Indiana Learner's Permit: Requirements and Rules

A learner’s permit lets an Indiana resident practice driving before applying for a driver’s license. It lets you practice with a qualified supervisor before you take a driving test. This guide covers who can get one, what to bring, who can ride with you, and how long it lasts. Every fact comes from the July 2026 Indiana Driver’s Manual, and each one has a “Manual p.” link so you can check it yourself.

What a learner’s permit lets you do

The manual says a learner’s permit lets an Indiana resident practice driving before applying for a driver’s license. You can apply for one at any BMV branch (Manual p. 3).

A permit is not a license. You cannot drive alone on it. You practice with a qualified supervisor, and the next sections explain who counts. Keep a log of qualifying supervised hours for your later license application (Manual p. 9).

Who can apply and at what age

There are two age paths in the manual (Manual p. 3):

• Age 16 or older. You show documents, pass a vision screening, and pass a knowledge exam.
• Under 16. You must be at least 15 and show proof that you are enrolled with a BMV licensed behind-the-wheel training provider. The proof is a Certificate of Driver Education Enrollment from the driver training school. The manual says it must be dated no earlier than three weeks before the class starts. A certificate that only shows you finished an online theory course is not accepted.

If you are under 18, you also need an emergency contact who is at least 18 years old (Manual p. 3).

What you need to get one

Plan on three things: your documents, a vision screening, and the knowledge exam.

Documents

When you apply for a new permit, you bring original documents or verifiable certified copies. The manual asks for one document proving your identity, one proving your lawful status in the United States, one proving your full Social Security number, and two proving your Indiana residency (Manual p. 68). Foreign nationals may need alternative Social Security documentation (Manual p. 3), and eligible applicants who cannot provide two residency documents may use an Indiana Residency Affidavit (Manual p. 70). Appendix A of the manual lists the documents that count. Read it before you go, because the BMV may refuse a document that is expired or altered (Manual p. 70).

An adult to sign (if you are under 18)

Applicants under 18 usually need an adult to sign a sworn statement of financial liability in person at a BMV branch (Manual p. 7). The manual gives an order of preference that starts with the parent who has custody of you, and it lists other adults who can sign if no parent or guardian is available (Manual p. 8). It waives the adult signature for applicants under Department of Child Services care who provide the required proof of insurance (Manual p. 8). Our lesson on financial liability explains who may sign.

Vision screening

A new learner’s permit applicant has to pass a vision screening (Manual p. 3). If you normally wear glasses or contacts to drive, tell the branch staff and wear them for the screening (Manual p. 4).

Knowledge exam

The knowledge exam is a multiple-choice test on Indiana law, defensive driving, and the manual. If you fail, you wait until the next business day to retake it (Manual p. 5). Our guide to the Indiana knowledge test covers it in detail.

Who can ride with you

Where you are in driver education and how old you are changes who can supervise. The manual specifies a front-passenger-seat supervisor for the usual arrangements (Manual p. 4).

• Under 16 and enrolled in driver education. A licensed driver training instructor, or a certified driver rehabilitation specialist recognized by the BMV and employed through a driver rehabilitation program. You can also practice with a licensed driver who is 25 or older and related to you by blood, marriage, or legal status, or with your spouse if your spouse is licensed and at least 21.
• Under 18 and not in driver education. A licensed driver who is 25 or older and related to you by blood, marriage, or legal status. Your licensed spouse who is at least 21 also works. So does a licensed driver training school instructor working under a school or a certified driver rehabilitation specialist recognized by the BMV and employed through a program.
• Under 18 and under Department of Child Services care. A licensed driver 25 or older who is related to you, or one the Department of Child Services approves.
• 18 or older. A licensed driver who is at least 25, or your licensed spouse who is at least 21.

For the licensed-driver and spouse options, the manual requires valid driving privileges, meaning not expired, suspended, or revoked (Manual p. 4). See our lessons on supervising permit practice and adult and DCS supervision.

How long a permit lasts

A learner’s permit is valid for two years from the date it is issued (Manual p. 4). Permits issued to lawful temporary residents expire on the applicant’s end-of-stay date instead.

You can renew a learner’s permit up to 30 days before it expires (Manual p. 19). If you wait until it has been expired for more than 180 days, you have to retest (Manual p. 4). Do not let it lapse.

Restrictions and rules that still apply

Some permits carry restriction codes. The most common ones come from the vision screening, such as Restriction B (glasses or contact lenses required), Restriction F (outside mirrors or a rearview camera required), and Restriction G (daylight driving only) (Manual p. 13). A restriction is printed on your credential, and you have to follow it.

Phone rules apply too. Indiana law prohibits typing, sending, or reading a text or email while driving a moving vehicle, unless you use hands-free or voice-operated technology or are calling 911 (Manual p. 11). Seat belts are required in any vehicle equipped with the manufacturer’s seat belts whenever it is moving (Manual p. 11).

From permit to license

Most new drivers need to hold a valid Indiana permit for at least 180 days before they apply for a license (Manual p. 9). The manual makes an exception for adults with a documented disability who complete recognized driver rehabilitation training: they still need a valid permit but have no holding period (Manual p. 9). Time you hold a valid permit counts toward the usual 180-day period (Manual p. 5).

You also have to log supervised practice on the usual path. For most applicants the manual requires at least 50 hours of supervised driving practice; it waives the log for adults with a documented disability who complete recognized driver rehabilitation training (Manual p. 9). For applicants who are 18 or older, at least 10 of those hours must be at night unless the permit has a daytime-only restriction. You submit a log of those hours when you apply for your license, and a parent or guardian signs it if you are under 18. Our lesson on license age and the permit holding period has the full list of ways to qualify, and the probationary license guide covers what comes next if you are under 21.

Check IN.gov/BMV for current costs before you go. You can also practice on your own first: take our practice questions and a mock exam before the knowledge exam.