Big Lake, Texas Online Driver's Ed

A student may begin classroom 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.

Start Texas Teen Driver Ed

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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 steps.

Start Texas Adult Driver Ed

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Important local roads include:

• US 67
• SH 137
• Local downtown streets
• Roads serving oilfield and industrial traffic
• Regional connections toward RM 33

For beginning drivers, Big Lake provides practice with:

• Residential streets
• Small-town intersections
• Highway turns
• Oilfield vehicles
• Commercial trucks
• Speed transitions
• Rural-road entry

Reagan County’s strongest local driving topic is the interaction between ordinary passenger vehicles and energy-sector traffic.

Students may encounter:

• Tankers
• Vacuum trucks
• Service pickups
• Equipment trailers
• Heavy construction vehicles
• Slow trucks entering from lease roads

Leave More Following Distance

A heavy truck blocks the view ahead.

Additional following distance improves:

• Visibility
• Reaction time
• Braking room
• Intersection awareness

Avoid Blind Spots

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

Expect Slow Acceleration

A loaded truck entering US 67 or SH 137 may take significantly longer than a passenger vehicle to reach traffic speed.

Expect Wide Turns

Large vehicles may need additional room when entering:

• Lease roads
• Industrial sites
• Fuel facilities
• Highway intersections

US 67 is Big Lake’s defining east-west highway.

It connects the city toward San Angelo-area destinations to the east and toward McCamey, Fort Stockton-area routes, and other West Texas corridors to the west.

Students should practice:

• Highway-speed lane control
• Truck spacing
• Long following distance
• Rural intersection judgment
• Crosswind awareness
• Night driving

TxDOT’s 2026 construction records identify a current traffic-signal upgrade at US 67/West 2nd Street and SH 137 in Big Lake.

Students may encounter:

• Signal work
• Construction vehicles
• Temporary traffic controls
• Changed markings
• Altered turning patterns

This is a signal project, not a highway-widening or major interchange project.

Follow Current Traffic Controls

Students should not rely on memory.

Follow:

• Current signals
• Signs
• Lane markings
• Work-zone instructions

SH 137 is Big Lake’s principal north-south highway.

Students should expect:

• Oilfield trucks
• Rural intersections
• High-speed traffic
• Passing decisions
• Lease-road entrances
• Night driving

Entering SH 137

Students should judge both speed and distance.

A truck may appear far away but still reach the intersection quickly.

Before entering:

1. Stop completely where required.
2. Look both directions.
3. Look again.
4. Choose a clear gap.
5. Accelerate smoothly.
6. Check mirrors afterward.

RM 33 is an important regional rural route serving Reagan County and neighboring areas.

The source identifies future rehabilitation of approximately 16.4 miles beginning at the Glasscock County line, programmed for 2030.

This is future rehabilitation.

RM 33 Driving

Students may encounter:

• Oilfield traffic
• Remote intersections
• Long straight road sections
• Heavy trucks
• Crosswinds
• Limited nighttime lighting

Oilfield entrances can create abrupt changes in traffic.

Students should watch for:

• Trucks slowing unexpectedly
• Vehicles turning into unpaved roads
• Dust
• Mud or gravel near pavement edges
• Equipment trailers
• Work crews

Never assume a truck ahead will continue straight.

Long West Texas roads can create false confidence.

Students should continue to:

• Check mirrors
• Monitor speed
• Scan far ahead
• Watch side roads
• Watch oilfield entrances
• Maintain lane position

Students should:

• Use smooth steering
• Avoid abrupt corrections
• Leave additional room near trucks and trailers
• Expect wind pressure to change when passing large vehicles

If visibility decreases:

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

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

Students may also encounter:

• Livestock trailers
• Ranch pickups
• Utility trucks
• Slow-moving equipment
• County-road traffic

A slow vehicle does not automatically create a safe passing opportunity.

Before passing:

1. Confirm passing is legal.
2. Check pavement markings.
3. Look far ahead.
4. Check mirrors.
5. Check oncoming traffic.
6. Make sure the vehicle ahead is not turning.
7. Confirm enough room exists to return safely.

Outside Big Lake, continuous street lighting is limited.

Students should practice:

• Correct high- and low-beam use
• Longer visual scanning
• Reduced speed
• Road-edge awareness
• Animal awareness
• Recognition of oilfield entrances
• Awareness of slow commercial vehicles

Trips outside Big Lake may involve substantial distances between towns.

Before longer drives:

• Check fuel
• Check tires
• Review weather
• Check road conditions
• Charge the phone
• Carry water
• Plan safe stopping locations

West Texas heat makes vehicle condition important.

Before long summer trips:

• Check coolant
• Check tires
• Keep adequate fuel
• Carry drinking water

A breakdown on a remote highway is different from a breakdown in an urban area.

Reagan County is part of TxDOT’s San Angelo District.

Relevant current or programmed work includes:

• US 67/SH 137 traffic-signal upgrade
• Future RM 33 rehabilitation
• Grouped maintenance and safety work

Students should expect:

• Maintenance vehicles
• Temporary lane restrictions
• Signal work
• Changed pavement markings
• Reduced work-zone speeds

Current Texas DPS material confirms that a Big Lake Driver License Office remains active.

DPS’s September 2025 DL-100E guide specifically references the Big Lake Driver License Office.

However, the current source does not provide a verified street address.

DPS facilities records separately identify:

300 Plaza Avenue Big Lake, TX

as the Big Lake Area Office.

Do not automatically publish 300 Plaza Avenue as the Driver License Office.

Before visiting, use the live DPS appointment scheduler to verify:

• Current Driver License Office address
• Current service days
• Appointment availability
• Learner-license services
• First-time license services
• Knowledge testing
• Driving skills testing
• Current hours

The Reagan County Tax Assessor-Collector is identified at:

300 N. Plaza Avenue Big Lake, TX 76932

This is not automatically the DPS Driver License Office.

Parent-Taught Driver Education

Start Parent-taught Driver Ed

→ DriverEdToGo.com

Teen Driver Education, Block Method

Start Texas Teen Driver Ed

→ DriverEdToGo.com

Texas 6-Hour Adult Driver Education

Start Texas Adult Driver Ed

→ AdultDriversEdExpress.com