Amarillo, Texas Online Driver's Ed

A student may begin the classroom phase of Texas driver education at age 14 but cannot obtain the learner license until at least age 15.

Classroom Requirements

Concurrent Method

1. Complete the first 6 classroom hours.
2. Pass the learner-license knowledge examination.
3. Obtain the learner license.
4. Complete the remaining 18 classroom hours.

Block Method

1. Complete all 24 classroom hours.
2. Pass the knowledge examination.
3. Obtain the learner license.

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A block-method student generally:

1. Completes all 24 classroom hours.
2. Passes the knowledge examination.
3. Obtains the learner license.
4. Completes professional behind-the-wheel instruction.
5. Completes required observation.
6. Completes supervised driving practice.
7. Completes Impact Texas Teen Drivers.
8. Passes the driving skills test.
9. Completes provisional licensing.

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Applicable first-time Texas applicants ages 18 through 24 generally complete the six-hour adult driver education course before proceeding through the applicable DPS licensing process.

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Important local roads include:

• I-40
• I-27
• US 87/287
• Loop 335
• Business I-40
• Amarillo Boulevard
• Soncy Road
• Coulter Street
• Western Street
• Bell Street
• Ross Street
• Grand Street
• Airport Boulevard

Students may encounter:

• Multilane streets
• Freeway frontage roads
• Major interchanges
• Freight trucks
• Commercial entrances
• Railroad crossings
• Airport traffic
• Construction
• High wind
• Winter weather

State Loop 335 is one of Amarillo's most important transportation corridors.

TxDOT's long-term plan is to upgrade the loop toward a controlled-access freeway system with:

• Main lanes
• Ramps
• One-way frontage roads
• Bicycle and pedestrian accommodations
• Major grade-separated interchanges

Key interchange areas include:

• I-40 East
• I-40 West
• I-27 South
• US 87 North

For students, the key lesson is that familiar road geometry may change.

Do Not Drive From Memory

Students should follow:

• Current overhead signs
• Pavement arrows
• Lane markings
• Construction signs
• Temporary barriers

The source identifies major Loop 335/I-27 interchange phases in the FY 2026-2029 program.

Students may eventually encounter:

• New main lanes
• New ramps
• Bridges
• Frontage roads
• Changed lane assignments

Other Loop 335 segments remain future projects with later FY 2030-2035 development ranges.

That means some sections may operate more like existing surface highways while others become more freeway-like.

Planning documents identify portions of Loop 335 as part of the Future I-27 system around Amarillo.

I-40 is Amarillo's defining east-west interstate.

It connects the city west toward New Mexico and east toward Oklahoma and the eastern Panhandle.

Students should practice:

• Highway-speed merging
• Multiple-lane awareness
• Exit planning
• Freight-truck spacing
• Frontage-road transitions
• Long-distance following distance

Students should watch for:

• Vehicles exiting I-40
• Vehicles entering I-40
• Commercial entrances
• U-turn movements
• Short-distance lane changes
• Trucks moving between businesses and the freeway

When ready for freeway practice:

1. Use the acceleration lane.
2. Build speed.
3. Check mirrors.
4. Check the blind spot.
5. Identify a safe opening.
6. Merge predictably.

I-27 is the main north-south freeway through Amarillo toward Canyon and Lubbock.

Students should practice:

• Freeway merging
• High-speed lane changes
• I-40 interchange navigation
• Truck awareness
• Commuter traffic
• Loop 335 connections

TxDOT has studied upgrading US 87/287 north of Amarillo toward Dumas to interstate standards for future I-27.

US 87/287 is one of Amarillo's major northbound regional corridors.

Students may encounter:

• Tractor-trailers
• Agricultural traffic
• Long-distance travelers
• Higher-speed rural traffic
• Highway exits
• Rural intersections

Urban-to-Rural Transition

Students can move quickly from Amarillo development into open Panhandle highway conditions.

They should adjust:

• Following distance
• Scanning range
• Speed judgment
• Wind awareness

Amarillo sits at the meeting point of major regional freight routes.

Students should develop strong truck-awareness habits.

Avoid Blind Spots

Do not remain beside a tractor-trailer longer than necessary.

Leave More Following Distance

Large trucks block forward visibility.

Additional space improves reaction time.

Expect Wide Turns

Trucks may need more room near:

• Fuel stations
• Industrial entrances
• Frontage roads
• Interchanges
• Warehouses

Brake Predictably

A heavy truck behind the student requires more distance to stop.

Signal early.

Wind is one of Amarillo's most important local driving conditions.

Students may encounter crosswinds on:

• I-40
• I-27
• US 87/287
• Loop 335
• Open FM roads

Students should:

• Use smooth steering inputs
• Avoid abrupt corrections
• Leave extra room beside high-profile vehicles

Wind Around Trucks

A tractor-trailer may temporarily block the wind.

When the student moves beyond the truck, the wind can suddenly affect the vehicle again.

Maintain steady steering.

When blowing dust reduces visibility:

• Reduce speed
• Increase following distance
• Use headlights when appropriate
• Avoid passing
• Avoid abrupt lane changes

Do not maintain normal highway speed when visible stopping distance becomes inadequate.

Amarillo can experience:

• Snow
• Ice
• Freezing rain
• Strong winter winds
• Reduced visibility

Students should understand that dry-road habits do not apply when traction decreases.

When roads become icy:

• Reduce speed significantly
• Increase following distance
• Brake gradually
• Avoid abrupt steering
• Avoid cruise control when traction is uncertain

Airport-area driving can introduce:

• Rental cars
• Buses and shuttles
• Commercial vehicles
• Drivers unfamiliar with the city
• Sudden lane changes
• Vehicles slowing while searching for parking or terminals

Students should increase following distance near airport entrances.

Amarillo is a major freight and railroad center.

Students should:

• Obey lights and gates
• Never stop on railroad tracks
• Never drive around lowered gates
• Enter only when enough room exists to clear
• Expect long freight trains

Potter County includes:

• Amarillo College facilities
• Amarillo ISD
• River Road ISD
• Highland Park ISD
• Bushland ISD

Students should expect:

• School-zone speed changes
• Buses
• Pedestrians
• Young drivers
• Pickup and drop-off congestion

Outside central Amarillo, students may encounter:

• Farm equipment
• Ranch roads
• Agricultural trucks
• Long straight highways
• Sparse intersections
• Strong winds
• Limited nighttime lighting

A vehicle on US 87/287, Loop 335, FM 1061, or another regional road may appear distant but still reach the intersection quickly.

Students should:

1. Stop completely where required.
2. Look both directions.
3. Judge speed as well as distance.
4. Avoid uncertain gaps.
5. Accelerate smoothly.
6. Check mirrors after entering traffic.

Amarillo gives students both urban and rural night-driving conditions.

In developed areas, students may encounter:

• Glare
• Commercial signs
• Pedestrians
• Heavy traffic

Outside the city:

• Dark highways
• Trucks
• Animals
• Crosswinds
• Limited lighting

Amarillo Driver License Center

6592 E. I-40 Amarillo, TX

Texas DPS facilities records specifically identify this location as the Amarillo Driver License Center.

The source distinguishes it from:

4200 Canyon Drive Amarillo, TX

which is identified as the Amarillo regional or district DPS facility.

Do not confuse the two.

Before visiting, verify:

• Current appointment availability
• Learner-license services
• First-time licensing services
• Knowledge testing
• Driving skills test availability
• Current operating hours

The Potter County Tax Assessor-Collector is identified at:

900 S. Polk Street, Suite 106 Amarillo, TX 79101

This office is not the DPS Driver License Center.

Amarillo extends into both Potter and Randall counties.

Texas driver education requirements remain statewide regardless of which county side of the city a student lives on.

Parent-Taught Driver Education

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Teen Driver Education, Block Method

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Texas 6-Hour Adult Driver Education

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