An Indiana learner’s permit lets you practice driving on public roads with a qualified adult in the front passenger seat. You can apply at age 15 if you’re enrolled in a state-approved driver education course, or at 16 or older without any course requirement. The permit costs $9, lasts two years, and is issued in person at a BMV branch after you pass a vision screening and a written knowledge test.
Who Can Apply
Indiana runs two age tracks. Applicants who are at least 15 but not yet 16 qualify only if they’re enrolled in an approved driver education course. Anyone 16 or older can apply without driver’s ed.1Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-24-7-1 – Learners Permit There is no upper age limit, and adults follow the same permit process, though the supervision rules loosen once you turn 18.
Applicants under 18 must also give the BMV an emergency contact other than themselves. That name goes into Indiana’s emergency contact database.1Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-24-7-1 – Learners Permit
What to Bring to the BMV
You apply in person. Bring original documents in four categories:2Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Learner’s Permit
- Identity: a certified birth certificate or valid U.S. passport, for example.
- Social Security number: your Social Security card, a W-2, or another document showing the full SSN.
- Lawful status: U.S. citizens satisfy this with the same birth certificate or passport used for identity. Non-citizens present documentation matching one of the categories in Indiana’s lawful-status statute, such as a permanent resident card or valid visa.3Justia. Indiana Code 9-24-9 – Application for License or Permit
- Indiana residency: two separate documents showing your Indiana address, such as a bank statement and a computer-generated school transcript.
If you’re 15 and applying through a driver education program, also bring the Certificate of Driver Education completed and signed by your instructor.
Parental Signature for Applicants Under 18
Anyone under 18 needs a parent, legal guardian, or other qualifying adult to sign the application. That signature carries joint financial responsibility for damage or injury the minor causes while driving. Indiana law sets a preference order: the custodial parent signs first, then the noncustodial parent, then a guardian, and finally any other willing adult.3Justia. Indiana Code 9-24-9 – Application for License or Permit The co-signer should understand what they’re agreeing to. This is not a formality.
The Vision Screening
Before the written test, the BMV checks your eyes. The baseline is 20/40 or better in at least one eye. Meet that without glasses and you get no restriction. Need glasses or contacts to reach 20/40 and your permit will carry a corrective-lenses restriction, meaning you have to wear them every time you drive.4Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Vision Screening
Weaker vision can still qualify with added restrictions, which may include daylight-only driving and an outside rearview mirror requirement.5Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Certificate of Vision (Eye Referral)
The Written Knowledge Test
The knowledge exam covers material in the Indiana Driver’s Manual, which the BMV publishes online.6Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Driver’s Manual There are 50 multiple-choice questions in two sections: 16 on road signs and 34 on traffic rules. You have to pass both sections independently — 14 correct on signs and 26 correct on rules. Fail either section and you retake the whole exam.
p>If you don’t pass, you can generally try again on the next business day. After three failed attempts, a two-week waiting period applies. The Driver’s Manual and the BMV’s own practice tests are the best preparation, since the manual is the actual source material for the questions.
Fees, Photo, and Your Card
Once you pass both tests, you pay the $9 permit fee.7Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Fee Chart The fee is waived for applicants under the care of the Department of Child Services and for homeless youth who present a fee-waiver affidavit.1Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-24-7-1 – Learners Permit
The branch takes your photo and hands you a temporary paper permit you can use immediately. The permanent card comes in the mail. If it’s later lost or stolen, you can order a replacement online through myBMV.com as long as your name and address haven’t changed since it was issued.8Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Replacing a Driver’s License Learner’s Permit or Identification Card
How You’re Allowed to Drive
A learner’s permit covers a regular passenger vehicle on public roads. It does not cover motorcycles or commercial vehicles. A qualifying supervisor must always be in the front passenger seat, and who counts as qualifying depends on your age.9Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-24-7-4 – Operating Privileges
If You’re Under 18
Without driver education, your supervisor has to be one of the following:
- A licensed driver who is at least 25 and related to you by blood, marriage, or legal status.
- Your spouse, if they are at least 21 with a valid license.
- A licensed driver education instructor or certified driver rehabilitation specialist.
If you’re in an approved driver education course, your instructor can supervise you during formal training sessions. Outside of class, practice with a relative who is at least 25 or a spouse who is at least 21.9Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-24-7-4 – Operating Privileges
If You’re 18 or Older
Adult permit holders have a looser rule. The supervisor must be a licensed driver at least 25 years old, but they do not have to be related to you. A spouse who is at least 21 also qualifies.9Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-24-7-4 – Operating Privileges So a 19-year-old permit holder can practice with a 26-year-old friend or roommate; a 17-year-old could not.
The 50-Hour Practice Log
Before you can apply for a driver’s license, you must complete at least 50 hours of supervised driving practice, with at least 10 of those hours at night.10Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-24-3-2.5 – Age, Experience, and Examination Requirements Record all of it on the BMV’s official Log of Supervised Driving Practice and bring the completed log when you apply for your license. Your supervising driver has to certify the hours.11Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Log of Supervised Driving Practice
One exception: if your permit carries a daylight-only vision restriction, you don’t need the 10 nighttime hours, but the 50-hour total still applies.12Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Driver’s License
How Long the Permit Is Good For
An Indiana learner’s permit expires two years after it’s issued. If it lapses before you get a driver’s license, renew it at a BMV branch by bringing the same categories of documents and paying the $9 fee again.13Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-24-12-0.5 – Permits Expiration Two years feels generous, but the clock runs out fast if you’re not practicing regularly.
Moving to a Probationary Driver’s License
The permit is the first stage, not the last. To move up to a probationary license you must hold the permit for at least 180 days.12Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Driver’s License The rest depends on your path:
- With driver education: you can apply at 16 years and 90 days if you’ve held the permit for 180 days, completed the approved course, logged your 50 practice hours, and passed the driving skills exam.10Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-24-3-2.5 – Age, Experience, and Examination Requirements
- Without driver education: you must be at least 16 years and 270 days old, have held the permit for 180 days, logged your 50 practice hours, and passed the skills exam.10Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-24-3-2.5 – Age, Experience, and Examination Requirements
A probationary license carries its own restrictions. For the first 180 days, drivers under 18 cannot drive between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. and cannot carry passengers. After that, the nighttime window relaxes to 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Friday and 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. on weekends, and those restrictions continue until you turn 18.14Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Probationary Driver’s License
Insurance While You’re on a Permit
Indiana requires liability insurance on every vehicle driven on public roads, and that applies while you’re on a learner’s permit. Most families handle this by notifying their auto insurer when a teen gets a permit. Many carriers won’t raise the rate at the permit stage, but they need to know the new driver exists so coverage applies during practice drives. Skipping this step can create a gap that becomes very expensive after an accident. An adult permit holder who doesn’t live with a policyholder may need to buy coverage before starting to drive.