Drivers holding a probationary license for 12 may not drive between 1 a.m. And 5 a.m., with the same exemptions. License holders who are 16 years old may not drive with more than one non-family passenger unless accompanied by a parent, guardian or legal custodian. If House Bill 106 passes, Ohio teens couldn't get their license until they're 16 and a half years old. Instead of six months, they'd have their temps for a whole year. 'Teenagers aren't ready. Driver License Restrictions for 16 and 17 Year Olds. For the first 6 months after obtaining a driver license, may only drive with: For the second 6 months, may drive with the above people and may also drive with immediate family (e.g., brothers, and sisters). Until 18 th birthday, all passengers in vehicle must use permanently installed seat belts. Retake complete driver license exam; Ohio Revised Code: 4510.037 4510.038. Six-Point Warning Letter. The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) sends out warning letters when six points are accumulated on a driving record within a two-year period. The warning letter lists the violations with the number of points for each.
In Ohio, there are different paths for young drivers to obtain a license depending on their age, experience, and purpose for driving.
Instruction Permit
Beginning at 15 and a half years old, a person can take a written and vision test to obtain a temporary instruction permit. The application must be signed by the teen's parent who will be held liable for any incidents caused by the teen. This permit allows the licensee to drive as long as an “eligible adult” is in the front seat at all times. Ohio deems an “eligible adult” to be either a licensed driving instructor or the driver's parent. After turning 16 years old, the teen driver can be supervised by any sober adult who's at least 21 years of age and holds a valid driver's license.
Instruction permit holders are prohibited from driving between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. unless supervised by a parent. All passengers in the vehicle must have seat belts.
A motorized bicycle instruction permit is available to 14-year-olds.
All instruction permit holders under 18 years old are prohibited from cellphone use while driving.
Probationary License
With parental approval, 16-year-olds who have held an instruction permit for six months can take a driving test to obtain a probationary license. The applicant must have completed an approved driver's education course and at least 50 hours of supervised driving time (ten of those being at night). A probationary license holder is generally allowed to drive unsupervised but is still subject to certain restrictions including a complete ban on cellphone use while driving.
For the first 12 months of holding a probationary license, the motorist can't drive between midnight and 6 a.m. and can have only one non-family passenger. The passenger restriction is waived when accompanied by a parent, and the curfew is waived when the teen has documentation that he or she is driving to or from a work, school, or religious activity.
After the first 12 months, the driver can't drive between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. unless accompanied by a parent. The same exceptions exist if the teen has documentation that he or she is driving to or from a work, school, or religious activity.
Violation of the license restrictions is a minor misdemeanor. For violators under 17 years old, the court can restrict the teen to drive only with parental supervision for up to six months or until the teen turns 17 years old (whichever comes first). A second offense can result in the termination of the probationary license altogether. Violation of the cellphone ban will result in a $150 fine and a 60-day license suspension.
Minors who have been adjudicated as “unruly or delinquent” are prohibited from obtaining a probationary license.
Hardship License
Hardship licenses are available for 14- and 15-year-olds who show satisfactory proof of hardship to the registrar of motor vehicles. If obtained, the license is the same as a probationary license and subject to the same restrictions.
Insurance
Do 16 Year Old Drivers Have A Curfew
Before any driver can operate a vehicle in Ohio, the vehicle must be properly insured. Ohio requires a minimum liability policy of $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 property damage per accident.
Failure to show proof of valid insurance results in suspension of the driver's license, license plate, and registration until proof of insurance is shown and all fees are paid. For a first offense, the driver must also pay a $100 license reinstatement fee. A second offense within five years carries a $300 reinstatement fee and a minimum one-year driver's license suspension. A third offense in five years will result in a $600 reinstatement fee and a minimum two-year license suspension.
On July 1, 2015, stricter teen driving laws went into effect in the State of Ohio.1 The new law impacts all drivers between the ages of 16 and 18 years of age who hold a probationary license. Those teen drivers who have held a probationary license for less than twelve months are not permitted to drive between midnight and 6:00 a.m. unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.2 Once the teen has had the probationary license for twelve months or longer, the restriction is only in place between the hours of 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m.3
There are exceptions to both of these restrictions for the following activities: A teen driver may operate a vehicle during the restricted times, with a parent or guardian in the vehicle, if the teen is traveling to/from work, or a school or church function, provided the teen has written permission.4 The written permission must be on the form provided by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (form BMV 2825).5 In addition to the restriction on driving hours, if the teen driver has only had a probationary license for less than twelve months, at no time may the vehicle contain more than one non-family-member.6
While the above restrictions may provide for some public peace, health and safety, they do not keep minors entirely off the streets or out of trouble. In some instances, more restrictive action may be necessary. The State of Ohio does not have a statewide curfew law for minors.
Instead, the State leaves the adoption of curlews to each jurisdiction. A county board of commissioners is given the authority to impose curfews on a countywide basis.7 Township boards of trustees may also impose curfews within a township.8 Although the Ohio Revised Code does not specifically grant cities with the power to impose curfews on a citywide basis, Chapter 731 of the Ohio Revised Code gives a city legislative authority. Pursuant to that legislative authority, a city may pass an ordinance instituting a curfew on minors. Many jurisdictions throughout Ohio, including the five largest cities, Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo and Akron, each enforce curfew laws for minors. The ages and time restrictions vary widely by jurisdiction.
In Columbus, the most populated city in Ohio, the curfew law differentiates between minors under the age of thirteen and those thirteen and over.9 Minor children under the age of thirteen may not be in public places, unless accompanied by a parent or guardian, during the period of one hour after sunset to 4:30 a.m. Once the minor child reaches the age of thirteen, the period decreases to the hours between midnight and 4:30 a.m., but the minor must still be accompanied by a parent or guardian unless the minor is a member of the US military or a full time registered student at a business school, college or university. There is an exception applicable to all minors, no matter what age, in the event of emergency.
In Cleveland, the curfew is broken down into four age groups.10 For ages twelve and under, the minor may not be in a public place from darkness to dawn. Minors between the ages of thirteen and fourteen are restricted between the hours of 9:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. The time restriction decreases if the minor is between the ages of fifteen and sixteen to 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Once the minor turns seventeen, the restriction is from midnight until 6:00 a.m. The curfew is not violated if the minor is accompanied by a parent, guardian or responsible adult selected by the parent or guardian to supervise the child. Proof the child was traveling to or from work during the restricted time is an affirmative defense to a violation of the curfew.
The City of Cincinnati enforces a curfew between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. for minors under the age of sixteen.11 Minors between the ages sixteen and eighteen must be at their residence or usual place of abode from midnight to 5:00 a.m. Neither of these restrictions apply to minors accompanied by a parent, guardian or other person in charge of supervision of the child. Other exceptions to the curfew include emergency situations; travel to or from employment, a specific activity directed by the parent or guardian; or when the minor is exercising First Amendment Rights.
Curfew For 16 Year Old Drivers In Ohio
In Toledo, the curfew is differentiated between three age groups.12 Minors under the age of eleven are not permitted in public places between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. Minors age eleven until their sixteenth birthday must be at home between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. The restriction is between the hours of midnight and 5:00 a.m. for minors age sixteen until their eighteenth birthday. The curfew does not apply, no matter what age, to minors accompanied by a parent, guardian or responsible adult in charge of supervision of the minor. Defenses to the curfew include the minor traveling to or from a supervised activity or place of employment or responding to a life-threatening emergency at the direction of a parent, guardian or responsible adult in charge of supervision of the minor.
In Akron, the curfew applies to all minors under the age of eighteen.13 Unaccompanied minors may not be on the streets or sidewalks of the city between the ages of 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. An exception to this restriction exists for travel to or from any lawful activity, entertainment or employment when the minor has permission from a parent, guardian or person in charge of the minor's care and custody.
Is There A Curfew For 16 Year Old Drivers In Ohio
If your jurisdiction is looking to enact a curfew law or is reviewing the effectiveness of an existing curfew law, keep in mind the purpose of the curfew. Traditionally, curfews for minors are enacted to prevent juvenile crime and protect youth from victimization. To be effective, the focus of the law should be on the locations, ages and times the jurisdiction is seeking to restrict.
16 Year Old Driving Curfew Ohio
1 Ohio Revised Code 4507.071
2 Ohio Revised Code 4507.071(B)(1)(a)
3 Ohio Revised Code 4507.071(B)(1)(b)
4 Ohio Revised Code 4507.071(B)(2)(a) and (b)
5http://publicsafety.ohio.gov/links/bmv2825.pdf
6 Ohio Revised Code 4507.071(B)(4)
7 Ohio Revised Code 307.71
8 Ohio Revised Code 505.89
9 Columbus Municipal 2319.30
10 Cleveland Municipal Code 605.14
11 Cincinnati Municipal Code 911.27
12 Toledo Municipal Code 509.12
13 Akron Municipal Code 139.06