Driver education
30 hours of theoretical training, in a classroom or online, plus 6 hours behind the wheel
Overseen by Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Driver Education
- What it does
A person who completed a driver education course must be 16 years old to be licensed.
What the source says
“must be 16 years old if the individual did complete a driver education course”
Resources for Driver Education Providers | Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, read October 7, 2026
- Who can take it
A person who does not complete a driver education course must be 16 years and 270 days old to be licensed.
What the source says
“must be 16 + 270 days old if the individual did not complete a driver education course”
Resources for Driver Education Providers | Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, read October 7, 2026
- Age
A child must be 15 years old before enrolling in either the theoretical or the behind-the-wheel phase of driver education.
What the source says
“Your child must be 15 years of age before they can enroll in either theoretical or behind-the-wheel phase of driver education.”
Driver Education | Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, read October 7, 2026
- Course length
An Indiana driver training program consists of 30 hours of classroom training and six hours of behind-the-wheel training with a BMV-licensed driver training school.
What the source says
“A driver training program consists of 30 hours of classroom training and six hours of behind-the-wheel training with a BMV-licensed driver training school.”
Driver Education | Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, read October 7, 2026
- Taking it online
Online training is available as an alternative to classroom training, but students are still responsible for the six behind-the-wheel hours.
What the source says
“Online training is available as an alternative to classroom training, but students will still be responsible for the six behind-the-wheel hours.”
Driver Education | Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, read October 7, 2026
A student may complete online training before enrolling at a licensed school for behind-the-wheel training, but should first confirm that the chosen school will accept the online program.
What the source says
“You may complete online training before enrolling at a licensed driver training school for behind-the-wheel training, but you should first confirm that your preferred driver training school will accept the online training program you have selected.”
Driver Education | Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, read October 7, 2026
- Who approves it
The BMV's list of licensed driver training schools has a course type for online theoretical training, marked O.
What the source says
“Course Type: Online Theoretical = O; Theoretical = T; Behind-the-Wheel = B”
Indiana Licensed Driver Training Schools | Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, read October 7, 2026
- Good to know
A student may not complete more than three hours of theoretical training or more than two hours of behind-the-wheel training in a calendar day.
What the source says
“(c) A student may not complete more than three (3) hours of theoretical training in a calendar day, and may not complete more than two (2) hours of behind-the-wheel training in a calendar day.”
Indiana Administrative Code, Title 140, Article 4. Driver Examiner Division (2026 Edition), read October 7, 2026