New Law and App Launching for Ohioans Under 21

Getting a license at the age of eighteen used to be simple enough: just walk into a local Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) and take the test. That all changed as of September 30 when Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed a new law into effect that tightens expectations for young drivers. 

The new law requires every person under the age of 21 to complete a driver’s education course before they are allowed to take their driver’s test. Previously, once someone reached 18, they could choose to bypass the training and take the test whenever they chose, even without the same practice required as those younger than them.

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“Crash data in Ohio shows that there’s more crashes involving 18, 19, 20 year olds than there are 16 and 17 year olds and the difference there is Driver’s Ed. We know that Driver’s Ed provides the skills, the training that’s required to be a safe driver,” said Judy Converse, Public Information Officer at the Ohio Traffic Safety Office.

Converse said overall, the passing of this law will impact about 36,000 people annually. Every person under 21 must now complete 24 hours of driver’s education in the classroom or online, 8 hours of practice behind the wheel with a licensed instructor and practice for 50 hours, 10 of those being at night, with a licensed adult who is 21 or older. They additionally must have their learner’s permit for six months before they are allowed to take the test.

“They still have to have a permit and they have to drive with somebody,” said Carla Fleece, training manager at the Westerville branch of the Driving Schools of Ohio, about those between 18 and 20 who are acquiring a license.

In 2024, 58% of fatal Ohio crashes where a teenager was at fault were caused by 18 and 19 year olds. Additionally, teen drivers accounted for nearly 70% of non-fatal accidents that occurred and in total, 97 deaths occurred in Ohio due to teen fatal crashes. 

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“This is going to improve crash outcomes for young drivers. . .It’ll improve their own personal safety and then this is also going to make the roads safer for the rest of us who share the roads with them,” Converse said.

The Ohio Traffic Safety Office has been working with driving schools to help increase capacity and hire more instructors so they can continue to teach young drivers while also not having to increase their prices. They hope they are able to help with the influx of young drivers seeking training that will result from this new law.

On September 29, DeWine also announced the new driver’s safety app RoadReady Ohio. The app, developed by the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Ohio Traffic Safety Office, uses the phone’s technology to calculate a driver’s success on the important aspects of driving, such as turning, speed, braking and acceleration. To use it, people can log onto the app while practicing and it will give tips and ratings to them after they complete a route.

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The app allows users to track how many hours they have driven total since they need 50 before they can take their driver’s test. In addition, similar apps have been developed in other states, but Ohio’s is the first to use the technology of a modern phone to analyze driving ability. Converse said that, as of November 6, over 2,000 student accounts and 2,000 parent accounts have been created.

“This [app] is hopefully going to help with compliance. It’s a good tool for parents to track those fifty hours to make sure they get all fifty, make sure that ten of those are at night,” Converse said.

This is the first time an app has been released for parents of teen drivers in Ohio, and it is also the first time there has been a state-supported tool to help with driving practice, Converse said. Since its implementation, she says the department has been receiving positive feedback from parents, and they hope that it continues to run smoothly.

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The goal of the new law and app is to improve road conditions, lessen fatalities to make Ohio drivers more skilled and experienced in their day to day lives, according to Converse. They are hoping that the process will result in drivers maintaining more awareness of their surroundings and in knowing road laws more easily.

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“Ohio is kind of leading the way on the national level on requiring training up to twenty-one. As far as I know, there’s not other states that currently require that. I think there’s other states that are working towards making that change, but they haven’t quite implemented it yet,” Converse said.