Texas Type 3A Driving Record: What It Is and How to Get It

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte

The Texas Type 3A driving record is the certified Texas DPS list of every crash and violation on your record, and it costs $10. DPS says it is “the only record type that can be used for a defensive driving course.” Only the person the record is about can order it, online with instant printing or by mail.

Key Facts

What it is: a certified copy of the Type 3 record, which lists all crashes and violations. See what it is.
Price: $10 from Texas DPS. See ordering.
Who can get it: only the record owner. See who can order.
Court use: DPS says most courts generally require it for the driving safety course. Confirm with your court. See why courts ask.
Timing: it must fit inside the court’s 90 days. See timing.

What the Texas Type 3A Driving Record Is

Type 3A is one of six record types sold by Texas DPS. The DPS ordering page describes it as a certified version of the Type 3 record.

The Type 3 record has two parts. It starts with Type 1 status details: birth date, license status, home address and original application date. Then it adds all crashes and all moving and nonmoving violations.

So Type 3A is the full list, with a certification on top. It is not a three-year record. The three-year record is Type 2, and its certified version is Type 2A.

What Certified Means Here

Certification comes from state law. Under Transportation Code § 521.048, DPS may certify the record it gives you for a $10 fee.

That is why Type 3 costs $7 and Type 3A costs $10. The content is the same list. The certified copy is the one DPS names for a defensive driving course.

What Shows on a Type 3A

Section 521.047 sets what DPS can put on the record it gives to the license holder. The list includes:

Your birth date, license status and address.
Completion of an approved driver education course.
The fact that you finished a driver safety course, but not the reason.
Each reported traffic violation and crash, by date and location.

The course line matters for ticket dismissal. A court reads it to see if you took a course in the past 12 months.

One thing should not appear. Under Code of Criminal Procedure Art. 45A.357, a charge dismissed through the driving safety course “may not be part of a person’s driving record or used for any purpose.”

Summary card of the Texas Type 3A record: $10, certified, all crashes and violations, owner only, the only type DPS allows for a defensive driving course

Who Can Order a Type 3A

DPS gives Type 3 and Type 3A records only to the record owner. In practice, that means you order your Type 3A yourself.

Other requesters get much less. Under § 521.045 and § 521.046, eligible requesters can get status details or a three-year history of moving-violation convictions and crashes with a citation. Our background check guide explains who qualifies.

When the Judge Gets It Instead

Some courts skip the step for you. Under Art. 45A.359, a judge may get your record from DPS directly.

In that case, the court may charge a fee equal to the certified record fee plus a state portal fee. Ask the court clerk if your court does this before you order a copy yourself.

Why Courts Ask for a Type 3A

The driving safety course (DSC), also called defensive driving, can lead to a ticket dismissal. One condition is the 12-month rule. Under Art. 45A.352(a), you must not have completed an approved course in the 12 months before the date of the new offense.

The court needs proof. Art. 45A.356 says that within 90 days after your plea, you turn in:

The uniform certificate of course completion.
Your DPS driving record showing no course in the 12 months before the offense, unless the judge gets it.
A sworn affidavit stating two things: you were not already in a course when you made the request, and no course from the past 12 months is left off your record.

DPS speaks to the record type directly. Its driver record FAQ says, “While most courts generally require a Type 3A driver record,” you must contact the court to confirm the exact type.

The 12-Month Rule With Dates

A simple date check shows how the court uses the record. Say your new ticket is dated June 10. The 12-month look-back then runs from June 10 of the year before.

If your Type 3A shows a course finished in that window, you do not have a right to the course. Under Art. 45A.352(c), the court may still grant your request before the case is closed, but it does not have to. If the last course was before that window, the 12-month condition is met.

How to Order a Type 3A Record

You can order a Type 3A online or by mail. DPS does not provide driver records in person at any of its locations.

Online orders go through the DPS driver records portal. You need:

Your Texas driver license, CDL or ID card number and its audit number.
Your date of birth.
The last four digits of your Social Security number.
A credit card.

DPS says you can print or email the record right after you buy it. By mail, send form DR-1 with payment and allow about three weeks. Our guide to getting your Texas driving record online shows each step.

No Audit Number

The audit number is printed on your card. If you do not have it, the DPS FAQ gives two options. Order by mail with form DR-1, or contact the court to ask for an extension.

Saving the Online Copy

An online Type 3A comes as a file you print or email on the spot. DPS says you need Adobe Reader and a supported browser. It lists Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari.

Microsoft Edge is not supported, and DPS says a record bought in Edge cannot be printed. The DPS FAQ says the password to print the record is your driver license number. If you were charged twice, the FAQ says to email the DPS E-Commerce Section for a refund.

Fitting the Record Into Your 90 Days

The clock starts at your plea. From then, you have 90 days to finish the course and turn in all three items.

Plan when to order the record. Ask the clerk if the court has a preference, since courts set their own filing steps. An online order is instant, so it fits a tight window.

A mail order takes about three weeks. That is a big part of 90 days.

If you will run late, Art. 45A.355 lets the court allow more time if you show good cause. Ask before the deadline, not after.

Steps showing where the Type 3A record fits in the 90-day driving safety course window, from the plea to turning in three items

After the Court Gets Your Record

Once you turn in everything on time, the court acts. Under Art. 45A.356(c), the court removes the judgment and dismisses each eligible charge.

The court then reports to DPS. It sends the fact that you finished the course and the date, for your driving record. It also says whether the course counts for future eligibility.

That report is why a later Type 3A can show the course. If you get another ticket within 12 months, the next court will see it. Our guide on what defensive driving can and cannot do covers what the dismissal changes.

How Type 3A Compares

DPS sells two other certified records. Type 2A is a certified three-year record, and DPS says it cannot be used for a defensive driving course. Type AR is a $20 certified abstract of the whole record, including suspensions.

The plain Type 3 has the same list as Type 3A but is not certified. DPS lists Type 3A, not Type 3, as the record for a course. Our certified vs Type 3A comparison puts them side by side.

When the Type 3A Looks Wrong

Read your Type 3A before it goes to the court. A wrong entry can confuse the 12-month check.

The DPS FAQ names who fixes what. Crash errors go to the Texas Department of Transportation’s crash records office. A wrong drug or DWI conviction goes back to the court that reported it, which can send DPS a correction.

DPS then asks you to allow 21 business days. If the fix will not land in time, tell the court and ask about more time. The Texas driving record guide covers errors on every record type.

What We Found on the DPS Pages

On the DPS driver record pages we checked on October 26, 2026, Type 3A was listed at $10. It was the only type marked as usable for a defensive driving course.

The same page said Type 3 and 3A are given only to the record owner. The FAQ still told readers to confirm the record type with their court. It also said the password to print an online record is your driver license number.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

These come from DPS guidance and Texas law:

Calling it a three-year record. Type 3A lists all crashes and violations. The three-year types are 2 and 2A.
Buying Type 2A for court. DPS says Type 2A cannot be used for a defensive driving course.
Skipping the court check. DPS tells you to confirm the record type with your court.
Ordering by mail at the last minute. Mail takes about three weeks.
Forgetting the affidavit. The court needs the certificate, the record and the affidavit.
Ordering for someone else. Only the record owner can get a Type 3A.

How Requirements Can Vary

The driving safety course rules come from Texas law and TDLR and apply statewide. Each justice or municipal court still sets its own fees, filing steps and contact methods, and the facts of your citation decide which options you have.

Laws, fees and court procedures can change. Check your citation, ask the court that handles your case, and use the TDLR and Texas DPS websites for current rules before you act.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a Type 3A record certified?

Yes. DPS describes Type 3A as the certified version of the Type 3 record. It is not an informal or uncertified copy.

How much is a Type 3A driving record?

DPS charges $10 for a Type 3A record. The plain Type 3 costs $7 but is not the type DPS lists for a defensive driving course.

How far back does a Type 3A go?

DPS says Type 3 and 3A list all crashes and violations. DPS does not publish a cutoff in years for this record. The record types with a set three-year window are Type 2 and 2A.

Can I get a Type 3A at a DPS office?

No. DPS says it cannot provide driver record services in person. Order online for instant printing or by mail with form DR-1.

Does my court have to accept Type 3A?

DPS says most courts generally require a Type 3A record, but each court sets its own process. Call the court to confirm the type before you order.

Will my Type 3A show I took defensive driving before?

It can. Texas law lets DPS show the fact that you completed a driver safety course, but not the reason. That is how a court checks the 12-month rule.

What password opens my online Type 3A?

The DPS FAQ says the password to print your driver record online is your driver license number. Print or email the record right after you buy it.

Can someone else order my Type 3A for me?

DPS says Type 3 and 3A records are given only to the record owner. Plan to order it yourself, or ask the court if the judge gets the record directly.

Conclusion

The Type 3A record is the $10 certified DPS list of all your crashes and violations, and DPS names it as the record for a defensive driving course. Order it online for instant printing, or by mail if you have time to spare inside your 90 days. When you are ready to take the course, Driving Logic’s online Texas driving safety course is one option to look at.

Sources

Billy Forte is the owner of Driving Logic, a state-approved driver improvement course provider serving Texas and other U.S. states.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Texas traffic and driving safety course rules are set by Texas law, TDLR, Texas DPS and each court, and they can change. Check with the court on your citation and the official TDLR and DPS websites for current requirements, and talk to a Texas lawyer about your specific case.