Arlington Municipal Court: requesting a driving safety course

Arlington Municipal Court gives you about a month to ask — your appearance date is set 30 days out — and it’s one of the few big Texas courts that accepts completion certificates e-filed by course providers.

Requesting the course

The court must receive your request and your guilty or no contest plea online, by mail or in person (101 S. Mesquite St., Arlington, TX 76010) no later than your 30-day appearance date. If you mail it, use certified mail, return receipt requested, so you can prove the date.

Fee: “the administrative fee and court costs total $144.00”, plus $25 — $169 in total — if the ticket was in a school zone.

No news is good news: Arlington says it notifies you by mail only if your request is denied.

After the course: what to file

You have 90 days. File:

1. the TDLR uniform certificate of completion — some approved providers can e-file it with the court for you;
2. your certified Type 3A driving record (how to order it);
3. the signed affidavit, which the court mails to you.

Bring them in person or mail them.

If you run out of time

Arlington says “No extensions will be approved. The Show Cause Hearing serves as an extension.” In other words, if your documents aren’t in after 90 days, the case is set for a show cause hearing, where you can explain. State law also lets a judge allow more time for good cause — raise it with the court before the 90 days end if you can.

The court also posts a weekly list of local driving safety classes if you’d rather take the course in person.