Ohio Drivers License Application
Applying for a drivers license can be a stressful experience, especially if you have never been licensed before. Procedures that you will need to follow while applying for your Ohio drivers license are age dependent, so you will have to meet the requirements that were set for your specific age. Teenagers must also observe all graduated drivers license rules and restrictions before they can be issued with an Ohio driver's license. In order to provide you with a more comprehensive coverage of the process of applying for an Ohio BMV drivers license, we've broken it down into a series of smaller steps.
Driving License - Under 18 Years of Age
If you choose to apply for an Ohio driver license before you turn 18, you become subject to the Ohio graduated drivers license program. The program was designed as a response to high crash rates among teenage licensees and it poses addition requirements that must be met before an unrestricted drivers license can be issued.
Your way towards a full drivers license starts when you apply for an Ohio temporary permit. You can take this step as soon as you are 15 years, 6 months old, but you should probably start preparing for it well in advance. There is no law that prohibits youngsters from learning the rules of the road early. This will really come in handy when you visit a Highway Patrol testing station to take your permit test.
When you pass the temporary permit test and receive your Ohio drivers permit, you can start practicing driving, provided there is another licensed driver seated in the front seat next to you. If you are under 16 years of age, the supervising driver must be your parent or legal guardian. If you are over 16 years of age, the supervising driver can be anyone with a valid Ohio drivers license at least 21 years of age.
You must hold your drivers permit at least six months before you can apply for an Ohio drivers license. During this stage, you are to observe all Ohio temporary permit restrictions. You must also sign up for and complete a state-approved Ohio drivers education course that consist of at least 24 hours of classroom instruction time and six hours of behind the wheel time. Your parents will need to provide you with at least 50 hours of supervised driving practice. These practice hours need to be noted in a driving affidavit, the affidavit must be notarized and submitted to the BMV when you apply for a drivers license.
Once the above requirements are met, you are good to schedule a driving test. Those who pass the drivers license test are issued with a junior drivers license. A junior license allows for unsupervised driving most of the time, but Ohio junior license restrictions still need to be observed until you reach the age of 18 years.
Drivers License - 18 Years of Age and Older
If you are at least 18 years of age, you have it easy when it comes to applying for an Ohio driving license since you will not need to follow graduated license rules and requirements. However, all testing procedures remain the same and you must still receive a drivers permit before you can apply for a drivers license.
You should start by learning the state driving rules and road signs, to prepare for the BMV permit test that is to come. Once ready, visit a local Highway Patrol testing station and take a vision exam and a permit test. Once the tests are passed and you have a learners permit at hand, start your driving practice.
Just like younger drivers permit holders, you are not allowed to drive alone and must have a supervising driver accompany you at all times. The supervising driver must hold a valid drivers license and be at least 21 years of age.
There is no minimum permit holding period for you and you can go ahead and schedule the road test as soon as you feel that you're ready, however we advise that you do not rush with taking a drivers test. The best way to prepare for the driving exam is to obtain as much driving experience as possible and experience can only be built up with time.
When you pass the drivers license at the Highway Patrol station, take a receipt that you were given down to the nearest Deputy Registrar agency and submit your application for a drivers license there. If the paperwork checks out, you are issued with an unrestricted Ohio drivers license.
Testing Requirements
Driving is a dangerous activity and if you are unable to control your vehicle, you may injure yourself or other persons around you, so in order to prove that you can become a safe driver, you are required to meet certain requirements and pass a number of tests.
Vision Screening
Seeing well is very important when it comes to driving. You have to be aware of your surroundings and to see well ahead, since your vehicle is traveling great distances very quickly. That's why meeting the minimum vision requirements is an important part of the application process.
You must have binocular acuity of 20/40 to be issued with an Ohio temporary license without any restrictions. You can also have monocular acuity of 20/30 without corrective lenses to be issued a permit with no restrictions. If you do not meet these minimum requirements, you may be restricted to daylight driving only.
Drivers Permit Test
You have to take an Ohio temporary permit test at the time when you submit your application for a drivers permit. The test covers the state driving rules and road signs, it consists of multiple choice questions and you need to get a score of at least 75% on the test in order to pass. The test is administered by the state Highway Patrol and once you pass the knowledge exam, you are provided with a receipt that you take back to a Deputy Registrar office in order to receive a learners permit.
Those looking for ways to prepare for the drivers permit test should obtain a free copy of the Ohio drivers license manual. The drivers permit test is based on the information that is contained in the book, so you will not need any extra study guides.
If you want to test yourself before you visit a Highway Patrol office, you may wish to take a free Ohio drivers practice test. Although not identical to the real permit test questions, practice tests cover the same topics, so they allow you to locate the rules you may have missed while reading the book.
Driving Test
Finally, there is also an Ohio drivers license test. The test is an ultimate evaluation of your knowledge and driving skills. During the test, the examiner will not only evaluate your ability to control the vehicle, but will also assess your knowledge of driving rules and how to apply that knowledge in real life situations.
You must schedule your drivers license test in advance, walk ins are not accepted. If you fail the drivers test, you have to wait at least seven days before taking it again. Those who fail the driving test four times must wait at least six months prior to retaking the road skills exam.
Paperwork Required
The following paperwork needs to be presented when you submit your application for a drivers license at a Deputy Registrar agency.
- Proof of age
- proof of identity
- Social Security Number
- proof of Ohio residence
- a receipt from the state Highway Patrol that proves that you passed your temporary permit test
- application for a learners permit (if you are under 18 years of age, the application must be co-signed by a parent or legal guardian)
As you may see, applying for an Ohio drivers license is not that hard if you know what you're doing. Once thing we can advise is that you do not rush through the process and take your time preparing for each test or exam. Multiple failures will not only cost you money, they will diminish your self-confidence, so you'll be more stressed each time you take the test.
