Texas Department of Public Safety record
Certified Type 3A driving record. The only one the court can use.
DPS issues six kinds of driver record and permits exactly one of them for a defensive driving course dismissal. We order that one for you.
Driver Record
Why it has to be a 3A
This is the detail that costs people their dismissal. The Department of Public Safety issues several driver records that look interchangeable and are not. Its own ordering guidance is explicit about which one a driving safety course requires:
| Type | What it contains | Use for a driving safety course? |
|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | License status, date of birth, address, original application date | No |
| Type 2 | Type 1 plus three years of crashes and moving violations | No |
| Type 2A | Certified version of Type 2 | No, DPS excludes it |
| Type 3 | All crashes and all moving and non-moving violations, uncertified | No, DPS excludes it |
| Type 3A | Certified version of Type 3 | Yes, the only type that can be |
| Type AR | Certified abstract of the complete record, including suspensions | Not the type DPS designates for this |
Source: the Department of Public Safety's How to Order a Driver Record, checked 27 July 2026. Types 3 and 3A are released only to the person the record belongs to.
Order your record
You need two documents, not one
The court asks for your certificate of completion and a certified Type 3A driving record. We can send you both, in one order.
Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 45A.356(a) names them together: (a)(1) your uniform certificate of completion, and (a)(2) a copy of your driving record showing you have not completed a driving safety course for dismissal in the previous 12 months. They are consecutive items in the same subsection.
- Document 1 Certificate of completion Issued the moment you finish the six-hour course, with nothing extra to pay for it. Comes with the course
- Document 2 Certified Type 3A driving record We place the order with DPS for you after checkout, and Type 3A is the only record type DPS allows for a driving safety course. Added to your order
Buy the course on its own and the clerk can still send you back for the record. Ordering both now means there is no second order to place later.
The statute qualifies the record with "if any", and a judge may instead proceed under art. 45A.359, in which case the court will not ask you for one. Your court clerk is the authority on your own case.
Course + Type 3A driving record
Both documents art. 45A.356(a) has you put in front of the court, in one checkout instead of two. If you have not taken your driving safety course yet, this is the one to buy.
Driving record only
The certified record on its own. Choose this if you have already completed your driving safety course, or the court has asked only for the record.
Need the course as well? The six-hour TDLR-approved defensive driving course is $28.00.
About the record
Why does the court want a Type 3A specifically?
Because it is the only one that qualifies. The Department of Public Safety issues six kinds of driver record, and its own ordering guidance states that Type 3A is the only record type that can be used for a defensive driving course. Type 3 has the same content but is not certified, and Type 2A is certified but covers only three years and DPS says explicitly that neither can be used. Ordering the wrong one is the most common way people lose time on a dismissal.
What is actually on it?
Your name and date of birth, your license status, every crash on your record whether or not a ticket was issued, and every moving and non-moving violation all certified by DPS. For the court, the part that matters is the evidence that you have not completed a driving safety course for dismissal in the previous 12 months, which is what art. 45A.356(a)(2) has you show.
Do I need one if I am taking the defensive driving course?
Almost certainly. Art. 45A.356(a) lists both: (a)(1) your uniform certificate of completion and (a)(2) your driving record. A few courts obtain the record themselves, so ask your clerk, but most expect you to file both.
The statute qualifies the record with "if any", and a judge may instead proceed under art. 45A.359, in which case the court will not ask you for one. Your court clerk is the authority on your own case.
Can I order someone else's record?
No. DPS releases Type 3 and Type 3A only to the person the record belongs to.
How do I get it?
We place the order with the Department of Public Safety on your behalf after checkout and deliver the record to you. If you would rather deal with DPS directly you can. Their ordering page is linked above, and the choice is yours.
Not sure which record your court wants? Call 800-674-8110 or email info@premierdefensivedriving.com before you order.