Indiana Learner’s Permit: Requirements, Exam, and Fees

To get an Indiana learner’s permit, visit a BMV branch with proof of your identity, Social Security number, lawful U.S. status, and Indiana residency, pass a vision screening and a two-part written knowledge exam, and pay the $9 fee. You can apply at 15 if you’re enrolled in an approved driver education course, or at 16 without one.¹

When You Can Apply

Indiana ties the minimum permit age to driver education. Enrolled in an approved behind-the-wheel training course? You can apply at 15. Not enrolled? Wait until you’re 16.¹ There’s no upper age limit, and adults who have never held a license follow the same basic process.

What to Bring to the BMV

The BMV requires originals or certified copies. Photocopies won’t be accepted. You need documents in four categories.²

Identity and lawful status: an unexpired U.S. passport or a certified birth certificate, which must also establish your full legal name and date of birth.
Social Security number: a Social Security card, W-2, or other qualifying document showing your SSN.
Indiana residency: two separate documents showing your Indiana address, such as a bank statement, utility bill, or computer-generated school transcript.

If you can’t produce two residency documents, someone at least 18 who lives with you can sign a residency affidavit at the branch, but they’ll need to bring their own ID and their own two residency documents.¹

Extra Paperwork for Minors

If you’re under 18, a parent or legal guardian must come to the branch and sign an Agreement of Financial Liability. That signature makes the adult jointly responsible for damage you cause while driving.³ The adult must also present identification proving their own identity and age. If you’re 15 applying through a driver education program, bring a valid Certificate of Driver Education from your course provider.¹

The Knowledge Exam

The written test has two sections: road signs and general traffic rules. You need at least 80 percent on each section to pass.⁴ The sign section tests regulatory, warning, and guide signs. The general section covers traffic laws, right-of-way rules, and safe driving practices drawn from the Indiana Driver’s Manual.

The Driver’s Manual is a free download from the BMV website and is also available as a physical booklet at most branches. The BMV publishes a free practice exam that mirrors the real test. You don’t need an appointment for the knowledge exam, but you must arrive at least 30 minutes before the branch closes.¹ Fail it and you can retake it the next business day.⁵

Vision Screening

Every applicant takes a vision screening at the service counter, even if you already wear glasses or contacts. To drive without a vision restriction on your permit, you need at least 20/40 acuity in both eyes.⁶ If you need corrective lenses to meet that threshold, your permit will carry a restriction requiring you to wear them while driving. Applicants who can’t meet the standard even with correction may be referred to a licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist for further evaluation.⁷

Fee and What You Leave With

The permit fee is $9.⁸ Once you pass the vision screening and the knowledge exam, a BMV employee takes your photo. You’ll leave with a temporary paper permit that’s valid for immediate use; the permanent plastic card is manufactured centrally and mailed to you.

Who Can Supervise You

A permit holder can never drive alone. A qualified licensed driver must be in the front passenger seat whenever you drive, and who qualifies depends on your age and whether you’re in a driver education course.

Under 18, Not in Driver Education

Your supervisor must be a licensed relative (by blood, marriage, or legal status) who is at least 25, a licensed spouse who is at least 21, or a certified driving instructor.⁹ A friend’s parent or a neighbor doesn’t qualify unless they’re related to you. Families often assume any responsible adult will do, and that assumption is wrong.

Under 18, in a Driver Education Course

While actively participating in your course, you can practice with your instructor or a certified driver rehabilitation specialist. Outside of formal class time, the same family-member-or-spouse rules apply.⁹

18 and Older

The rules loosen. Any licensed driver who is at least 25 can supervise you, whether or not they’re related. A licensed spouse who is at least 21 also qualifies.⁹

What Comes After the Permit

Before you can move on to a driver’s license, Indiana requires at least 50 hours of supervised practice, with a minimum of 10 of those hours at night.¹⁰ You track those hours on a Log of Supervised Driving, and the people who can sign off follow the same age and relationship rules described above.

Indiana also imposes a 180-day holding period. You must hold the permit for at least six months before you can apply for a probationary driver’s license. Finishing the 50 hours faster won’t shorten that window.

The final step is a driving skills test. If you completed an approved driver training course, you may be able to take the skills test through your training provider instead of at a BMV branch, provided you hold a valid learner’s permit, are at least 16 years and 90 days old, and finished training with a provider that participates in the BMV’s skills test administration program.⁵

Driving Without a Permit

Driving on public roads without ever having obtained a valid license or permit is a Class C misdemeanor in Indiana, carrying up to 60 days in jail and a fine of up to $500. A second offense is a Class A misdemeanor. Causing bodily injury while unlicensed is also a Class A misdemeanor. Causing serious bodily injury is a Level 6 felony, and if someone dies or suffers a catastrophic injury, the charge rises to a Level 5 felony.¹¹ Violating permit restrictions, such as driving without a qualified supervisor, can also suspend your driving privileges and delay your full license.

1
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Learner’s Permit
2
Cornell Law Institute. Indiana Code 140 IAC 7-1.1-3 – License, Permit, and Identification Card Documentation Requirements
3
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Agreement of Financial Liability
4
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. BMV Practice Knowledge Examination
5
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Driving (Skills) Test
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Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Certificate of Vision (Eye Referral)
7
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-24-10-4 – Examination Components
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Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Indiana Fee Chart
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Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-24-7-4 – Operating Privileges
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Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-24-3-2.5 – Age, Experience, and Examination
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Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-24-18-1 – Driving Without a License