YOUR TEXAS DRIVING RESOURCE
Get your vehicle ready for test day
Check early so you have time to fix a problem before your appointment.
Walk around before you leave
Check tire condition, clear windows, working lights and signals, and secure seat belts. Ask someone to help check the brake lights while the vehicle is safely parked. A dashboard warning or a brake problem needs attention before a test, not an explanation after arrival.
Keep the documents together
Follow the testing location’s own instructions. Check the required license or permit, education records, Impact certificate, insurance, registration, and any application documents. Confirm the appointment location and arrival instructions. This worksheet does not decide whether you will be admitted to test.
DPS teen test and vehicle requirements · DPS license application
What DPS checks
The DPS driving-test guide lists current registration and insurance, with the applicant not excluded from coverage. It also lists plates (with specified exceptions for an out-of-state single plate or temporary plate; dealer plates are not accepted), speedometer, horn, front and rear turn signals, at least one rearview mirror, working driver and passenger doors, seat belts and brake lights. Headlights, taillights and windshield wipers must work when conditions require them.
Check these before the appointment
Have another person observe the signals and brake lights while the vehicle is safely secured. Confirm that the examiner’s door opens and the passenger seat belt latches. Check tire condition and pressure against the vehicle label, clear loose objects, and clean windows. Tires, fuel and a clean cabin are practical readiness checks; this page does not claim that each item is a separate DPS acceptance rule.
Registration inspection is not the test-day vehicle check
Texas ended annual safety inspections for noncommercial registration on January 1, 2025. Emissions checks still apply where required. That change does not remove the testing location’s vehicle safety check. The DPS test guide still uses inspection language; confirm the current appointment instructions rather than assuming an annual safety-inspection receipt is required for every vehicle.
If using a borrowed or rental vehicle, confirm insurance coverage and the testing provider’s acceptance rules in advance. A checked box here cannot establish coverage or guarantee vehicle acceptance.
Official requirements and sources
Check the agency’s current instructions before your appointment. Practice suggestions in this article are educational guidance, not additional DPS requirements.