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Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles

Indiana permit test two parts, 80% each

The Indiana BMV knowledge exam has a signs section and a rules-and-laws section, and you must clear 80% on each one. Your probationary license lasts until you're 21. Here's who can supervise you, how the curfews change, and a 25-question practice test from the Indiana Driver's Manual.

Last reviewed October 30, 2026 · Indiana Driver's Manual (current BMV PDF; edition date not captured)

Who can sit beside you?

25+

licensed relative

21+

licensed spouse

Any age

licensed driving instructor or rehabilitation specialist

Per the BMV learner's permit page. The same 25+/21+ split comes back in the probationary passenger rules.

Getting the permit

At 15 — with driver ed

Enroll in a BMV-licensed behind-the-wheel program (30 hours of theory plus 6 behind the wheel). Bring the Certificate of Driver Education Enrollment, dated no earlier than three weeks before your class starts.

At 16 — without driver ed

No enrollment certificate is needed.

Either way, bring

  • Proof of identity, SSN and lawful status
  • Two Indiana residency documents, or the Indiana Residency Affidavit. The Matrícula Consular isn't accepted.
  • An emergency contact 18+ if you're under 18. An adult may sign an agreement of financial liability.

Walk in — appointments are needed only if you want the exam read to you — and arrive at least 30 minutes before closing. You'll do vision screening, then the two-part exam. The BMV's YouTube channel (@INBMV) has videos explaining the exam.

Not published: the number of questions in each part, the languages offered, any online option, the wait after a failed knowledge exam, and the current permit fee. We left them out rather than guess.

Indiana BMV practice test

25 questions mixing both exam parts, scored at Indiana's 80% standard. On the real exam each part is scored separately, so if you keep missing sign questions, practice those with the signs quiz.

Free quiz · no sign-up

Indiana BMV permit practice test

Questions
25
To pass
80%
About
17 min

Instant feedback and an explanation after every answer.

Preview the 25 free questions

  1. What is the earliest age for an Indiana learner's permit if you're enrolled in BMV-licensed behind-the-wheel driver ed?

    • 14½
    • 15
    • 15½
    • 16

  2. At what age can you get a permit without driver education?

    • 15
    • 15½
    • 16
    • 17

  3. What is the minimum score on each component of the knowledge exam?

    • 70%
    • 75%
    • 80%
    • 85%

  4. What are the two components of the Indiana knowledge exam?

    • Signs, and rules and laws
    • Vision and signs
    • Rules and parking
    • Signs and maps

  5. A relative supervising your permit practice must be at least:

    • 18
    • 21
    • 25
    • 30

  6. A licensed spouse supervising your practice must be at least:

    • 18
    • 21
    • 25
    • 30

  7. How long must you hold the permit?

    • 90 days
    • 120 days
    • 180 days
    • 270 days

  8. How many supervised hours must you log?

    • 30
    • 40
    • 50
    • 60

  9. How many of those hours must be at night?

    • 5
    • 10
    • 15
    • 20

  10. What is the curfew during the first 180 days of a probationary license?

    • 9 p.m.–5 a.m.
    • 10 p.m.–5 a.m.
    • 11 p.m.–5 a.m.
    • Midnight–5 a.m.

  11. After 180 days, if you're under 18, what are the weekend night limits?

    • 11 p.m.–5 a.m.
    • Midnight–5 a.m.
    • 1–5 a.m.
    • None

  12. In the first 180 days, who may ride with you without an adult supervisor?

    • Friends
    • A sibling
    • Classmates
    • Anyone

  13. Under the manual, telecommunications device use while driving is:

    • Allowed hands-free
    • Prohibited except for 911 calls
    • OK for texting at lights
    • Allowed under 25 mph

  14. Under Indiana's Move Over Law, if you can't change lanes you must slow to:

    • 5 mph under the limit
    • 10 mph under the limit
    • 20 mph
    • Half the limit

  15. What is the rural interstate limit for cars?

    • 60 mph
    • 65 mph
    • 70 mph
    • 75 mph

  16. What is the urban residential limit?

    • 20 mph
    • 25 mph
    • 30 mph
    • 35 mph

  17. What is the alley limit?

    • 5 mph
    • 10 mph
    • 15 mph
    • 20 mph

  18. What is the urban interstate limit?

    • 55 mph
    • 60 mph
    • 65 mph
    • 70 mph

  19. What is the limit on a rural divided state highway?

    • 55 mph
    • 60 mph
    • 65 mph
    • 70 mph

  20. A school bus is stopped across a barrier-divided road, facing the other way. You:

    • Stop
    • Need not stop
    • Slow to 10 mph
    • Honk

  21. What is Indiana's minimum liability coverage?

    • 15/30/10
    • 20/40/15
    • 25/50/25
    • 50/100/50

  22. What BAC makes operating while intoxicated a criminal offense for drivers 21+?

    • .05
    • .08
    • .10
    • .02

  23. How long before the branch closes must you arrive for the knowledge exam?

    • 15 minutes
    • 30 minutes
    • 1 hour
    • 2 hours

  24. After failing a skills exam, how long must you wait?

    • 1 day
    • 3 days
    • 7 days
    • 14 days

  25. What do fluorescent yellow-green signs warn of?

    • Construction
    • Schools, pedestrians and bicycles
    • Services
    • Freeway exits

The 180-day permit period

Hold the permit 180 days and log 50 hours, 10 at night, on State Form 54706, signed by a parent or guardian if you're under 18. If your permit expires and stays expired more than 180 days, you take the knowledge exam again.

The skills exam has its own retake rules: fail and wait seven days. After a third failure on the same permit, you wait two months.

A probationary license until 21

  1. First 180 days: no driving 10 p.m.–5 a.m. No passengers unless a licensed 25+ adult, a spouse 21+ or an instructor is in front — except your own child, stepchild, sibling or spouse.
  2. After 180 days, under 18: not after 11 p.m. Sunday–Thursday, not before 5 a.m. Monday–Friday, and not 1–5 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Exceptions are work, school, a religious event, or a 25+ adult with you.
  3. Until 21: you stay on a probationary license.

Indiana can also suspend a juvenile's driving privileges for being expelled from school or dropping out.

Speed limits (Chapter 7)

Rural interstate70 mph (65 for trucks over 26,000 lbs)
Rural divided state highway60 mph
Urban interstate, non-divided state highways, county roads55 mph
Urban residential30 mph
Alleys15 mph

Rules to remember

  • Move Over (IC 9-21-8-35): change lanes away from emergency vehicles. If you can't, slow to 10 mph under the limit. A violation is a Class B infraction.
  • School buses: stop for red lights and the stop arm. On a road divided by a barrier or unimproved median, only traffic going the same direction as the bus stops.
  • Phones: the manual says drivers may not use telecommunications devices while driving, except to call 911.
  • OWI: .08 BAC is a criminal offense. Two OWI-causing-death judgments within 10 years means a lifetime suspension.
  • Insurance: at least 25/50/25.
  • Signs: fluorescent yellow-green means schools, pedestrians, bicycles or playgrounds.

The minimum probationary license age isn't confirmed in the sources we opened, so we don't state it.

Neighbors

See Illinois (35+ questions), Michigan (Segment 1 driver ed instead of a permit test), Ohio (40 questions) and Kentucky.

Indiana BMV permit test FAQ

How many questions are on the Indiana permit test?

The BMV manual says the exam has two components — traffic signs, and traffic rules and laws — and you need 80% or higher on each. It doesn't state how many questions each part has, and we couldn't confirm a number.

Do I need an appointment for the BMV permit test?

Not unless you need the exam read to you. Walk in, but arrive at least 30 minutes before the branch closes.

How old do you have to be to get a permit in Indiana?

15 if you're enrolled in BMV-licensed behind-the-wheel driver education, or 16 without driver ed.

Who can supervise an Indiana permit driver?

A licensed instructor or rehab specialist, a licensed relative 25 or older, or a licensed spouse 21 or older.

Do I have to retake the knowledge test if my permit expires?

Yes, if it has been expired more than 180 days.

How much is an Indiana learner's permit?

We couldn't confirm the current fee on an official page we opened. The BMV publishes a fee chart.

Keep studying

Sources: Indiana Driver's Manual, BMV learner's permit. Independent study site; not affiliated with the Indiana BMV.