What’s scarier than a brand-new teenage driver? A teenager who has not gone through the steps the state of Ohio requires before you get your license. Here is the rundown on what you have to do before you take the driver’s test.
At sixteen, there are a plethora of things you need to do to obtain your driver’s license.
- You must take a temp (or temporary permit) test, which consists of 40 questions specifically about the Ohio’s driving laws, as your first task.
- You are required to complete your driver’s education while you have your temps. You have the option to complete the driving school online or in class.
- You will then be required to drive with an instructor for 4 two-hour sessions, and drive with any licensed adult for a total of 50 hours (40 in the day, and at least 10 at night).
- After you have all of those hours complete, you get to take the in-car driving exam at one of the BMV locations. Then, you will be able to drive by yourself if you pass the test.
There are many requirements before you even take your temporary driver’s license test. You must be 15 and 6 months old to take your 40-question test. If you would like to study, you can go to the BMV and scan a barcode to bring you to the website of the book, or you can get it here.
In order to take the written exam, you will need to have several documents that show your legal first and last name and US citizenship status, like your birth certificate, your social security card, and something that shows where you live. Once you’ve proved you are who you say you are, you get to pay the fee of $25. After passing the test (fingers crossed), you wait in another line to get your picture taken. At this point, you are a legal driver, and you can take your printout to prove it. After a few weeks, your official permit card will arrive in the mail. If lines aren’t your thing, you can also take the test online and then go into the BMV to turn in your information, get your picture taken, and get your printout.
“Before I took my temp test I was nervous about taking it because I didn’t know what I was getting into,” said an anonymous senior. Another respondent said they were anxious before they took the test, which is a common feeling amongst new drivers. Being prepared to take your test can help with some of these anxious feelings.
The next step is going through the driving schooling, which you can do online or in a classroom. If you are doing the driving school online, you will have to watch videos and answer questions as well as watching narrated reading sections. “I started the driver’s ed course before I went to take my temp test then finished it after.” said a junior. For the in-person driving school, you will cover the same content, just with an instructor guiding the lessons and other people there to bounce ideas off of. Both of them pretty much do the same thing, and either way once you start the driver’s ed course, you only get 6 months to complete it.
When your driving school is finished, you start the in-car supervised driving. You have to drive with a driver’s ed instructor for 8 hours, 2 hours at a time. When you drive with the instructor, they will tell you where to go and what to do. On the first day especially, they help you drive a lot. They will explain everything to you because they don’t know if you’ve driven before. During your 2 hours you will both drive on the road and go through the cones course to practice maneuverability. The driving instructor will pick which one they want you to do first. You can talk to them, some will let you listen to music, it just depends. Then after you do 4 days for 2 hours each day you will be done with driving with them. They will send you the certification that you finished and that you passed the driving part. After you pass you will have to set a driving test that is at least 6 months after you received your permit.
And know you’ve made it to the last step: the big test. When you arrive at the BMV, you go to the front desk and tell them that you are here for the driver’s test, they will then get your permit copied so they know you have it. Then they will take you out to your car for the test. “When I took the driver’s test I had to take it two times because I failed it the first time,” said a Sophomore. The quote shows determination to take the test twice. That takes a lot of effort for people who just want to take it once and be done. Everyone’s test is a little different. Some people will make you do the cones first then the driving, but some will do it the other way. Then, when you pass you get your license and get your photo taken. Finally, you can drive on your own.
I know this sounds like a lot of work but at the end of all of this, you will be so happy. You will be able to do so many things and go to so many places. Don’t worry about when you get your license, some will get it the second they’re able to and others might wait a year or two, just wait until you’re ready.
