Photo: formulanone, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ohio’s learner permit is the Temporary Instruction Permit Identification Card, or TIPIC. This guide is for teens who have one (or are about to) and the adults who will ride with them. It covers who can supervise a 15 1/2 year old, what the BMV 2438 in loco parentis affidavit does, and what a parent signs up for when cosigning.
Key facts
- A TIPIC lets you drive only with a qualifying supervisor in the car.
- From 15 1/2 to 16, a responsible adult aged 21 or older who acts in loco parentis can supervise if the parent completes notarized form BMV 2438.
- A parent, guardian or custodian cosigns the minor’s permit application, and that cosigner takes on legal liability.
- Supervisors log hours on the BMV 5791 Fifty Hour Affidavit.
Who can supervise an Ohio TIPIC holder aged 15 1/2 to 16?
A parent, guardian or custodian can. Form BMV 2438, the “Eligible Adult In Loco Parentis Affidavit”, adds one more option for this age band: a responsible adult 21 or older who acts in loco parentis, meaning they take on parental responsibilities when the parent, guardian or custodian is absent.
To use that option, the parent (or guardian or custodian) who cosigned the permit fills in BMV 2438 with the adult’s:
- name and street address
- date of birth
- driver license number
- relationship to the minor
The parent then signs it in front of a notary. Keep the notarized form in the car when that adult supervises.
Under 16, Ohio’s official teen materials also allow a licensed driving instructor in the passenger seat.
Who can supervise once you turn 16?
From 16, any licensed driver over 21 can sit in the passenger seat. There is one time limit: under 18, you may not drive on a TIPIC from midnight to 6 a.m. unless a parent, guardian or custodian is with you. Ohio’s teen guidance also accepts a licensed adult 21 or older named on a notarized BMV 2438 for those hours. Plan your 10 night hours for the evening, before midnight.
What a parent agrees to by cosigning
BMV 2438 spells out what cosigning a minor’s permit or license means under Ohio Revised Code section 4507.07:
- Shared liability. The cosigner can be held jointly and severally liable for the minor’s negligence or willful and wanton misconduct while driving.
- How to avoid it. No liability is imputed to the cosigner if the minor has proof of financial responsibility. Through an insurance policy or bond, that means at least $25,000 for injury or death of one person, $50,000 for injury or death of two or more people, and $25,000 for damage to property, per accident.
- Way out. The cosigner can surrender the minor’s permit or license to the BMV at any time and ask for it to be canceled.
Talk to your insurer before the first drive. See car insurance for new drivers.
Checklist before the first drive on a TIPIC
- Permit on you, and the supervisor holds a valid license.
- If the supervisor is an in loco parentis adult and you are under 16, the notarized BMV 2438 is in the car.
- Insurance confirmed for the learner in that vehicle.
- Phone stored away. See hands-free and texting laws.
- Log open (paper BMV 5791 or the RoadReady Ohio app).
How long do you hold the TIPIC?
Under 18, at least six months before you can test for a probationary license, and you must be at least 16. Count six months on from the TIPIC issue date when you book. Applicants 18 to 20 do not have the six-month wait. The GDL comparison by state puts Ohio alongside other states.
Common questions
Can my older brother supervise me on an Ohio TIPIC?
Under 16, only if he is 21 or older, acts in loco parentis and your parent completes a notarized BMV 2438 naming him. Otherwise a parent, guardian or custodian should ride with you.
Does BMV 2438 need to be notarized?
Yes. The parent signs it in front of a notary public.
Who fills in BMV 2438, the parent or the supervising adult?
The parent, guardian or custodian who cosigned the permit. It names the supervising adult and gives their details.
Can a parent cancel a teen’s permit in Ohio?
Yes. A cosigner can surrender the minor’s permit or license to the BMV and ask for it to be canceled.
Can I drive in another state on my Ohio TIPIC?
That depends on the other state’s rules. See driving with a permit in another state.
Back to the full Ohio learner driver guide.
Sources
- Ohio Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Motor Vehicles, “Eligible Adult In Loco Parentis Affidavit (BMV 2438, 7/18)” (dam.assets.ohio.gov)
- Ohio Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Motor Vehicles, “Fifty Hour Affidavit (BMV 5791, 9/25)” (dam.assets.ohio.gov)