Ohio Practice Permit Test (TEST)

To obtain an Ohio motor vehicle driver license, you must be at least 15 and a half years old, provide proof of identity and residency, pass a vision, written, and driving test, and pay all associated fees.

If you are under 18 years old, you must have a licensed parent or guardian to co-sign your application.

You may initially apply for an ID card for a Temporary Instruction Permit once you turn 15 and a half years old.

However, you will not be able to apply for a full Ohio motor vehicle driver license without six months of supervised driving practice, which means that you must be at least 16 to receive the full-fledged license.

The legal documents you provide at the time of your application must prove five elements pertaining to your identification—your legal full name, your birthdate, your social security number, your citizenship or legal presence in the United States, and your residency in Ohio. These documents are broken down into two categories—primary and secondary documents. You will need one primary and one secondary or two primary documents to prove your identity. At least one of your documents should include your social security number.

Primary documents include a government issued birth certificate, a certified court order (with full name and birthdate), a concealed weapons permit, a military ID, a state issued ID, citizenship or immigration documents, or a valid U.S. passport.

Secondary documents include an Indian affairs card, a credit card, an employee ID (with photo), a health insurance card, a marriage certificate, medical records, a gun permit (with photo), a social security card, a school transcript, or a voter registration card.

You must pass a vision, written, and driving test to receive your Ohio motor vehicle driver license. The written test is multiple choice and covers the information provided in the Digest of Ohio Motor Vehicle Laws, which is published by the Ohio Department of Public Safety.

The driving skills test covers two basic areas of vehicle operation—driving and maneuverability. The Digest of Ohio Motor Vehicle Laws describes in detail the skills necessary to pass the driving test.

Applicants under the age of 18 must pass an approved driver’s education course before receiving an Ohio motor vehicle driver license. If you are under 18 and have completed a driver’s education course in another state, you will be required to provide documentation of this or you must retake the course in Ohio.

There is no driver’s education requirement for applicants over 18 years old.

If you have a TIPIC, you may only lawfully drive when accompanied by a licensed driver who is a minimum of 21 years old.

If you’re under 16 and have a TIPIC, that licensed driver must be a parent, guardian, or certified driving instructor.

There are 40 questions total on the written portion of the Ohio driver’s test. 20 of these questions have to do with road signs and 20 have to do with traffic rules and regulations. The skills driving test has two main sections—driving and maneuverability.

For the driving section, you will be required to do things like stopping and starting, making proper turns, and following all applicable driving laws. For the maneuverability section, you will be required to drive forward and backward through a series of traffic cones.

For the written exam, you must answer at least 75% of the questions correctly, which comes out to a total of 30 questions. For your driving test, you will have points deducted for things like bumping the traffic cones or misjudging distances.

It is up to the discretion of your test administrator to determine whether or not a point deduction is warranted.

If you fail the written portion of the test, you must wait at least 24 hours to retake it. If you fail either portion of the driving test, you must wait at least 7 days before trying again.

However, you will only be required to retake the section of the driving test you failed (assuming that both sections were not failed).

The best way to prepare for the written test is to familiarize yourself with the information provided in the Digest of Ohio Motor Vehicle Laws. This handbook is provided by the Ohio Department of Public Safety and is free to download from their website.

To prepare for the skills section of your test, you should practice the maneuverability test at home. You can use the diagram provided in the Digest of Ohio Motor Vehicle laws to help set up your simulation.

You application fee will vary depending on your age. For a first-time applicant that is 16 years old, the cost is $24.25.

At 17, this fee drops to $23.00. At 18, $21.75. At 19, $20.50. At 20, $19.25. And for those 21 and up the fee is $23.00.

To obtain an Identification Card for a Temporary Instruction Permit (TIPIC) you need to be a minimum of 16 years old, pass a vision and written test, pay the applicable fees, and provide documentation establishing identity and residency in Ohio (the same requirements as the Ohio motor vehicle driver license).

If you are under 18, you will also need your application to be co-signed by a parent or guardian.

You can take both the written and driving tests at any Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV). Typically, a BMV will offer the written test at regular times each week, so be sure to call ahead and confirm when the test will be given.

However, you will need to schedule an individual appointment for the driving portion of your exam.