To apply for learner permit in Ohio, residents must first satisfy certain eligibility criteria, such as age requirements and permit tests. The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (OH BMV) of the state Department of Public Safety (DPS) issues a learners permit to individuals who are at least 15 and a half years of age and who take and pass the mandatory BMV examinations. Moreover, applicants must prepare certain documents as part of the requirements that they must satisfy.

After getting a learners permit in Ohio, motorists will have to follow and obey certain state rules and driving restrictions. Disobeying set permit rules and restrictions may bring them serious penalties and may result in losing their driving privileges. To learn more information about how and where to get a learners permit in Ohio, continue reading the sections below.

Ohio Learners Permit Eligibility Guidelines

Learners permit applicants must be at least 15 and a half years of age in order to obtain a driving credential that will enable them to operate a motor vehicle legally on public roads within the state. Moreover, motorists need to take and pass a permit test and a vision screening as part of the requirements mandated for getting a driving permit.

In addition, applicants must also satisfy other drivers permit requirements, such as: providing proofs of OH residency and citizenship or legal presence in the U.S. And finally, minor applicants will also be required to provide signatures of their parents or legal guardians as part of the application requirements.

How to Apply for a Learners Permit in Ohio

After individuals satisfy the basic criteria that make them eligible to apply for learner permit in Ohio, they may begin the application procedure in person at a local OH BMV office. The OH BMV issues temporary permits to individuals who at least 15 and a half years of age. Temporary learners permit applicants who visit a nearby BMV location must do the following:

• Visit a driver exam station and submit proof of:
  • Full legal name.
  • Date of birth.
  • Social security number (SSN), if needed.
• Take and pass a knowledge test.
• Take and pass a vision screening.
• Go to a deputy registrar license agency and the same proofs as above along with additional proofs of OH residency and citizenship or legal presence.
• Have the parent or legal guardian to present proof of identification before they co-sign the application.

Applicants who already hold Ohio ID cards must surrender them when they obtain a temporary instruction permit identification card (TIPIC). After getting learners permit in Ohio, motorists will have to hold the TIPIC for at least six months before getting a driver’s license and they will have to complete a driver’s education course at a licensed driver training school. Moreover, they will have to complete 50 hours of driving, 10 of which must be driven at night.

The Ohio Drivers Permit Test

Applicants must pass an Ohio DMV permit test in order to get a temporary instruction permit identification card (TIPIC) for operating a motor vehicle. Minors must visit a driver exam station and take the learners permit test that consists of 40 multiple-choice questions about state regulations and traffic signs. To successfully pass the TIPIC test, applicants will be required to answer at least 75 percent of the questions correctly.

The OH BMV offers the drivers permit test in the following languages: English, Spanish, French, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic and Somali. For other languages, interpreters must be present at the time of the exam. However, applicants will have to be able to recognize and understand directions and traffic signs in English if they want to operate a motor vehicle in the future. A TIPIC will be issued within 60 days of the test day.

When preparing for an OH DMV permit test, motorists need to obtain the Ohio Driver’s Manual to learn details that will be examined on the test. In addition to the manual, applicants may take a practice test in order to get prepared for the actual exam. The questions on the DMV permit practice test are quite similar to those that are given on the OH BMV test.

Note: Failure to pass a knowledge drivers permit test in OH will require applicants to retake the test after at least 24 hours pass.

Ohio Driving Permit Rules and Restrictions

Motorists who have obtained the TIPIC permit will be required to obey certain Ohio learners permit rules and restrictions, if they want to keep their driving privileges. Therefore, the OH BMV has determined the following TIPIC restrictions:

• Drivers must carry the TIPIC whenever operating a motor vehicle.
• Drivers who are younger than 16 years of age must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or licensed driving instructor in the passenger seat while driving.
• Drivers who are younger than 16 years of age may be accompanied by a licensed driver who is older than 21 years of age, except between midnight and 6 a.m. when they must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
• The parent, guardian or licensed driver is not allowed to be intoxicated.
• Both drivers and passengers must wear seat belts at all times.

Failing to obey these OH driving permit rules may result in various penalties or motorists may even lose their driving privileges. For more information on the permit driving hours and additional restrictions, drivers may consult a BMV representative.

Ohio Learner Permit Fees

The temporary learner permit fee in Ohio may vary based on the applicant’s age. The following prices reflect the different fees for permits in Ohio:

• Temporary permit packet cost – $22
• Temporary permit packet cost when expired for more than six months within two years – $25
• 16 years of age – $24.25
• 17 years of age – $23
• 18 years of age – $21.75
• 19 years of age – $20.50
• 20 years of age – $19.25
• 21 years of age or older – $23

California Privacy R. Request

California Opt-Out