Photo: Dougtone, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
This checklist is for Ohio permit holders under 21 and the parent or adult who supervises their practice. It explains the Ohio BMV Fifty Hour Affidavit (form BMV 5791): how many hours you need, what counts as night driving, who can sign, and how to keep the log so it is accepted.
Key facts about the Ohio 50-hour affidavit
- Form: BMV 5791, “Fifty Hour Affidavit” (current revision dated 9/25).
- Hours: at least 50 hours of actual driving, including 10 hours at night. The log page breaks this down as 40 hours of daytime driving and 10 hours of nighttime driving.
- Night: from half an hour after sunset until half an hour before the next sunrise.
- Who signs: an “eligible adult”, meaning the permit holder’s parent, guardian or custodian, or a person over 21 acting in loco parentis.
- Notarized: the eligible adult signs in front of a notary public.
- Log options: the paper log on page 2 of the form, or the RoadReady Ohio app.
Who can sign the Ohio 50-hour affidavit?
The form says the eligible adult is either:
- the parent, guardian or custodian of the applicant, or
- a person over the age of 21 who acts in loco parentis (in place of a parent).
The eligible adult attests that the permit holder has truthfully recorded the hours. The adult who signs does not have to be the only person who supervised every drive: the log has a column for each supervising driver’s name and Ohio driver license number.
Exception: if the permit holder is applying for a limited term (non-renewable, non-transferable) driver license, the adult who supervises the driving must hold a valid Ohio driver license and must be the same adult who completes the affidavit.
What goes in the supervised driving log
Each row of the BMV 5791 log asks for:
| Column | What to write |
|---|---|
| Date | The day of the drive |
| Supervising licensed driver name | Who sat with you |
| Supervising adult Ohio driver license # | That person’s license number |
| Start and end time | Include a.m. or p.m. |
| Total day time | Hours and minutes |
| Total night time | Hours and minutes |
Fill it in after every drive. Rebuilding weeks of entries from memory is how logs end up with gaps or totals that don’t add up.
How to count night hours correctly
Night time on the Ohio form starts half an hour after sunset and ends half an hour before sunrise. A drive that starts at dusk can be part day and part night. Split it across the two columns using the actual sunset time for that date.
Worked example
Say sunset is at 7:00 p.m. and you drive from 6:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Night time begins at 7:30 p.m. Log 45 minutes as day time (6:45 to 7:30) and 45 minutes as night time (7:30 to 8:15).
Checklist: getting the affidavit signed
- Total the day column and the night column. Check you have at least 40 day hours and 10 night hours, 50 in all.
- Fill in page 1: permit holder’s name, temporary instruction permit ID number and address, then the eligible adult’s name, license or ID card number, relationship, address and contact details.
- Don’t sign yet. The eligible adult signs in front of the notary.
- Take the form and photo ID to a notary public. Notaries are often available at banks and shipping stores; call ahead.
- Keep the notarized original with the documents you will take to the BMV.
Paper log or the RoadReady Ohio app?
BMV 5791 says supervised hours can be logged by hand on the form or with the RoadReady Ohio app. The app saves you adding up columns. Whichever you use, the affidavit page still needs the eligible adult’s notarized signature.
Don’t pad the hours
The form warns that falsifying the affidavit is punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment under Ohio Revised Code sections 2921.21 and 4507.21. Beyond the legal risk, the hours are your real preparation for the maneuverability test and the road test.
Make the 50 hours count
- Spread hours across weather, traffic levels and road types, including freeway merging and rain or snow (winter and bad-weather driving).
- Practice the cone maneuver regularly, not just the week before the test.
- Do some night drives on unlit roads, not only in town.
Common questions
Can a grandparent sign the Ohio 50-hour affidavit?
Only if they are the teen’s guardian or custodian, or a person over 21 acting in loco parentis. Otherwise the parent, guardian or custodian signs. A grandparent can still supervise drives and appear in the log.
Does the affidavit have to be notarized?
Yes. The form has a notary section, and the eligible adult swears to it in front of the notary.
Do driver training hours count toward the 50?
No. Ohio’s teen guidance says the 50 hours are in addition to driver training, so log only practice with your supervisor.
What counts as night driving in Ohio?
From half an hour after sunset to half an hour before the next sunrise.
Can I use the RoadReady Ohio app instead of the paper log?
Yes. The form names the app as an alternative to the paper log.
Who needs the 50-hour affidavit?
Every applicant under 21 completes it before the road test, including 18, 19 and 20 year olds. Ohio Revised Code 4507.21 requires the affidavit for all applicants under 21. See the supervised driving hours by state comparison too.
Back to the full guide to learning to drive in Ohio. Not sure who can sit with you? See Ohio TIPIC supervision rules.
Sources
- Ohio Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Motor Vehicles, “Fifty Hour Affidavit (BMV 5791, 9/25)” (dam.assets.ohio.gov)