DWI Education or DWI Intervention: which Texas class do you need?

By Texas Court Counseling · Published October 5, 2026

Texas has two different DWI classes, and their names are easy to mix up. The 12-hour DWI Education Program is for a first offense. The 32-hour DWI Intervention Program is for repeat offenses. Your court order decides which one you need.

The two classes side by side

Detail	DWI Education	DWI Intervention
Length	12 hours	32 hours
Usually ordered after	A first DWI, with probation	A repeat DWI (punished under Penal Code §49.09)
Deadline	Before day 181 of probation, unless extended	Set by your judge
Schedule	No more than 4 hours a day	2 to 3 hour sessions, at most 2 a week
Class size	3 to 30 students	3 to 15 students
Offered by us	No	Yes, $96

DWI Education: the 12-hour class for a first offense

When a judge puts you on probation (community supervision) for a DWI or another intoxication offense, Texas law says the judge must require this class. You have to finish it before the 181st day after your probation begins.

The judge can waive the class or extend the deadline, up to one year from the start of probation, if you file a written motion showing good cause. The judge can consider your work or school schedule, your health, how far you'd travel, whether you live out of state or lack transportation, and whether you have internet reliable enough for an online class. The requirement also doesn't apply if a jury recommended probation and recommended against suspending your license.

DWI Intervention: the 32-hour program for repeat offenses

If you're punished under the repeat-offense section of the DWI law (Penal Code §49.09) and placed on probation, the judge must require an educational program for repeat offenders. That program is the DWI Intervention Program. The judge can waive it for good cause, weighing the same kinds of reasons as above.

State rules make it more involved than the first-offense class:

sessions of two to three hours, no more than one a day and two a week
between 3 and 15 students in each class
at least two one-on-one sessions with your instructor, plus an exit interview at the end
make-up sessions for up to two excused absences

Because of the two-sessions-a-week limit, the program takes several weeks to finish. If you have a deadline, start early.

Watch out for the names

Even official sources label these classes differently. The licensing rules from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) call the 12-hour class the DWI Education Program and the 32-hour class the DWI Intervention Program. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) website calls the 12-hour class a "DWI Intervention Program" and the 32-hour class a "DWI Repeat Offender Program."

So go by the number of hours in your court order or probation terms. If it doesn't say, ask your probation officer before you book.

What happens if you don't finish

If DPS doesn't receive notice that you completed the required class within the time your judge set, it revokes your driver's license, or bars you from getting one. Getting a license back after a revocation for missing the 12-hour class also costs a $100 reinstatement fee.

Who tells DPS and your probation officer

You don't have to. For both classes, your instructor must notify your probation department and send a copy of your certificate to DPS within 10 working days of your finishing, or sooner if your deadline is closer than that. You also get the original certificate by mail. See how your certificate arrives.

Which one we offer

We teach the 32-hour DWI Intervention Program, live on Zoom, for $96. The cheapest in Texas, guaranteed. We don't offer the 12-hour DWI Education class. If that's the one you need, you can look up a licensed provider on TDLR's website.

Sources

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Your court order and your probation officer decide which class you need and by when. We are not a court and are not affiliated with any court.