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Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles

Ohio permit test pass, then buy your TIPIC

Ohio splits getting a permit into two parts. First you pass a 40-question knowledge test at 75%. Then you have 60 days to buy your temporary instruction permit, the TIPIC, at a Deputy Registrar. Where you take the test changes how many attempts you get. Here are the details, with a practice test from the Ohio Driver Manual.

Last reviewed October 30, 2026 · Ohio Driver Manual / Digest of Ohio Motor Vehicle Laws (HSY 7607; edition date not captured)

Online or in person?

BMV Online ServicesDriver Exam Station / select Deputy Registrar
Attempts2 per six monthsUnlimited, one per day
After a failUses up one of your twoWait one day
Vision screeningRequired in person
Interpreter—Bring your own, by appointment, at a Driver Exam Station only

Our tip: the online route is convenient, but two attempts disappear fast. Use the practice test below until you're comfortably above 30 of 40 before spending one.

Ohio BMV practice test

Scored at Ohio's 75% pass mark. The real test is 40 questions. Our bank has 25, all from the manual.

Free quiz · no sign-up

Ohio BMV permit practice test

Questions
25
To pass
75%
About
17 min

Instant feedback and an explanation after every answer.

Preview the 25 free questions

  1. How many questions are on the Ohio knowledge test?

    • 20
    • 25
    • 40
    • 50

  2. What score do you need?

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

  3. What is the earliest age to take the knowledge test?

    • 15
    • 15 years 6 months
    • 16
    • 14 years 6 months

  4. After failing, when can you retest?

    • The same day
    • After one day
    • After a week
    • After 30 days

  5. How many online knowledge test attempts are allowed?

    • Unlimited
    • 1 per year
    • 2 per six months
    • 3 per month

  6. After passing, how long do you have to buy your TIPIC?

    • 30 days
    • 60 days
    • 90 days
    • 1 year

  7. At 1 a.m., who must be with a 16-year-old TIPIC holder?

    • Any adult 18+
    • Any licensed driver 21+
    • A parent, guardian or custodian with a valid license
    • No one

  8. How many logged practice hours are required?

    • 40
    • 50
    • 60
    • 65

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

    • 5
    • 8
    • 10
    • 15

  10. How many classroom or online hours are in Ohio driver ed?

    • 18
    • 24
    • 30
    • 36

  11. How many behind-the-wheel hours are in driver ed?

    • 6
    • 8
    • 10
    • 12

  12. What is the minimum TIPIC holding period for drivers under 18?

    • 3 months
    • 6 months
    • 9 months
    • 12 months

  13. When can't first-year probationary drivers drive?

    • 11 p.m.–5 a.m.
    • Midnight–6 a.m.
    • 1–5 a.m.
    • 10 p.m.–6 a.m.

  14. After the first year, what are the restricted hours?

    • Midnight–5 a.m.
    • 1–5 a.m.
    • None
    • 2–6 a.m.

  15. What is the first-year passenger limit without a parent?

    • None
    • One non-family member
    • Two
    • Three

  16. What is the illegal BAC for a driver under 21?

    • .01%
    • .02%
    • .04%
    • .08%

  17. What is the illegal BAC for a commercial driver?

    • .02%
    • .04%
    • .05%
    • .08%

  18. What is the penalty for an adult's first handheld device offense in two years?

    • 1 point, $50
    • 2 points, up to $150
    • 3 points, $250
    • A license suspension

  19. What does a 17-year-old face for a first phone-use offense?

    • A warning
    • A $50 fine
    • A 60-day suspension + $150
    • A 1-year suspension

  20. On a two-lane road, how far from a school bus with red lights must you stop?

    • 5 feet
    • 10 feet
    • 20 feet
    • 50 feet

  21. On a road with four or more lanes, what must oncoming traffic do?

    • Stop
    • Nothing; only same-direction traffic stops
    • Slow to 20 mph
    • Honk

  22. An orange-and-red triangle on a vehicle means it travels under:

    • 15 mph
    • 20 mph
    • 25 mph
    • 35 mph

  23. What following distance does the manual recommend?

    • 1–2 seconds
    • 2 seconds
    • 3–4 seconds
    • 6 seconds

  24. What is Ohio's minimum bodily injury coverage per person?

    • $15,000
    • $25,000
    • $30,000
    • $50,000

  25. Ohio's Move Over law applies to which stopped vehicles?

    • Police only
    • Emergency, tow, snowplow, waste, maintenance and utility vehicles with lights
    • Parked cars
    • School buses only

The 60-day TIPIC window

Passing the test doesn't give you a permit by itself. Take your result to a Deputy Registrar and buy the TIPIC within 60 days. Under 18, a parent or guardian co-signs. If you miss the window, you start over with vision and knowledge tests. The manual doesn't list the TIPIC fee or the full document list, so check the BMV site.

Who sits next to you

  • Under 16: a parent, guardian or custodian, a licensed instructor, or a licensed adult 21+ acting in loco parentis.
  • 16–17: any licensed driver 21+, except from midnight to 6 a.m., when it must be a licensed parent, guardian or custodian.
  • Always: no mobile devices, no more people than seat belts, and a sober supervisor.

Before your probationary license: under 21, driver ed (24 hours of classroom or online plus 8 behind the wheel). Also 50 logged hours with 10 at night, and at least six months on the TIPIC if you're under 18. The driving test has a maneuverability part and an on-road part.

The probationary license (under 18)

First 12 monthsAfter 12 months
No drivingMidnight–6 a.m.1–5 a.m.
PassengersAt most one non-family passenger unless a parent or guardian is along—

Exceptions cover work (form BMV 2825) and school or religious events (BMV 2826), or driving with a parent. No device use.

Ohio's phone law

OffenseAdults 18+ (hand-held)Under 18 (any use)
1st2 points, up to $150 (a course can avoid them)60-day suspension + $150
2nd3 points, $2501-year suspension + $300
3rd4 points, $500, possible 90-day suspension—

Adults may use hands-free. Fines are doubled in work zones.

Rules on the test

  • School buses (ORC 4511.75): on roads with fewer than four lanes, traffic in both directions stops at least 10 feet away. On four or more lanes, only same-direction traffic stops.
  • Move Over: change to a lane not next to stopped police, emergency, tow, snowplow, waste, highway maintenance or utility vehicles with lights, or slow down.
  • Assured clear distance ahead: never drive faster than lets you stop in the space you can see. Keep 3–4 seconds of following distance. A loaded truck at 55 mph needs at least 335 feet to stop.
  • Alcohol: .08 for any age, .04 commercial, .02 under 21.
  • Headlights from sunset to sunrise. A slow-moving triangle means under 25 mph, and you may cross a solid yellow line to pass one safely. Children under 16 can't ride in an open truck bed above 25 mph (with exceptions). Minimum insurance is 25/50/25.

The speed limit tables in the manual are images we couldn't read reliably, so we don't list Ohio's numeric limits. The old PDF link for the manual now returns an error, so the source links below go to the Digest and BMV forms pages.

Neighbors

Michigan (Segment 1 instead of a permit test) · Indiana · Kentucky · West Virginia · Pennsylvania

Ohio BMV permit test FAQ

How many questions are on the Ohio permit test?

40 multiple-choice questions. You need 75%, which is 30 correct.

Can I take the Ohio permit test online?

Yes, through BMV Online Services, but only two attempts per six months. In person at a Driver Examination Station or select Deputy Registrar agencies, attempts are unlimited at one per day.

What happens after I pass the Ohio knowledge test?

Buy your TIPIC (temporary instruction permit identification card) at a Deputy Registrar within 60 days. If you wait longer, you redo the vision and knowledge tests.

How old do I have to be for the Ohio permit test?

15 years and 6 months.

What languages is the Ohio test in?

ASL, Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Haitian Creole, Japanese, Russian, Somali and Spanish. For other languages, you can bring your own interpreter by appointment, at a Driver Exam Station only. Audio and paper versions are available on request.

How much is an Ohio TIPIC?

The manual doesn't list the fee, so we don't quote one.

Keep studying

Sources: Digest of Ohio Motor Vehicle Laws; Ohio BMV forms; bmv.ohio.gov. Not affiliated with the Ohio BMV.