How licensing works in Ohio
New Ohio drivers start with a temporary instruction permit identification card (TIPIC). Teens then get a probationary license with night and passenger limits before full privileges.
| Stage | Minimum age | Main rules |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary instruction permit (TIPIC) | 15½ | Supervisor in the front seat. No mobile devices. Everyone belted. Hold six months |
| Probationary license, year 1 | 16 | No driving midnight–6 a.m. unless with a parent or guardian. Passenger limit of one |
| Probationary license, year 2 | 17 | No driving 1–5 a.m. unless with a parent or guardian |
| Full privileges | 18 | Adult phone rules apply |
Who may supervise a permit holder
- Under 16: a parent, guardian, custodian, licensed driving instructor, or a person 21 or older acting in place of a parent.
- Ages 16–17: any licensed driver 21 or older, but from midnight to 6 a.m. it must be a licensed parent, guardian or custodian.
- 18 and older: any licensed driver 21 or older.
Before the road test (under 18)
- Driver training at a licensed school: 24 hours of classroom or online instruction and 8 hours of driving.
- 50 hours of driving with a parent or guardian, including 10 at night.
- Hold your TIPIC for at least six months.
The Ohio knowledge test
The knowledge test has 40 multiple-choice questions, and you need 75% (30 correct) to pass. You can take it at 15 years and 6 months, along with a vision screening.
- Take it online through BMV Online Services, at a BMV Driver Examination Station, or at select deputy registrar agencies.
- It is offered in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Japanese, Russian, Somali and Spanish.
- If you fail, wait one day. There is no limit on attempts, but only one per day.
- After you pass, buy your TIPIC within 60 days, or you will have to retest.
Rules specific to Ohio
Phones
Drivers 18 and older may not hold or support a phone in most cases. Hands-free use, started with a single touch or swipe, is allowed. A first offense in two years means 2 points. Drivers under 18 may not use any electronic device, even hands-free or at a red light. A first violation means a 60-day suspension and a second means a one-year suspension.
Alcohol (OVI)
| Driver | Illegal BAC |
|---|---|
| Under 21 | 0.02% or higher |
| Commercial driver | 0.04% or higher |
| Everyone else | 0.08% or higher |
Refusing a chemical test brings a suspension that starts immediately: one year for a first refusal, longer for repeat offenses. A first test over the limit brings a 90-day suspension.
Seat belts and child seats
Drivers and front-seat passengers must wear belts. When the driver is under 18, everyone must be belted and no one may ride without a belt. Children under 4 and under 40 pounds use a child seat. From 4 to under 8, use a booster unless the child is at least 4 feet 9 inches tall. From 8 to under 15, use a seat belt.
School buses
On roads with fewer than four lanes, traffic from both directions stops at least 10 feet from a bus with flashing red lights. On roads with four or more lanes, only traffic going the same direction as the bus must stop.
On a road with four or more lanes, only traffic traveling the same way as the bus must stop.
- School bus with red lights flashing
- Car behind the bus: stop
- Oncoming car on the other side: may continue with care
Points
Six points in two years brings a warning letter. Twelve points in two years brings a suspension. Drivers under 18 face a three-month suspension for two moving violations and a one-year suspension for three.
Other Ohio rules
- Use headlights from sunset to sunrise, in poor visibility and whenever your wipers are on for rain or snow.
- You may turn left on red only from the far-left lane of a one-way street onto another one-way street, unless a sign says no.
- On approach to a stopped emergency or service vehicle with flashing lights, move over and/or slow down.
- Studded tires are legal from November 1 to April 15.
Test tips
- Learn the key numbers: 15½, 40 questions, 75%, 60 days, 50 hours, 10 at night, 0.02%, 10 feet, 12 points.
- Know the different phone rules for drivers under 18 and adults.
- Study road signs by shape and color.
- Use the one-day retest rule wisely: study between attempts.
Next: the general rules of the road
This guide covers Ohio's own rules. The knowledge test also covers right-of-way, turns, passing, parking and road signs. Study those in our national US driving study guide, then take the full practice tests.