Intoxicated Driver (SFST).
This chapter covers what a Texas peace officer must know about intoxicated Driver (SFST), along with the statute limits that shape each element, at the level of detail the TCOLE tests.
Chapter 23 study guide.
This chapter has two parts. The first is a course inside the course: you must successfully complete the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) course, taught from NHTSA’s own current materials. The second is Texas law: Chapter 724 of the Transportation Code on chemical tests, the paperwork that follows a refusal, and the offense of lending a vehicle to a driver whose license is suspended for an intoxication offense.
Study the SFST material from the NHTSA manual you are issued. Use this guide for the statutes. In Chapter 724, learn the sequence: arrest, warning, request, then either a specimen or a refusal, and the officer’s duties that follow each one.
Jump to an objective4
The NHTSA SFST course
The objective is simple to state: successful completion of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) SFST course. SFST stands for Standardized Field Sobriety Testing. The TCOLE outline does not restate the course content. It directs academies to follow the objectives of the newest SFST course and to use the most current NHTSA materials.
That matters for how you study. The SFST material you are responsible for is whatever is in the current NHTSA student manual, not a summary of it. Learn the instructions and procedures exactly as your manual gives them.
The outline also highly encourages at least one “wet lab workshop,” where recruits practice on actual drinking subjects.
- NHTSA
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the federal agency whose SFST course this objective requires.
- SFST
- Standardized Field Sobriety Testing. The BPOC requires successful completion of the NHTSA SFST course.
- Wet lab workshop
- A practice session using actual drinking subjects. The outline highly encourages at least one.
On the exam Know who owns the SFST curriculum. It is NHTSA’s course, taught from NHTSA’s newest materials.
The SFST course required in the BPOC comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety .
SFST stands for Standardized Field Testing.
A practice session with actual drinking subjects is called a workshop.
Questions on what you just read.
- Question 1 · LO 23.1
A recruit asks which organization’s SFST course must be successfully completed for this chapter of the BPOC. The correct answer is the course of the:
- Question 2 · LO 23.1
An academy is updating its SFST lesson plan. According to the TCOLE outline, which SFST materials should the course follow?
- Question 3 · LO 23.1
The outline highly encourages at least one “wet lab workshop” during the SFST course. What makes a session a wet lab?
The rest of Chapter 23.
- LO 23.2Chemical tests under Chapter 72412 statutes and cases · 4 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 23.3Forms for the intoxicated driver3 statutes and cases · 2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 23.4Allowing a dangerous driver to borrow a vehicle1 authority · 2 fill-in-the-blank
A subscription opens the other 3 objectives in this chapter, with 8 more fill-in-the-blank items and 7 more practice questions, along with the study guide for every other BPOC chapter.
Unlock the full guideLast checked against the Texas statutes in September 2026. This guide is a study aid for the TCOLE licensing exam. It is not legal advice, and your academy’s instruction and your department’s policy come first.
What recruits ask about this chapter.
What does the TCOLE curriculum say about successful completion of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) SFST Course?
Instructor Note: Follow objectives of the newest SFST course. See Abstract for website to find the most current materials. Instructor Note: It is highly encouraged to conduct at least one "wet lab workshop" (with actual drinking subjects).
What should a Texas peace officer understand about chemical tests?
Discuss the chemical tests. Includes: applicability - TC 724.002; consent to Taking of Specimen - TC 724.011; taking of Specimen - TC 724.012; prohibition on Taking Specimen if Person Refuses; Exception - TC 724.013; person Incapable of Refusal - TC 724.014; information Provided by Officer Before Requesting Specimen - TC 724.015;
How does a Texas peace officer recognize and prepare necessary forms concerning the intoxicated driver?
Recognize and prepare necessary forms concerning the intoxicated driver.
How does a Texas peace officer identify laws allowing dangerous drivers to borrow motor vehicles and forfeiture?
Identify the laws allowing dangerous drivers to borrow motor vehicles and forfeiture. Includes: allowing Dangerous Driver to Borrow Motor Vehicle; Offense - TC 705.001.
Related study guides in Traffic Regulation.
Drill this chapter with practice questions written from the BPOC curriculum.
You get a curated practice question bank for every BPOC chapter, a daily drill that weights toward the topics you keep missing, and a predicted TCOLE score that moves with your answers.
Get full access →Preparing for the state exam? Read the TCOLE exam guide for the format, passing score, and retake rules, or take a free TCOLE practice test to see where you stand.