Overview

• Beginning Sept. 30, first-time license applicants under 21 must complete a Class D course before the road test, including 24 hours of classroom instruction, eight hours behind-the-wheel, and 50 supervised hours with 10 at night.
• The requirement, enacted in the state budget, eliminates the prior exemption at age 18 and effectively raises the threshold to 21.
• To build capacity, the Ohio Traffic Safety Office launched grants for free instructor training and a one-time $1,500 bonus for new instructors who teach for three months between Jan. 1 and June 30.
• The state introduced the RoadReady Ohio app to help families log the 50 supervised hours and to provide telematics feedback on braking, acceleration, turning and speed.
• Driving schools expect enrollment surges as families weigh cost and access, with typical prices near $100 for classroom time and $300–$400 for in-car lessons, and scholarship assistance available through local agencies and Drive to Succeed grantees with an ESC-focused funding round slated for October.