The Ohio permit test has 40 questions, and you need 30 correct (75%) to pass. Official source. Page updated 2026-10-16.
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Key Ohio DMV rules and numbers
These are key rules and numbers from the Ohio handbook, a few per topic so they fit on one printed page. We favor rules that state a specific number. Every fact below comes from our free Ohio DMV practice test question bank, which has 500 questions across 9 topics, checked against the Ohio handbook (last verified 2026-09-07).
Speed limits
- Ohio says safe driving includes adjusting vehicle speed for roadway and traffic conditions, maintaining an adequate following interval, and obeying appropriate speed limits. (Handbook, Section 8)
- The manual ties a reasonable speed to two practical abilities: keeping control of the vehicle and bringing it to a stop within the assured clear distance ahead. (Handbook, Section 4)
- The school zone speed rule is tied to times when children are likely to be near the roadway: recess and normal arrival or dismissal periods. (Handbook, Section 4)
- You cannot directly set the following driver’s distance, but your own driving can help. (Handbook, Section 8)
- If you reach the stationary point before counting four seconds, you are too close. (Handbook, Section 8)
Right of way
- Section 5 says to avoid swinging wide to the left before a right turn. (Handbook, Section 5)
- For this left turn, Section 5 specifies the lane furthest left, just to the right of the center dividing line of the street being entered. (Handbook, Section 5)
- When two drivers arrive at a four-way intersection simultaneously, Ohio assigns priority to the driver on the other vehicle's right. (Handbook, Section 4)
- Ohio's right-of-way list tells drivers to yield to the driver who is already at the intersection or arrived before them. (Handbook, Section 4)
- A left turn crosses the path of vehicles traveling toward the driver, so the turning driver must yield to opposing traffic. (Handbook, Section 5)
Alcohol and DUI
- Ohio lists .08 percent or higher as unlawful operation for a driver of any age. (Handbook, Section 6)
- Ohio identifies 21 years or older as the legal drinking age. (Handbook, Section 6)
- When a chemical test within two hours shows a BAC of 0.08 or higher, the officer confiscates the Driver License and notifies the driver of the suspension. (Handbook, Section 6)
- Ohio's refusal suspension depends on prior refusals or OVI and drug convictions within 10 years: one year for a first refusal, two years with one prior, three years with two priors, and five years with three or more. (Handbook, Section 6)
- A first test over the limit in Ohio brings a three month, or 90 day, administrative license suspension. (Handbook, Section 6)
Signals and markings
- Ohio requires a turn signal at least 100 feet before changing direction. (Handbook, Section 2)
- Ohio’s vehicle equipment list requires working turn signals visible from 300 feet, with signals at the front and rear. (Handbook, Section 2)
- The manual requires two red reflectors on the rear of the vehicle, visible from 300 feet. (Handbook, Section 2)
- The manual lists one taillight that emits red light and is visible from 500 feet. (Handbook, Section 2)
- Section 5 directs drivers on roads with four or more lanes to drive in the right lane and use the lane just right of center to pass and make left turns. (Handbook, Section 5)
Parking
- Ohio prohibits stopping, parking, or standing within 10 feet of a fire hydrant. (Handbook, Section 5)
- Ohio bars stopping, parking, or standing in or within 20 feet of an intersection or crosswalk, unless needed to avoid a conflict with traffic or directed by an officer or traffic control device. (Handbook, Section 5)
- Ohio parking law requires a vehicle to be parallel to the curb and no more than 12 inches away from it. (Handbook, Section 5)
- Section 5 allows a bicycle, electric bicycle, moped, motor scooter of 150 cc or less, or micro-mobility device to be parked on a sidewalk if it does not impede normal pedestrian traffic. (Handbook, Section 5)
- For backing, Ohio places the left hand at the top of the steering wheel, the 12 o’clock position. (Handbook, Section 5)
Safe driving
- The Ohio manual recommends at least 10 inches between the driver's chest and the steering wheel. (Handbook, Section 2)
- A permit holder ages 16 or 17 may normally practice with any valid licensed driver who is at least 21 in the front seat. (Handbook, Section 1)
- Ohio requires a booster seat for a child who is at least 4 but younger than 8 unless the child is 4 feet 9 inches or taller. (Handbook, Section 6)
- The Ohio manual says a tire in safe condition has at least 1/16 inch of tread depth on the road surface and no major bumps, bulges, breaks, or tread damage. (Handbook, Section 2)
- Ohio's manual says a loaded truck with good tires and brakes at 55 mph under ideal conditions needs at least 335 feet to stop, more than one and a half times a passenger vehicle's distance. (Handbook, Section 9)
Road signs
- Section 4 says consequences for exceeding the posted speed limit in a work zone can include doubled fines and jail time. (Handbook, Section 4)
- Ohio requires a driver to stop behind the stop line or crosswalk at a stop sign before entering an intersection. (Handbook, Section 5)
- A yield sign tells the driver to slow down and give priority to traffic and pedestrians, stopping when necessary. (Handbook, Section 4)
- Ohio identifies DO NOT ENTER signs for intersections of one-way roads and freeway exit ramps. (Handbook, Section 4)
- Ohio describes traffic signs as information sources for traffic rules, hazards, roadway location, roadway directions, and roadway services. (Handbook, Section 4)
Laws and paperwork
- Ohio's hands-free law for drivers 18 and older lists reporting an emergency to law enforcement, a hospital, a health care provider, a fire department, or a similar emergency entity as an express exception. (Handbook, Section 3)
- Ohio sets the minimum age for completing the vision screening and knowledge test at 15 years and six months. (Handbook, Section 1)
- A driver under 21 must complete and log 50 hours of supervised driving, with at least 10 hours occurring at night. (Handbook, Section 1)
- For the first 12 months of holding a Driver License, an Ohio driver under 18 may not operate from midnight to 6 a.m. unless an exception applies. (Handbook, Section 12)
- After the first year, the restricted period becomes 1 a.m. through 5 a.m. (Handbook, p. 69)
Emergencies
- Ohio sets a stopping range for an approaching train: the vehicle must be at least 15 feet from the crossing and no more than 50 feet away. (Handbook, Section 5)
- On a road with fewer than four lanes, Ohio requires traffic approaching a stopped school bus from either direction to stop at least 10 feet from the front or rear of the bus. (Handbook, Section 5)
- Ohio's ordinary parking rule requires a vehicle on a two-way street to face the direction of traffic, sit parallel to the curb, and be no more than 12 inches from the right curb. (Handbook, Section 5)
- For drivers 18 and older, Ohio says it is illegal in most cases to use, hold, or physically support a cell phone or other wireless device while driving. (Handbook, Section 3)
- Section 7 says that after a crash in fog, get your vehicle off the road as soon as safely possible. (Handbook, Section 7)
Want the reasoning behind these rules? Study the handbook, chapter by chapter, in 15 short lessons quoted from the Ohio manual.
Signs
Sign shape and color carry meaning before you even read the words. A red octagon always means stop, a red-bordered triangle pointing down means yield, and yellow diamonds warn of a hazard ahead. For every sign image used in our practice test, with the exact meaning and explanation, see the full road sign glossary.
Keep studying
This cheat sheet is a summary, not a substitute for practice. Test yourself with the free Ohio DMV practice test, which explains the reasoning behind every answer, or see Ohio DMV facts and fees before test day.