In Ohio, all drivers, regardless of age, must obtain a temporary instruction permit identification card (TIPIC) before applying for a driver’s license. One crucial requirement to obtain a TIPIC is to pass two official tests: a vision test and a knowledge (permit) test on driving theory. You must be at least 15½ years old to take the knowledge test. If you’re under 18, your parent or guardian must co-sign your application. Before you may take the road test for a probationary license, you must also complete a driver’s education course plus 50 additional hours of driving practice. If you’re 18 or older, you won’t have to complete a course unless you fail the road test on your first attempt.
You may take the permit test online, at a BMV examination station, or at a BMV Deputy Registrar License agency that offers it. All questions on the knowledge test are based on the official Ohio BMV driver’s 2025 handbook (Ohio BMV Handbook (OH Driver's Manual) 2025). The BMV currently publishes versions of this manual in English and Spanish. Both versions can be easily downloaded from this webpage in PDF format.
Unfortunately, studying the manual may not be enough to ensure passing the permit test. In 2020 – 2023, nearly one-third of applicants failed the BMV knowledge test on their first attempt. In contrast, our permit test preparation program, with a series of practice tests, AI assistant, and other features, is guaranteed to get you to pass the permit test – or your money back!
On the right-hand side of this webpage, you’ll also find an audiobook of the English version of the official driver’s manual. It’s formatted as a downloadable series of thirteen MP3 files, one for each section of the handbook: How to Get Your Driver License, Before You Drive, Be Alert, and so on. The longest section is Section 5: Learning to Drive, whose running time is 17 minutes and 21 seconds. The total running time of this audiobook is approximately 1 hour, 51 minutes, and 41 seconds, so you should be able to listen to the entire audiobook in a day or two.
In addition to the official handbook, we also offer our own permit test study guide (available elsewhere on this website), which offers valuable tips for the day of the knowledge test. It addresses what documents to have with you, fees you may have to pay, how to be at your best during the test, and test questions that applicants frequently miss.