The Ohio 50-hour affidavit is BMV Form 5791, a one-page sworn statement (with an attached driving log) that a supervising adult signs to confirm a new driver has completed at least 50 hours of supervised practice, including 10 hours at night. You log each practice session on the form, have the supervising adult sign it in front of a notary, and bring the notarized form to your road test appointment at a deputy registrar office.1Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Temporary Permit / Probationary Driver Licensing – Under Age 18
Who Has to Submit the Affidavit
Every Ohio driver under 18 applying for a probationary license needs a completed BMV 5791. You must also have held your Temporary Instruction Permit Identification Card (TIPIC) for at least six months and finished a state-approved driver training course (24 hours of classroom or online instruction plus 8 hours of behind-the-wheel training).1Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Temporary Permit / Probationary Driver Licensing – Under Age 18
Starting September 30, 2025, the same requirements apply to first-time drivers who are 18, 19, or 20. They also must complete the 50 hours of supervised practice and the Class D driver training course before licensure, meaning the affidavit now covers all new drivers under 21.2Ohio Traffic Safety Office. Under 21 Driver Training
Who Can Sign It
The rule for who can ride with you during practice is broader than the rule for who can sign the affidavit, and confusing the two is a common mistake.
Any licensed driver aged 21 or older can supervise your practice driving from the passenger seat. That person does not have to be a parent.1Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Temporary Permit / Probationary Driver Licensing – Under Age 18 Late-night practice between midnight and 6 a.m. is the exception: that supervisor must be your parent, guardian, or custodian, or a licensed adult 21 or older named on a notarized BMV 2438.
The affidavit itself, though, can only be signed by a parent, guardian, custodian, or a person over 21 who acts in loco parentis (someone filling a parental role without a formal legal relationship).3Ohio Department of Public Safety. Fifty Hour Affidavit An older sibling or family friend can log hours with you but generally cannot be the signer.
If the application is for a limited-term, non-renewable, and non-transferable license, the signer must be the same adult who supervised the practice and must hold a valid Ohio driver’s license.3Ohio Department of Public Safety. Fifty Hour Affidavit
Logging the 50 Hours
You need at least 50 total hours of practice, with a minimum of 10 hours at night.1Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Temporary Permit / Probationary Driver Licensing – Under Age 18 “Night” runs from a half hour after sunset until a half hour before the next sunrise. That window shifts substantially between summer and winter in Ohio, so check actual sunset times rather than guessing.
Page 2 of Form 5791 contains a Supervised Driving Log. For each session, record the date, the supervising driver’s name and Ohio license number, the start and end times, and the total daytime and nighttime hours.3Ohio Department of Public Safety. Fifty Hour Affidavit Fill it in after each drive. Trying to reconstruct months of sessions the week before your road test is where errors get made.
For a digital option, Ohio offers the RoadReady Ohio app, which uses your phone’s GPS to track sessions and log hours automatically.4Ohio.gov. RoadReady Ohio App Either the paper log or the app is acceptable documentation.3Ohio Department of Public Safety. Fifty Hour Affidavit
Filling Out the Form
Download Form BMV 5791 from the Ohio BMV website or pick one up at any deputy registrar office. It has fields for two people: the new driver and the supervising adult who will sign.
Enter the new driver’s full legal name exactly as it appears on the TIPIC, along with the TIPIC identification number and current home address. For the supervising adult, enter their full legal name, Ohio driver’s license or state ID number, and their relationship to the new driver (parent, guardian, custodian, or in loco parentis).3Ohio Department of Public Safety. Fifty Hour Affidavit
The supervising adult signs the attestation, confirming under oath that the logged hours are truthful and that the new driver completed at least 50 hours of practice with at least 10 at night. That signature has to be made in the physical presence of a notary.
Getting It Notarized
Notarization is required. The supervising adult must sign the form in front of a notary public, who then stamps and signs it to verify the signer’s identity.3Ohio Department of Public Safety. Fifty Hour Affidavit BMV offices do not provide notary services, so you will need to find a notary elsewhere.5Ohio Secretary of State. Notary
Banks, credit unions, law offices, title agencies, and some libraries commonly have notaries on staff, and many will notarize for free if you are a customer. Under Ohio law, a notary can charge up to $5 for an in-person notarization or up to $30 for an online notarization.6Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 147.08 – Notary Fees
One timing detail catches people: the notarization date on the form must fall after your TIPIC was issued.7Ohio Traffic Safety Office. Important BMV Updates Do not have the affidavit notarized before you receive your TIPIC, even if you have already started logging practice.
What to Bring to the Road Test
Once your 50 hours are logged, the affidavit is notarized, and you have held your TIPIC for six months, you can schedule your road test through the BMV’s online services portal. For the test itself, bring:
- Your TIPIC (the temporary instruction permit card).
- The completed, notarized BMV 5791 with all logged hours.
- Your driver education certificate showing the 24 hours of classroom instruction and 8 hours of behind-the-wheel training.
- A vehicle in safe working condition (you supply the car).
These four items are the requirements to take the test.1Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Temporary Permit / Probationary Driver Licensing – Under Age 18 When you pass and apply for the probationary license, you will also need identity documents proving your legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, U.S. legal presence, and Ohio residency; a parent can complete BMV Form 2336 as a certified statement of residency if the minor has no bills or bank statements in their own name.8Ohio BMV Online Services. Compliant DL-ID Card – Acceptable Documents List
Penalties for a False Affidavit
Ohio law creates two separate penalties for false statements on the form. Under the driver licensing statute, knowingly making a false statement on the affidavit is a minor misdemeanor carrying a $100 fine.9Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 4507.21 – Application for and Issuance of License Because the form is sworn before a notary, a false statement also qualifies as falsification under Ohio’s general criminal code, a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.10Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 2921.13 – Falsification Prosecutors can charge under either statute or both.