The Attorney General of Texas
May 2, 1979
MARK WHITE
Attorney General
Honorable Wilson R. Speir, Director Opinion NO. MI+16
Texas Department of Public Safety
5905 N. Lamar Boulevard Re: Whether defensive driving
Austin, Texas 70773 and similar courses are ITqUired to
be licensed under article 4413(29c),
V.T.C.S.
Dear Colonel Speir:
160 ‘. You have requested our opinion regarding the licensing of commercial
driver-train&.‘schools and instructors. You ask whether article 4413(29C),
V.T.C.S., requires the Department of. Public Safety to license courses in
driver-training which izonsist only of remedial classroom instruction. E
123win. suite610 art. 67Old, S 143A. Article 4413(29c) provides in part:
Hornton.
TX.-nom
7W22847Ol Section 1.
(a) ‘Commercial driver-training school’ or ‘school’
means any enterprise conducted by an individual,
association, ,partnership, or corporation, for the
education and training of persons, either practically
or theoretically, or boa. to operate or drive motor
vehicles and charging a consideration or tuition for
such services.
. ...
z-xlMain
Plan.suite400
SanAnmtl+n.
TX.7szes
51~191 Sec. 2. No person, firm, association, partnership,
or corporation shall operate a commercial driver-
training school after January I, 1968, unless a license
AnEqualoppmunity, as a commercial driver-training school has been
*“irm*tiYd
Action
Efql(oyar secured from the Texas Department of Public Safety,
provided that training or classes conducted by
colleges, universities, high schools, and junior high
schools for regularly enrolled students as a part of
the normal program for such institutions shall be
exempt.
p. 46
Honorable Wilson E. Speir - Page Two (I%+16)
We believe that the Ianguage of the statute is clear. Regardless of the remedial nature or
the absence of vehicular use in the classroom instruction, no enterprise which charges a
fee may conduct driver-training education “either practically or theoreticallv” without
securing a license from the deparlment.
You also ask if lhe department can establish different calegories of licenses and
waive the issuance requirement for schools designed to provide classrcom instruction only.
Section 4 provides that Tblefore the Department of Public Safety shall issue such license,
the person, firm, association, partnership, or corporation shall” execute a bond and
maintain motor vehicle liability insurance. See Ins. Code S 5.01. Once the license is
issued the licensee is permitted to use motor vehicles in the driving,instruction. There is
no provision in the statute for those entities which do not use vehicles in their instruction
to be exempted from the bond and insurance requirement of section 4. There is only one
category of license, and since that license permits the use of a motor vehicle, we believe
we are bound by the literal. language of the statute which prohibits licensing unless
liability insurance is mainlamed.
You as;k whether the department may by regulation construe the term “consideration
or tuition” as used in s&lion I(a). The department has general .rule-making authority.
articles 4413(4! and 4413(29c), section (4#d), V.T.C.S., and thus we believe the department
has the authority to issue reasonable rules construing vconsideration or tuition.” Gerst v.
Oak Cliff Savings and Loan Ass’n, 432 S.W.2d 702 (Tex. 1966); see Attorney General
Opinion M-682 (1970). The critical factor in determining whether cgency has exceeded
its rule-making powers is that the regulation must be in harmony with the general
objectives of the statute. Jefco v. Lewis, 520 S.W.2d 915 (Tex. Civ. App. - Austin 1975.
writ refu n.r.e.).
SUMMARY
Enterprises offering classroom driving instruction for a fee must be
licensed by the Department of Public Safety as per article
4413(29c), V.T.C.S.
‘A*
MARK WHITE
Attorney General of Texas
JOHN W. FAINTER. JR.
First Assistant Attorney General
TED L. HARTLEY
Executive Assistant Attorney General
Prepared by David B. Brooks
Assistant Attorney General
D. 47
Honorable Wilson E. Bpeir - Page Three (‘4w-16)
APPROVED:
OPINIO?l COMMlTTEE
C. Robert Heath, Chairman
David B. Brooks
Rick Gilpin .~
Renea Hicks
Charles J. Maddox, Jr.
William G Reid
Bruce Youngblood
p. 48
Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion
Combined Opinion