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Does my teen need drivers ed to get a license in Indiana?

No. The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) lists a way to get a license without a course. Your teen must be 16 years and 270 days old, hold a valid learner's permit for 180 days and log 50 hours of driving, 10 of them at night. To be eligible for a license at 16, the state FAQ says your teen must finish both parts of drivers ed.

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The rule, fact by fact

Course hours
30 hours in class and six hours behind the wheelThe six hours behind the wheel are with a BMV-licensed driver training school. The class part can be taken online instead.
Verified. Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles · Driver Education (opens state website) · checked Nov 12, 2026
License without a course
16 years and 270 days old, with 50 logged hours of drivingYour teen also needs a valid learner's permit held for 180 days, and 10 of the 50 hours must be at night.
Same source and date as above
License at 16
Only after both parts of drivers edThat's 30 hours of classroom or online training and six hours of behind-the-wheel training.
Verified. IN.gov FAQs · Online driver ed and the 50-hour log (opens state website) · checked Nov 12, 2026
Practice without a course
A licensed relative 25 or older, a licensed spouse 21 or older, or an instructorThis is for a teen under 18 who isn't in a course. The relative must have valid driving privileges and be related by blood, marriage or legal status. The instructor can be a licensed instructor from a driver training school. It can also be a certified, Indiana BMV-approved rehabilitation specialist who works in a rehabilitation program. The person with them must sit in the front passenger seat.
Verified. Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles · Learner's Permit (opens state website) · checked Nov 12, 2026

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Check the rule first. The BMV's drivers ed page lists what a license without a course takes: 16 years and 270 days of age, a learner's permit held for 180 days, and 50 hours of logged driving, 10 of them at night. If your teen will meet those, a course isn't part of that route.

  2. Step 2. If your teen takes a course, pick a school from the BMV's list. It names all driver education providers licensed to conduct courses in Indiana, and you can search it by county. The BMV also has a map of licensed driver training schools. Online training is an alternative to the classroom part, but your teen is still responsible for the six behind-the-wheel hours. Ask the school first whether it accepts the online program you picked.

  3. Step 3. Get the learner's permit. A teen who is at least 15 years old can get a learner's permit if they are enrolled in an approved behind-the-wheel training course. They must show a valid Certificate of Driver Education from the course provider, proving they are enrolled in that course. Ask the course provider how to get the certificate. Your teen must also present documents of identification, pass a vision screening and pass a knowledge exam. Your teen must be 15 before enrolling in either part of drivers ed.

  4. Step 4. Without a course, get the learner's permit once your teen is at least 16. Your teen must pass a vision screening and a knowledge exam.

  5. Step 5. Log the driving hours. All new drivers 18 or younger must complete the 50-hour log, even after a course. Then ask a licensed driver training school whether it gives the driving skills test.

Before you pay

Look the school up in the BMV's list of licensed schools before you pay.

Ask what the price covers, including the six behind-the-wheel hours. We haven't confirmed an Indiana price from a source.

If your teen will take the classroom part online, ask the school first whether it accepts that online program.

A course doesn't replace the 50-hour driving log for a driver 18 or younger.

Questions

How old does my teen have to be to start drivers ed in Indiana?

Your teen must be 15 years old before enrolling in either the theoretical phase or the behind-the-wheel phase of drivers ed.

When can my teen start driving with me in the car?

At the earliest, 15 with drivers ed and 16 without. With drivers ed, your teen needs a valid learner's permit. At 15, your teen must also have finished 30 hours of the theoretical or online part and be enrolled in a BMV-licensed behind-the-wheel program. Without drivers ed, the permit comes at 16. Then a teen under 18 may practice with a licensed relative 25 or older or a licensed spouse 21 or older. An instructor also works.

Does my teen still log 50 hours of driving after a course?

Yes. All new drivers 18 or younger must complete the 50-hour driving log, even after a drivers ed course.

Can my teen switch schools in the middle of drivers ed?

In most cases, yes. Both schools must support the transfer, so ask both before you switch.

Can my teen take the driving skills test at a driver training school?

Yes. The BMV says licensed driver training schools can now administer the driving skills test to anyone 16 years old or older who has a valid learner's permit. Ask your school whether it offers it.

What does the financial liability agreement on a teen's permit mean?

Anyone who signs it for a minor's learner's permit or driver's license application agrees to be responsible with the minor for any injury or damage the minor causes by operating a motor vehicle, if the minor is liable in damages.

What to do next

Start with the BMV's drivers ed page, then decide whether your teen takes a course.

www.in.gov

Sources we read