Getting a Driver’s License in Indiana: The Basics
Looking for drivers ed online in Indiana? DriverEdToGo offers a BMV-approved 30-hour online course that covers the classroom portion of Indiana driver education.
Completing driver education can help you qualify for a license sooner. With the required enrollment documentation, teens can apply for a learner’s permit at 15. After completing the full driver education program and meeting the other licensing requirements, they can qualify for a probationary license at 16.
Without driver education, the minimum ages are 16 for a learner’s permit and 16 years and 270 days for a driver’s license.
Here’s the road ahead at a glance:
- Learner’s permit: Available at 15 with qualifying driver education enrollment, or 16 without.
- Probationary license: Available at 16 with completed driver education, or 16 years and 270 days without. The required permit holding period, practice, and testing still apply.
- Standard license: Indiana licenses issued to applicants under 21 are probationary. Some restrictions end earlier, but probationary status does not automatically end at 18.
How to Get Your Indiana Driver’s License, Step by Step
Step 1: Complete Your 30-Hour Online Classroom Course
You must be at least 15 to enroll in Indiana driver education.
Our online classroom course covers Indiana traffic laws, road signs, defensive driving, and the decisions that help keep you and others safe.
Study on your computer, tablet, or smartphone. Your progress saves automatically, so you can complete the course across multiple sessions.
When you successfully finish, you receive your Certificate of Driver Education Classroom Training Completion. Keep this document for your driving school and licensing records.
Before purchasing classroom instruction, confirm that your preferred behind-the-wheel school accepts the online program you plan to complete.
Step 2: Enroll in Behind-the-Wheel Training
Indiana’s full driver education program includes 30 hours of classroom instruction and six hours of behind-the-wheel training.
Our online course covers the classroom portion. Arrange the six hours of professional driving instruction separately with a BMV-licensed driver training school.
If you want a learner’s permit before turning 16, you need a valid Certificate of Driver Education, or CDE, showing enrollment in an approved behind-the-wheel course.
Your classroom completion certificate and the CDE enrollment document serve different purposes. Ask your driving school how to obtain the CDE and what records it needs from you.
Find a BMV-Licensed Driving School →
Step 3: Apply for Your Indiana Learner’s Permit
At 15, you can apply with the required driver education enrollment documentation. At 16, you can apply without enrolling in driver education.
Prepare to:
- Bring the required CDE enrollment document if applying before age 16.
- Provide proof of identity, Social Security number, lawful status, and Indiana residency.
- Have an eligible adult complete the financial-liability agreement if you are under 18.
- Pass the vision screening.
- Pass the Indiana knowledge examination.
- Pay the applicable fee.
Check the BMV’s document checklist before visiting.
Your learner’s permit requires supervision every time you drive. For applicants under 18, ordinary practice generally requires a licensed driver age 25 or older who is related by blood, marriage, or legal status. A licensed spouse age 21 or older also qualifies. Licensed driving instructors and qualifying rehabilitation specialists may supervise under the applicable rules.
Special provisions apply to students under Department of Child Services supervision.
Step 4: Complete Your Driving Instruction and Practice
Before applying for your license, complete your professional instruction and the required supervised practice.
You must:
- Hold your learner’s permit for at least 180 days.
- Complete the full driver education program if using the earlier licensing pathway.
- Record 50 hours of supervised driving, including 10 hours at night.
- Submit your completed driving log when applying for your license.
Driver education does not eliminate the supervised-driving log requirement.
For students under 16, the BMV’s guidance says to complete the 30-hour classroom portion, obtain a learner’s permit, and enroll in an approved behind-the-wheel program before practicing with parents.
Use your practice sessions to build experience with parking, intersections, traffic, lane changes, and nighttime driving.
Step 5: Pass Your Driving Test and Apply for Your License
Once you meet the age, education, permit-holding, and practice requirements, complete the driving skills test.
You may test at a BMV branch or through a participating licensed driving school. Ask your school whether it administers the test through the BMV’s driving skills test waiver program and whether you qualify.
After passing, complete the remaining BMV application requirements, provide your training documents and driving log, and pay the applicable fee.
You can then drive independently while following the restrictions on your probationary license.
Indiana Teen Driving Laws You Should Know
Nighttime Restrictions
For the first 180 days after receiving a probationary license, driving is generally restricted between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.
After that period, drivers under 18 generally cannot drive:
- Between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
- After 11:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.
- Before 5:00 a.m. Monday through Friday.
Exceptions include qualifying travel for work, school-sanctioned activities, or religious events, and driving with a qualifying licensed adult or spouse in the front seat.
Passenger Restrictions
During the first 180 days, passengers are generally prohibited unless a licensed instructor, licensed adult age 25 or older, or licensed spouse age 21 or older sits in the front seat.
You may transport your child, stepchild, sibling, stepsibling, half sibling, or spouse without that additional supervisor during permitted driving hours.
The Phone Restriction Continues Until 21
Probationary drivers may not use telecommunications devices while driving, including hands-free use, except to make an emergency 911 call.
Turning 18 does not end this probationary-license restriction.
Driver Education Can Help You Get Licensed Earlier
Indiana gives students who complete driver education an earlier licensing pathway.
| Milestone | With qualifying driver education | Without driver education |
|---|
| Minimum learner’s permit age | 15, with required enrollment documentation | 16 |
| Minimum driver’s license age | 16, after completing the program | 16 years and 270 days |
| Minimum permit holding period | 180 days | 180 days |
| Supervised practice | 50 hours, including 10 at night | 50 hours, including 10 at night |
These are minimum eligibility ages. Your actual licensing date depends on when you obtain your permit and complete all required training and tests.
The online classroom course alone does not qualify you for the earlier license. You must also complete the six-hour behind-the-wheel portion and meet the other requirements.
Indiana Insurance Requirements
Indiana requires financial responsibility for the vehicle you operate. The standard minimum liability insurance limits are:
- $25,000 for bodily injury or death to one person.
- $50,000 for bodily injury or death to two or more people per accident.
- $25,000 for property damage per accident.
These limits are commonly called 25/50/25 coverage.
Before your teen begins driving, ask your insurer how your policy covers a learner driver and what changes are needed after licensing. Liability coverage protects against covered damage and injuries you cause to others; it does not provide the same protection as collision or comprehensive coverage for your own vehicle.
Why Indiana Families Choose DriverEdToGo
Here’s what you get when you choose DriverEdToGo for drivers ed online in Indiana:
- Indiana BMV approved. Our online course satisfies the classroom portion of Indiana driver education.
- Full 30-hour classroom course. Learn the traffic laws, signs, and safe driving principles that support your driving lessons.
- Classroom completion certificate. Receive your Certificate of Driver Education Classroom Training Completion after successfully finishing.
- A step toward earlier licensing. Combine the classroom course with the required professional driving instruction and other requirements to qualify for the driver education pathway.
- Study across devices. Use your computer, tablet, or smartphone.
- Automatic progress saving. Take breaks and return where you left off.
- Free test prep included. Prepare with PrepWizard’s Indiana-specific questions, timed practice exams, and Focus Mode.
- Real support. Contact our customer support team by phone, email, or live chat.
Prepare for Your Indiana Knowledge Exam with PrepWizard
Learning the rules is the first step. Practice questions help you identify the topics that need another review before your BMV knowledge exam.
Every DriverEdToGo student gets free access to PrepWizard, our online practice platform.
With PrepWizard you can:
- Practice with Indiana-specific questions.
- Take timed practice exams.
- Use Focus Mode to review challenging topics.
- Track your progress.
- Study from your computer, tablet, or smartphone.
Use PrepWizard alongside the Indiana Driver’s Manual and your course materials. Practice tests help you review, but they do not replace the official knowledge examination or guarantee a passing score.
Indiana Driver’s License FAQ
How old do you have to be to get a driver’s license in Indiana?
With completed driver education, you can qualify at 16. Without it, the minimum age is 16 years and 270 days. You must also meet the permit-holding, practice, testing, and application requirements.
Can I take drivers ed online in Indiana?
Yes. DriverEdToGo offers the approved 30-hour online classroom portion. Complete the six hours of behind-the-wheel instruction separately with a BMV-licensed driving school.
Do I have to take driver education?
No, but completing it allows an earlier licensing pathway. Without driver education, you must wait until at least 16 for a learner’s permit and 16 years and 270 days for a license.
How old do I need to be to start the course?
Indiana requires students to be at least 15 before enrolling in driver education.
Does my online completion certificate let me get a permit at 15?
It does not replace the required enrollment documentation. Applicants under 16 need a valid CDE showing enrollment in an approved behind-the-wheel course, along with the other permit requirements.
Are driving lessons included?
Our course covers the classroom portion. Arrange and pay for professional behind-the-wheel instruction separately with a BMV-licensed school.
Can I drive alone with a learner’s permit?
No. You must have an eligible supervising driver in the front passenger seat. For ordinary practice under 18, that generally means a licensed relative age 25 or older, or a licensed spouse age 21 or older.
Do I still need 50 practice hours after taking driver education?
Yes. Driver education does not remove the supervised-practice requirement. Record 50 hours, including 10 at night, and submit the required log.
When can I drive my friends around?
During the first 180 days with a probationary license, you generally need a qualifying licensed supervisor in the front seat to carry friends. Certain close family members are exempt.
Does my license stop being probationary at 18?
No. Indiana licenses issued to drivers under 21 are probationary. Some restrictions end earlier, but the telecommunications-device restriction continues for probationary drivers.
Can I use my phone hands-free?
Not while driving with a probationary license. The exception is making an emergency 911 call.
Is DriverEdToGo approved in Indiana?
Yes. Our 30-hour online course is approved by the Indiana BMV for the classroom portion of driver education. Professional driving instruction and licensing tests are separate.