So it does make sense from the state’s perspective. But I wonder if this rule has ever been challenged by people who resent this scam.
I don’t know if you could call it a scam. There is most likely a law in Texas (I know California does) that says if you move into the state you have X days to register your car in Texas. To register it has to be insured and inspected. The state has a valid interest in making sure the cars on the road are safe and insured.
This is how they do that.
I moved to Texas in 2004 and did not own a car at that time. I got my driver’s license with no problem, no driving test required.
When I got my first driver’s license (in Texas) at the age of 16 in 1986, I did not own a car; I suspect this is is pretty common among that demographic.
What was emphasized to us in driver’s education classes was that the car you bring to use for the driving test must be properly registered, inspected, and all that jazz. (I don’t recall whether Texas registration was required, but it sounds from this thread like it probably was.) You didn’t have be the owner.
The main point for the car-less was that the Department of Public Safety would not be providing a vehicle for you - you had to bring one yourself, and how you got your hands on it was your problem. But they did impose the requirement that it be a fully street-legal car; on the surface, that did not and does not sound too unreasonable.
I think there might have been some informal questions from the testing officer as the preparations were being made for the test. “Whose car is this?” “You have a learner’s permit, yes?” “Did you drive here today?” “Did a licensed adult ride with you?”
There were definitely some wrong answers to those questions. If you were silly enough to confess that you broke the law getting to the test, we’d been warned in driver’s ed that you’d be failed for it.
I live in Texas, and haven’t owned a car in about 20 years. The people at the DPS office ask for proof of insurance for my car, I tell them that I don’t own a car, and they have me sign a little form confirming this.
The purpose of all that is to make sure that all cars are properly insured. Texas is largely poor, and there was/is a problem with uninsured drivers. The legislature passed a law that not only do you have to show proof of insurance to a policeman who stops you, you have to show proof when you get your drivers license.
If you don’t own a car, this just doesn’t apply to you.
People seem to be getting a mistaken impression about the vehicle registration requirement.
If you don’t own a vehicle (say you were like me as a grad student moving to the state without a car of my own), you don’t need one to simply get a Texas Driver’s License.
Here’s how it works.
Case 1) You don’t own a car personally and have no driver’s license. You go through the same procedure as any first time licensee, native Texan or not. If you only want an ID, you can get a Texas ID card without dealing with the driving part of it, though you still need support documents (SS card, proof of residency, etc).
Case 2) You don’t own a car personally and have an out of state license. You go to the local DPS office and apply for a TDL. You won’t have to pass the written or practical exam but certainly need to pass a vision exam. Since you don’t own a vehicle, just tell them that. There’s no requirement you own a vehicle. It’s not a money grab or anything like that.
Case 3) You own a car and have an out of state license. Just as other posters have noted, you must first get your car inspected, then registered, and then apply for a TDL, in that order. If people can get their TDL first, it’s much easier to forget about getting the car registered or inspected for a long time.
Case 4) You own a car and don’t have a driver’s license. What are you doing driving around unlicensed in the first place?!
Same for me. Last time I renewed my Texas license was in around 1997. I’d already been living in the UK for 2 years and had no car in Texas. Technically, I had no residence there either, I used a friend’s address when renewing.