another traffic violation.
- Have not committed the offense of speeding 25 mph over the posted speed limit in a regular zone or school zone.
- Did not have a commercial driver’s license on the date of the violation.
- Have not committed one of the following offenses:
     · Failure to give information at the scene of an accident.
     · Leaving the scene of an accident.
     · Fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer.
     · Reckless driving.
     · Passing a school bus.
     · A serious traffic violation, which applies to commercial motor vehicle operators.
     · An offense in a construction maintenance zone when workers are present.

You will have 90 days from the date of the request to submit the certificate from the driving safety course as well as your driving record as maintained by the Texas DPS. The driving safety course must be approved by the Texas Education Agency and a motorcycle operator’s course must be approved by the Department of Public Safety.

***If you do not take course in the time required and/ or fail to present the court with a certificate of completion, the court will notify you to return to court for a show cause hearing to explain why you failed to show proof of completion.***

Please click on the link below to request it online: Request Here

Submit Your Request In Person

Please follow the steps below to ensure your IN PERSON request is "timely filed" and "perfected":

Step 1 - Submit your request and required documents

  • Complete the driver safety request section of the green sheet you received with your citation.
  • Submit:
    • your request (green sheet);
    •  copy of valid Texas driver’s license; 
    • proof of insurance with you listed as a driver on the policy;  
    • Payment of your court cost
      • non-school zone violations - $144.00
      • school zone violations - $169.00
      • payments made in person may be cash, check/money order, debit/credit card

Step 2 - Obtain your driving record

You will be required to obtain your driving record from the Department of Public Safety. You must purchase the 3A Version ($12), as this is the only driving record accepted for the Driver Safety Course. Visit the Texas Department of Public Safety Driver License Division webpage to order your driving record. Please ensure you are connected to a printer and pay careful attention to the checklist and system requirements.

Step 3 - Sign-up for, and complete driver safety course

Once you have your driving record and you are ready to sign up for a Driver Safety Course. A complete list of Texas state approved driver safety courses can be found at the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

There are two companies that have been approved by the State of Texas to electronically file your Driving Safety documentation directly with the City of Decatur Municipal Court of Record:
                                           ExpressLane Defensive Driving, and
                                           Comedy Defensive Driving
This means that these two companies will, immediately upon your completion of the Driver Safety Course, submit your Driving Record and Driver Safety Certificate to us electronically, saving you time. Going through either of these companies can make obtaining your driving safety documents a one step process.

You have 90 days to complete the course and return the required documents to the court. Once your certificate and driving record are returned to the Court by the due date, your citation will be dismissed.

Submit Your Request Via Certified Mail

Please follow the steps below to ensure your REQUEST VIA CERTIFIED MAIL is "timely filed" and "perfected":

Step 1 - Submit your request and required documents

  • Complete the driver safety request section of the green sheet you received with your citation.
  • Submit, VIA CERTIFIED MAIL/GREEN CARD RECEIPT REQUESTED:
    • your request (green sheet);
    •  copy of valid Texas driver’s license; 
    • proof of insurance with you listed as a driver on the policy;  
    • payment of your court cost
      • non-school zone violations - $144.00
      • school zone violations - $169.00
      • please send only check or money order in the mail.

Your request must be postmarked ON or BEFORE the appearance date printed on the bottom of your citation.

Step 2 - Your court order

Once the Decatur Municipal Court of Record has received your request for driver safety, via certified mail, and it is approved as "timely filed" and "perfected", you will be sent a court order for driver safety.

Once you receive this court order, you must have it signed and notarized. Once signed and notarized, make a copy for yourself, then return the original to the court via certified mail before the date printed on the order.

Step 3 - Obtain your driving record

You will be required to obtain your driving record from the Department of Public Safety. You must purchase the 3A Version ($12), as this is the only driving record accepted for the Driver Safety Course. Visit the Texas Department of Public Safety Driver License Division webpage to order your driving record. Please ensure you are connected to a printer and pay careful attention to the checklist and system requirements.

Step 4 - Sign-up for, and complete driver safety course

Once you have your driving record and you are ready to sign up for a Driver Safety Course. A complete list of Texas state approved driver safety courses can be found at the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. 

There two companies that have been approved by the State of Texas to electronically file you Driving Safety documentation directly with the City of Decatur Municipal Court of Record:
                                           ExpressLane Defensive Driving, and
                                           Comedy Defensive Driving
This means that these two companies will, for an additional fee, immediately upon your completion of the Driver Safety Course, submit your Driving Record and Driver Safety Certificate to us electronically, saving you time. Going through either of these companies can make obtaining your driving safety documents a one step process.

If you decide to use a company other than the two listed above, or you do not wish to have one of the above companies submit your documents electronically, you must allow up to 14 working days to receive your completions documents from the chosen company,and you MUST submit your Driving Record and Driver Safety Certificate via CERTIFIED MAIL or in person.

You have 90 days to complete the course and return the required documents to the court. Once your certificate and driving record are returned to the Court by the due date, your citation will be dismissed.

Driving Safety is a legal right once every 12 months, but only if you follow the specific rules set forth in the C.C.P Art. 45.0511 of the Texas statutory law. 

  1. I have a CDL, am I eligible for deferred disposition or driver's safety course?
  2. I received a ticket for no insurance, then I went and bought insurance the next day. Can I still get ticket dismissed?
  3. I received a ticket for expired registration and I went and got my vehicle registered. Do I still have to pay the ticket?
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