How to Pass the Indiana DMV Exam 2026
Step 1: Confirm Eligibility and Gather Your Documents
Make sure you qualify before you begin
Indiana lets you apply for a learner's permit at age 15 if you show proof of enrollment with a BMV-licensed driver education or behind-the-wheel training provider. Without driver education, you must be at least 16. Gather your paperwork before visiting a Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) branch so your visit goes smoothly.
- Proof of identity (such as a certified birth certificate or passport)
- Proof of lawful status in the United States
- Proof of your Social Security number
- Proof of Indiana residency
- If you are 15: a Certificate of Driver Education Enrollment dated no earlier than three weeks before your class begins
Applicants under 18 must also provide an emergency contact who is 18 or older. A BMV-licensed driver education course includes 30 hours of classroom instruction plus six hours of behind-the-wheel training.
Step 2: Study the Official Indiana Driver's Manual
Prepare for the knowledge exam
The knowledge exam is drawn directly from the Indiana Driver's Manual published by the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Indiana's exam has two separately scored parts, so study both areas carefully.
- Traffic signs, signals, and pavement markings (Chapter 6) — the signs component
- Traffic rules and laws from Chapters 6, 7, and 8 — the traffic component
- Indiana-specific rules: the Move Over law (slow to 10 mph under the limit if you cannot change lanes), school bus stop-arm rules, the 2-to-3-second following distance, and Indiana speed limits such as 70 mph on rural interstates and 30 mph in most urban residential areas
Take online practice tests that mirror the real exam format to check your readiness before you go to a branch.
Step 3: Pass the Knowledge Exam and Get Your Learner's Permit
Take the knowledge and vision screenings
Visit a BMV branch to take the computer-based knowledge exam. Indiana scores the exam in two separate components — traffic signs, and traffic rules and laws — and you must score 80% or higher on each component to pass. Doing well overall is not enough if you fall below 80% on one part.
- Score at least 80% on the signs component and at least 80% on the traffic rules and laws component
- Pass a standard vision screening
- Arrive at the branch at least 30 minutes before closing to take the computer-based exam that day
- If you fail, you must wait until the next business day to retake it
Once you pass, you receive your learner's permit. An Indiana learner's permit is valid for two years from the date of issuance; if it stays expired more than 180 days, you have to retest.
Step 4: Practice Driving and Log Your Supervised Hours
Build your driving experience
You must hold a valid Indiana learner's permit — not expired, suspended, or revoked — for at least 180 days before you can be issued a driver's license. Use that time to complete your supervised practice.
- Hold your learner's permit for a minimum of 180 days
- Complete at least 50 hours of supervised driving practice
- Include at least 10 of those hours driving at night
- Practice with a licensed driver who is at least 25 years old, or a spouse who is at least 21
These practice requirements apply to applicants under 18 and to applicants 18 or older. Keep an accurate log — you will certify these hours when you apply for your license.
Step 5: Understand Indiana's Probationary License Restrictions
Know the rules before you drive alone
You may apply for a driver's license at 16 with a completed BMV-licensed driver education program, or at 16 years and 270 days without driver education. Any Indiana license issued before age 21 is a probationary license, and it carries restrictions.
- First 180 days: no passengers at all, unless a licensed driver 25 or older (or a spouse 21 or older, or a licensed driver training instructor) is in the front passenger seat — you may, however, carry your own child, stepchild, sibling, step or half sibling, or spouse
- First 180 days: no driving between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.
- After 180 days and under 18: no driving Sunday through Thursday after 11 p.m., Monday through Friday before 5 a.m., or Saturday and Sunday between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. — exceptions apply for lawful employment, school-sanctioned activities, religious events, or when accompanied by a licensed driver 25+ (or a spouse 21+)
- Probationary license holders may not use any telecommunications device while driving, except to call 911 in an emergency
A probationary license is valid until you are 21 years and 30 days old, and it may not be renewed until you are 21 years and one day old.
Step 6: Schedule and Pass the Driving Skills Exam
Prove you can drive safely
After holding your permit for 180 days and completing your supervised practice hours, take the driving skills exam. Bring a properly registered and insured vehicle with working seat belts and signal lights.
- Show proper lane use and turns — move into the correct lane well before the turn, using the far-left lane for a left turn and the far-right lane for a right turn
- Signal every turn and lane change with the vehicle's lighted signals; hand signals may not be used during the skills exam
- Demonstrate safe starting, stopping, backing, and parallel parking (position about two feet from the vehicle ahead of the space and align rear bumpers before backing in)
- Obey all signs, signals, right-of-way rules, and speed limits, and keep a 2-to-3-second following distance
The examiner scores how safely you handle real driving situations. If you do not pass on your first try, you can practice more and retest.
Step 7: Receive Your Indiana Driver's License and Get Insured
Get licensed and drive responsibly
Once you pass the skills exam and pay the fee, the BMV issues your driver's license. Drivers licensed before age 21 receive a probationary license and must keep following its restrictions until they lift.
- Carry at least Indiana's minimum liability insurance of 25/50/25: $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person, $50,000 for bodily injury or death of two or more people in one crash, and $25,000 for property damage
- An Indiana driver's license is valid for six years if you are under 75, three years from 75 through 84, and two years at 85 or older
- Buckle up — Indiana law requires the driver and all passengers to wear seat belts whenever the vehicle is in motion, and passengers under eight must be in a child restraint system
Keep your record clean. Points stay active for two years from the conviction date, and if you are at least 21 with six or more active points you must take the knowledge exam to renew your license. Completing a BMV-approved Driver Safety Program earns a four-point credit, allowed once every three years. Remember that operating a vehicle with a BAC over .08 is a criminal offense, drivers under 21 face a zero-tolerance .02 limit, and refusing a chemical test brings a one-year suspension.
What it costs
Indiana's permit, license, and testing fees are set by the BMV and change from time to time, so check the current schedule before you go: Indiana BMV — fees and services
These links should help guide you through the application and testing process. Each official state agency page contains the latest requirements and resources to ensure you have everything needed to obtain your Indiana driver’s license.
