Deferred Disposition & Driving Safety

Single Traffic Offense Deferred Disposition and Driving Safety Course Eligibility & Procedures

Persons charged with a single moving traffic offense (other than No Insurance or No Drivers License) and who are otherwise eligible, may request Deferred Disposition or Driving Safety Course at the windows, before the appearance date, during regular court business hours. You do not have to see the Judge.

Eligibility for Driving Safety Course

To be eligible to take the Driving Safety Course, you must exhibit all of the following:

  1. Have current auto liability insurance
  2. Have a valid Texas drivers license
  3. Not have taken a driving safety course within the 12 months immediately preceding the date of your current offense to have a citation dismissed in any court in Texas
  4. Your current offense must be a moving violation other than speeding 25 miles per hour or more over the speed limit.

You will have 90 days within which to take the course and file with the court a certificate of completion and a copy of your driving record. A special fee will be due and must be paid immediately upon the effective date of the application and order. Failure to strictly comply with the terms and conditions of the deferment order may result in the deferment being revoked and a judgment of guilty being entered and the imposition of the fine and costs of court.

Eligibility for Deferred Disposition

To be eligible for Deferred Disposition, you must not:

  1. Have been convicted of the same offense within the preceding 12 months
  2. Have been on deferred disposition in this Court within the past 12 months
  3. Be on deferred disposition in any court at the time of the request or have been on deferred disposition in any court within the previous 12 months

The conditions of the deferment shall be 120 to 180 days without receiving a moving violation and payment of the deferment fee, and if the driver is under 25 years of age or if a driving safety course is required due to excessive speed, complete a State-approved Driving Safety Course and submit to the Court the court copy of the certificate of completion. The Court will set a deferment fee, usually $25 over the standard fine and costs for the offense. Failure to strictly comply with the deferment order may result in revocation of the deferment and entry of a judgment of guilty and imposition of a fine and costs.

Upon successful completion of the Deferred Disposition or Driving Safety Course, the charge will be dismissed (see Show Cause and Compliance Hearing).

Show Cause & Compliance Hearing

When you are granted Deferred Disposition, deferment pending completion of the Driving Safety Course, or you are allowed to pay your fine and costs under an Extension/Installment Agreement, you will be set for a Compliance Hearing. The date and time of the hearing will be shown on the documents given to you. This is the only notice you will receive of this hearing.

You must be present at this hearing unless you are excused in writing prior to the hearing. Unless excused, failure to attend the hearing will be treated as a failure to appear and a charge of Failure to Appear may be filed against you and a warrant for your arrest issued.