Overview

• Effective today, first-time license applicants ages 16–20 must complete a Class D course: 24 hours of classroom instruction, 8 hours behind the wheel with an instructor, and 50 supervised practice hours including 10 at night.
• The optional RoadReady Ohio app logs practice time and scores drives using telematics on braking, acceleration, turning, and speed, and it can produce printable logs for the BMV.
• Students need an access code from a driver’s ed teacher to use the app, and families may still submit handwritten, parent-signed affidavits for practice hours.
• The Ohio Traffic Safety Office is rolling out instructor recruitment support, including training grants and a time-limited $1,500 bonus for new instructors licensed and teaching for three months between Jan. 1 and June 30.
• Public schools are allowed but not required to offer driver’s ed and did not receive dedicated statewide funding, raising access and cost concerns as private programs anticipate higher demand.