Ohio Drivers Education

Ohio’s drivers licensing graduated stages begin when you are age 15 ½ however you must bring proof of age, identity and social security number with you as provided in the Digest of Ohio Motor Vehicle Laws. Your parent or legal guardian must co-sign a temporary permit application if you are under the age of 18, and you will be required to take a knowledge test as well as an eye test. After you have successfully completed all these requirements, you will be eligible to drive as long as you have your application and photo identification with you when you are driving, and you are with a parent, guardian or a certified driving instructor (until you are 16). You must then complete classroom instruction totaling 24 hours, an additional 8 hours of driving time with a certified instructor, and fifty additional hours of driving which is with a parent with 10 of those hours being nighttime driving. A Fifty Hour Affidavit is required when applying for your driver’s license, which may be no less than 6 months after you have obtained your temporary permit.

 

Once you have met all these requirements you will be eligible for a probationary drivers license which has a number of restrictions including (a) not more than one person who is a family member in the vehicle, no driving between midnight and 6am unless it is an emergency, you are going back and forth to work or school (provided you supply the necessary written documentation as proof of these activities) – this restriction remains until you are 18 under laws that changed in 2007.

 

If you are convicted of one moving violation during the first 6 months you hold a license, you will then be required to have a licensed parent or guardian in the vehicle with you for an additional 6 months. Everyone in your vehicle must be wearing seatbelts (or age appropriate restraints) when you are driving.

 

TEMPORARY PERMITS & PROBATIONARY LICENSE SUSPENSION RULES

  1. Temporary permit holders and probationary license holders will be suspended for one year for accruing 3 moving violations before age18.

  2. Temporary permit holders and probationary license holders may be suspended for six months if convicted of certain traffic-related violations before age 18.

  3. Temporary permit holders and probationary license holders who are convicted of certain alcohol-related violations (4511.11 D.U.I.) before age 18 will be suspended for six months.  If the offender is not yet 15½, the offender will not be eligible for a temporary permit until the age of 16.