Chapter 1 · Lesson 17 of 21
Indiana residency requirements
5 min read · Obtaining a New Credential
Explanation
To get an Indiana credential you must be a legal resident: keeping a residential address in Indiana without claiming residency elsewhere, being a registered Indiana voter, or having a dependent enrolled in an Indiana elementary or secondary school all count as evidence. Some people who spend time in Indiana are not treated as residents for this purpose — out-of-state post-secondary students, active-duty military who claim another state, temporary employees, and anyone else not intending Indiana as a permanent home.
A new Indiana resident has 60 days to get an Indiana driver’s license and cannot hold a credential from another state at the same time. If you’ve never held a valid out-of-state license, you must hold an Indiana learner’s permit for 180 days before applying for a license. If you’re 18 or older and already hold a valid out-of-state license, bring the license itself, a copy of your driving record, or a verification letter to the branch — and what else you need depends on how long ago that license expired: less than five years (or held unrevoked less than one year) requires a knowledge exam, while expiration more than five years requires both a knowledge exam and a driving skills test; all of these adult applicants must also provide the listed documents and pass a vision screening. A new resident who is under 18 but more than 16 years and 180 days old, and who held a valid out-of-state license for at least 180 days, presents the license or a driving record copy and must pass both a knowledge exam and a vision screening.
Example
A 20-year-old moves to Indiana with an Ohio license that expired 2 years ago. They must present the listed documents and pass a vision screening and knowledge exam; this expiration window does not add a driving skills test.
Common mistake
Assuming any out-of-state license transfers to Indiana the same way regardless of how long it’s been expired. The manual splits this into two very different outcomes at the five-year mark: a knowledge exam versus a knowledge exam plus a driving skills test.
What the manual says
When you become an Indiana resident, you have 60 days to obtain a new Indiana driver’s license. Indiana residents cannot hold more than one credential at the same time, even if one of the credentials was issued by another state.
If your out-of-state driver’s license has been expired for less than five years, or you have held an unrevoked out-of-state driver’s license for less than one year, you must pass a knowledge exam to obtain an Indiana driver’s license.
If your out-of-state driver’s license has been expired for more than five years, you must pass a knowledge exam and a driving skills test to obtain an Indiana driver’s license.
Sources
- Manual p. 2
“You must be a legal resident of Indiana to obtain an Indiana credential. Evidence of Indiana residency includes:”
- Manual p. 2
“Maintaining a residential address in Indiana and not claiming residency in another state”
- Manual p. 2
“Being a registered voter in Indiana”
- Manual p. 2
“Having a dependent who is enrolled in an elementary or secondary school located in Indiana”
- Manual p. 2
“For the purposes of obtaining a credential, the following individuals are not considered Indiana residents:”
- Manual p. 2
“Students enrolled at a post-secondary educational institution who do not claim Indiana as their state of residence”
- Manual p. 2
“Active-duty military personnel in the armed forces who do not claim Indiana as their state of residence”
- Manual p. 2
“Other persons present in Indiana who do not intend for Indiana to be their permanent home”
- Manual p. 2
“When you become an Indiana resident, you have 60 days to obtain a new Indiana driver's license. Indiana residents cannot hold more than one credential at the same time, even if one of the credentials was issued by another state.”
- Manual p. 2
“If you have never held a valid driver's license from another state, you must hold an Indiana learner's permit for 180 days before you can apply for an Indiana driver's license.”
- Manual p. 2
“If you are at least 18 years of age and you hold a valid out-of-state driver's license, you must bring one of the following three items to the branch:”
- Manual p. 2
“If your out-of-state driver's license has been expired for less than five years, or you have held an unrevoked out-of-state driver's license for less than one year, you must pass a knowledge exam to obtain an Indiana driver's license.”
- Manual p. 2
“If your out-of-state driver's license has been expired for more than five years, you must pass a knowledge exam and a driving skills test to obtain an Indiana driver's license.”
- Manual p. 3
“If you are under 18, but more than 16 years and 180 days old, and have held a valid out-of-state driver's license for at least 180 days in your previous state(s) of residency, you must visit a BMV branch to present your current out-of-state driver's license or a copy of your official driving record.”
- Manual p. 3
“Applicants under 18 years old will be required to pass a knowledge exam and a vision screening in addition to presenting all required documentation.”
Check your understanding
Question 1 of 3