How do I apply for an occupational license in Texas?

Which court receives a petition for a Texas occupational license?

An occupational driver license in Texas starts with a petition to a court.¹ The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) says the court order that follows is not the occupational driver license and must be submitted to DPS with other documentation.¹ DPS states which court receives the petition in these words:

You must petition the Justice of the Peace, county or district court where you currently reside, or to the court of original jurisdiction where the offense has occurred, to obtain an occupational driver license.

Which documents does DPS list for a Texas occupational license?

Part of DPS’s list of items reads:

A certified copy of the petition A signed and stamped court order (which must include the allowable hours and counties) An SR-22, proof of financial responsibility A check or money order for all reinstatement fees owed

The quoted lines leave out one item from DPS’s list: the occupational license fee.²

What fees and court costs apply to a Texas occupational license?

Cost	What the sources say
Occupational license fee	The Transportation Code sets the fee for issuance or renewal of an occupational driver’s license at $103.
Court costs	A petitioner must pay the court’s civil filing fee or file a statement of inability to afford payment of court costs, according to the Transportation Code.4
Reinstatement fees	DPS says all reinstatement fees must be paid in full before applying for, renewing or upgrading any license, including special licenses such as an occupational license.5

What the sources do not state

The sources used on this page do not describe how or where the documents are submitted.

Next step

The Texas Department of Public Safety explains the process on its occupational driver license page. This site also has a filing lookup tool.