Ask an Officer

Question: How does a teenager get a driver’s license? 

Answer: Kate McLaughlin, Community Policing Specialist 

The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles has guidelines that must be met for a teenager to apply for a driver’s license.  A child who is 15 years and six months old can go to any driver exam station to take the 40 multiple choice knowledge test, passing with 75 percent of the question answered correctly, and vision screening to begin the temporary permit process.  The applicant must provide proof of full legal name, date of birth, and social security number.  The temporary permit driver must complete a driver education class at a licensed driver training school, which includes 24 ours of classroom or online training, and 8 hours of actual driving time.  The temporary permit driver must also complete 50 hours of additional driving, with 10 of those being at night.  The temporary permit must be held by the applicant for at least six months before taking the driving exam for the actual driver’s license.

Once the teen has a driver’s license there are some restrictions.  During the first 12 months the teen cannot drive between midnight and 6 a.m. unless accompanied by a parent or guardian, driving to or from work, or driving to or from an official school sponsored or religious event.  When the teen is driving there cannot be more than one non-family member as a passenger, the driver and occupants must all be wearing seatbelts, and the driver may not use a mobile device.  Other restrictions apply after the first 12 months and before the teen turns 18 years old.  Details on this information can be found on the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles website at http://www.bmv.ohio.gov/dl-gdl.aspx.

Every time a family trip or errand is taken, parents should use that opportunity to talk to their children and teenagers about road and vehicle safety, road sign and signal meanings, maps and directions, highway route numbers and major interstates. Remind your teen to follow the rules while driving, safely get to the destination, then it will be time to have fun. 

If you would like to submit a question to Ask an Officer, contact Community Policing at the Euclid Police Department:  email kmclaughlin@cityofeuclid.com or call 216-289-8449

Kate McLaughlin

I am the Community Policing Specialist at the Euclid Police Department.

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Volume 8, Issue 9, Posted 4:31 PM, 09.14.2017