Dismiss Your Houston Red-Light or Stop-Sign Ticket
Officer-issued signal violations in Houston qualify for the same defensive driving dismissal as speeding tickets. Houston ended its red-light camera program — today's citations are almost all criminal.
Free eligibility check · 10 modules · ~6 hours
Houston ended its civil red-light camera program in 2014. Today's signal-violation citations are almost universally officer-issued criminal Class C misdemeanors. The defensive driving dismissal path applies the same way as for speeding — request from the court before your appearance date, complete a TDLR-approved course, submit the certificate.
The cost of doing nothing
Houston ended its civil red-light camera program in 2014 — current citations are almost all officer-issued criminal court cases.
Houston Municipal Court handles most in-city signal violations.
DPS-issued citations on highways go to Harris County JP courts.
Houston's red-light camera history
Houston was one of the early Texas cities to deploy red-light cameras and one of the first to remove them. The program ended in 2014 after a city referendum. Since then, Houston signal-violation citations are almost exclusively officer-issued — meaning a police officer wrote the citation at the scene. Those are eligible for defensive driving dismissal under standard Texas rules.
Where Houston signal-violation citations land
- Houston Police (city-limit stops) → Houston Municipal Courts at 1400 Lubbock St.
- DPS troopers (Beltway, Interstates in Harris County) → Harris County JP courts.
- Constables (unincorporated Harris County) → Harris County JP courts.
- Citation lists the issuing court — verify before filing.
From "uh-oh" to certificate in four steps
No classroom, no waiting list, no shipping a DVD.
- 1
Check eligibility
60-second quiz tells you whether your court will accept defensive driving for your ticket.
- 2
Start the course
Enroll, sign in, and begin your first module in under a minute.
- 3
Complete modules
Self-paced lessons with quick quizzes. Pause and resume on any device.
- 4
File your certificate
Pass the final exam, download your certificate, submit to your court.
Built for busy Texas drivers
Help avoid points
Help keep moving-violation points off your Texas driving record.
Help prevent insurance increases
Many Texas insurers raise rates after a ticket. Completion may help avoid surcharges.
Complete online
No classroom, no DVDs. The full course works in your browser.
Mobile-friendly
Take it on your phone during a lunch break and finish on your laptop tonight.
Houston Municipal Courts (1400 Lubbock St, Houston, TX 77002) handle in-city HPD citations including red-light and stop-sign violations. DPS-issued signal violations on Houston-area highways go to a Harris County JP precinct.
60 seconds · No card required
Important disclaimer
DefensiveDrivingPlus is an online course platform. Ticket dismissal eligibility and court acceptance depend on your court, violation, and state requirements. Always confirm provider approval with the court that issued your citation before enrolling.
Quick answers
Always confirm with your specific Texas court that the issuing provider is approved before enrolling in any defensive driving course.