Ohio Temporary License: Requirements, Testing, and Practice Rules

An Ohio temporary permit, officially the Temporary Instruction Permit Identification Card (TIPIC), lets you practice driving under supervision once you turn 15 years and 6 months old. You apply through the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, pass a knowledge test and vision screening, pay $26.50, and drive only with a licensed adult aged 21 or older in the front seat. The permit is good for one year.

Who Can Apply

The minimum age is 15 years and 6 months.¹ There is no upper age limit, and adults who have never held a license follow the same core process, with some requirements shifting depending on whether you are under 18, 18 through 20, or 21 and older.

If you are under 18, a parent, legal guardian, or custodian has to co-sign the application. That signature is not a formality. Ohio law makes the co-signer jointly and severally liable for damages caused by the minor’s negligent or reckless driving.² When no parent or guardian is available, another responsible adult can accept the same liability through a notarized BMV Form 2438 affidavit.³ Applicants 18 and older do not need a co-signer.

Every applicant must be an Ohio resident with legal presence in the United States. Non-citizens present documentation of their authorized status.

Documents to Bring

The BMV wants originals or certified copies. Regular photocopies get turned away at the counter. You will need proof in each of these categories:

Full legal name and date of birth: an original or certified birth certificate, a valid U.S. passport, or a U.S. passport card.
Social Security number: your Social Security card, a W-2, a 1099, or a pay stub showing the full SSN. Metal replica cards are not accepted.
Ohio residency: two documents from different sources showing your Ohio street address, such as utility bills, bank statements, or phone bills issued within the last 12 months. A P.O. box does not qualify.
Legal presence for non-citizens: a valid permanent resident card, employment authorization document, or visa documentation.

Before you go, check the BMV’s Acceptable Documents List, which spells out exactly what satisfies each category.⁴ Items that look like they should work sometimes don’t. An expired passport is one example.

The Knowledge Test

The test is 40 multiple-choice questions on traffic signs and motor vehicle laws. You need 30 correct, or 75%, to pass.⁵

Testing Online

You can take the knowledge test from home through Ohio BMV Online Services. A computer or laptop with a working webcam is required; phones and tablets are not allowed. If you are under 19, a supervising adult must be present and pass identity verification to act as your proctor.⁵

Online testing caps you at two attempts within a six-month period, with at least 24 hours between them. Some applicants cannot use the online option at all: anyone with a suspended license, a medical flag, an active out-of-state license, or anyone seeking a motorcycle or commercial license.

Testing in Person

The in-person option is available at select deputy registrar locations and any driver exam station. There is no cap on total attempts in person, though the 24-hour wait between tries still applies.⁵ Testing in person means your vision screening happens in the same visit.

Vision Screening and Getting the Permit

A vision screening is required before any permit can be issued. If you tested online, the screening happens at the deputy registrar office when you go to buy the TIPIC. You have 60 days from passing the knowledge test to finish this step and purchase the permit.⁵

The operator TIPIC fee is $26.50.⁶ After you pay, the BMV takes your photo and hands you an interim paper permit good for immediate use while the plastic card is produced and mailed.

Rules for Driving on the Permit

A TIPIC is not a license. It authorizes practice, and only under supervision. The specifics depend on your age.

Who Can Sit Next to You

Whenever the vehicle is moving, a licensed driver aged 21 or older must be in the front passenger seat.¹ If the permit holder is under 16, that supervisor has to be a parent, guardian, or licensed driving instructor.⁵ From age 16 on, any licensed driver 21 or older can supervise.

Late-Night Driving

Permit holders who are 16 or 17 face an extra restriction between midnight and 6:00 a.m. In those hours, the supervising driver has to be a parent, guardian, custodian, or a licensed driver aged 21 or older who has been named on a notarized BMV 2438. Any licensed adult is not enough during that window.⁵

Phones and Seatbelts

Ohio prohibits holding or using an electronic wireless communications device while driving. This rule applies to every driver, not only permit holders.⁷ A violation while on a permit can jeopardize your path to a license, so keep the phone down. Every occupant must be belted whenever a permit holder is behind the wheel.

Training and Practice Before the Road Test

Getting the permit is the start. Before you can take the road test, Ohio expects both formal instruction and logged practice, depending on your age.

Driver Training Course

First-time license applicants under 21 must complete a driver training course approved by the Ohio Director of Public Safety.⁸ The requirement has long applied to applicants under 18; as of September 30, 2025, it also applies to those aged 18 through 20. The course is 24 hours of classroom work (which can be done online, capped at two hours per day) plus behind-the-wheel time with a certified instructor.

Fifty Hours of Supervised Practice

Every applicant under 21 has to log at least 50 hours of supervised driving, with a minimum of 10 at night. Night is defined as the period beginning 30 minutes after sunset and ending 30 minutes before sunrise.⁹ All practice must be with a licensed driver aged 21 or older. Hours are recorded on BMV Form 5791, and an eligible adult signs the completed affidavit before you can take the road test.

Moving From Permit to License

Under 18

You must hold the TIPIC for at least six months before taking the road skills test.⁵ During those months you finish the driver training course and the 50-hour log. Passing the road test earns a probationary license, which carries its own curfew rules and restrictions during the first year.¹⁰

Aged 18 Through 20

You follow the same driver training and 50-hour practice requirements as minors, but you do not need to hold the permit for six months. Once training is complete you can schedule the road test. No parental co-signer is required, and the license itself carries no nighttime curfew.⁵

Age 21 and Older

The driver training course and 50-hour log are not required. Pass the knowledge test, get the TIPIC, practice with a licensed driver aged 21 or older, and schedule the road test when you feel ready.

If the Permit Expires

A TIPIC is valid for one year from the date issued.¹ There is no simple renewal. If you have not passed the road test by the expiration date, you retake both the vision screening and the knowledge test and buy a new permit at the full fee. Practice hours and completed driver education do not expire, so that progress carries over. Scheduling the road test well before the one-year mark avoids the retesting and the second fee.

1
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 4507.05 – Temporary Instruction Permit – Temporary Instruction Permit Identification Card
2
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 4507.07 – Application of Minor for License or Permit – Signature of Adult – Liability
3
Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. BMV 2438 – Eligible Adult In Loco Parentis Affidavit
4
Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Compliant DL-ID Card – Acceptable Documents List
5
Ohio BMV. First Issuance
6
Ohio BMV. Documents and Fees
7
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 4511.204 – Driving While Texting
8
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code Chapter 4507 – Drivers License Law
9
Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. BMV 5791 – Fifty Hour Affidavit
10
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 4507.071 – Probationary License – Restrictions