Can you take a court-ordered class online in Texas?
By Texas Court Counseling · Published
Yes. Texas allows court-ordered education classes, including the DOEP and DWI classes, to be taken online. The catch is that the class has to be taught live by an instructor, with your camera on. A course you click through on your own doesn't meet the state's rules.
What the law says
For the Drug Offender Education Program, state law says the class can be "in-person or online," as long as the provider is approved by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). That wording was added in 2021.
For the DWI classes, the laws that let a judge waive the class or extend the deadline name "access to reliable Internet service sufficient to successfully complete an educational program offered online" as one of the things the judge can consider. In other words, the law expects that many people will take these classes online.
Your court order or probation terms can still include their own instructions. If you're unsure whether an online class is acceptable in your case, ask your probation officer before you book.
What makes an online class count
TDLR's rules for online classes require that:
- the course is presented in real time and is interactive, using the state-approved curriculum
- the instructor stays on camera for the whole class
- every student stays visible on camera, except during scheduled breaks
- the instructor takes attendance and checks each student's audio and video before class starts
- students without working audio and video aren't admitted
- students who drop off camera are removed, and don't receive a certificate
- tests at the start and end of the course are given, with the final test kept secure
That rules out pre-recorded videos and self-paced courses. If a website offers a court-ordered class you can finish on your own schedule without a live instructor, check with TDLR or your probation officer before paying for it.
What you'll need
Providers aren't allowed to enroll you without equipment that lets you take the whole class. Before you book, make sure you have:
- a computer, tablet or phone with a working camera
- a working microphone (most built-in ones are fine)
- an internet connection steady enough for a video call that lasts a few hours
- a place where you can stay on camera for the whole session
A laptop or tablet on a table is usually easier than holding a phone for two or three hours. Plug in your charger before class starts.
How a class day goes
You join with your personal Zoom link a few minutes early. The instructor takes attendance and checks that everyone can be seen and heard. Then the class runs like an in-person one: the instructor teaches, asks questions and leads discussion, with breaks in longer sessions. Our how online classes work page walks through it from booking to certificate.
After you finish
Online or not, Texas certificates are paper forms mailed to you, never emailed. See how your certificate arrives.
Our online classes
We teach the DOEP and the DWI Intervention Program live on Zoom, so you can take either one from anywhere in Texas.
Sources
- 16 Tex. Admin. Code §90.48, online program requirements
- Texas Transportation Code §521.374, educational program to end the suspension
- Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Art. 42A.403, DWI education program
- Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Art. 42A.404, program for repeat offenders
- Bill analysis of S.B. 181 (2021), which shortened drug suspensions and allowed online classes
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.