Can I pay my Texas reinstatement fee in installments or at a license office?

Can a Texas license reinstatement fee be split into installments?

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) sets three rules on how a Texas license reinstatement fee is handled. The first concerns reducing, waiving or splitting the fee. The second is that driver license offices only handle license and ID issuance and renewal and cannot take reinstatement fee payments.¹ The third is that all reinstatement fees must be paid in full before applying for, renewing or upgrading any license, including special licenses such as an occupational or interlock driver license.¹ DPS words the first rule this way:

Texas law does not permit these fees to be reduced, waived, or paid in installments.

What happened to Driver Responsibility Program surcharges in Texas?

DPS states the repeal this way:

Effective September 1, 2019, the State of Texas has repealed the Driver Responsibility Program – Chapter 708, Transportation Code.

DPS says it reinstated all driver privileges that were suspended solely for unpaid Driver Responsibility Program surcharges.²

What the sources do not state

The sources used on this page do not say where the fee is paid, so no payment method is described here.

Next step

The Texas Department of Public Safety explains these rules on its reinstatement fees and special licenses FAQ. This site also has a filing lookup tool.