After you pass in Indiana: restrictions and your licence

By the end of this topic you can

• You can apply the passenger limits during your first 180 days.
• You can work out when you are allowed to drive at night.
• You can name the exceptions to the driving-hour limits.
• You can explain why phone use is banned for probationary drivers.
• You can say when your license becomes unrestricted and what you must do.

What you need to know and understand

• For the first 180 days: no passengers unless a licensed driver 25 or older, a licensed spouse 21 or older, or a driving instructor sits in the front seat.
• Your child, stepchild, sibling (including step and half siblings), spouse, parent or legal guardian, or grandparent may ride with you during those 180 days.
• For the first 180 days: no driving from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
• After 180 days, while under 18: no driving after 11 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, before 5 a.m. Monday to Friday, or 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
• Probationary drivers may not use any telecommunications device while driving, except to call 911.
• Your probationary license is valid until you are 21 years and 30 days old, and can be renewed from the day after your 21st birthday.

Your first 180 days, at a glance

• Passengers: only family members listed above, or anyone at all if a qualifying adult or instructor is in the front seat.
• Hours: home by 10 p.m. and not out before 5 a.m., unless an exception applies.
• Phone: completely off limits while driving, hands-free included.
• Seat belts: everyone, every trip.

Exceptions to the driving-hour limits

The manual lists four situations in which you may drive during restricted hours: going to, taking part in or coming back from lawful employment, a school-sanctioned activity or a religious event, or when a licensed driver aged 25 or older (or your licensed spouse aged 21 or older) is with you. Keep proof handy, such as a work schedule or event details, in case an officer asks.

Rules that can cost you the license

Indiana ties a teen's license to school. The BMV must suspend a juvenile's driving privileges when the school reports an expulsion, a second suspension in the same school year, habitual truancy or withdrawal from school.

Tickets also matter more for young drivers. Under 21, two or more traffic convictions can lead the BMV to require a Driver Safety Program course, and any alcohol at or above .02 BAC is an offense.

Turning 21

Our separate guide to probationary license rules and curfew goes through more real-life examples.

1. Wait until the day after your 21st birthday; you cannot renew a probationary license earlier.
2. Renew within 30 days of your birthday to avoid an administrative penalty. You may be able to do this online if you qualify.
3. If you have six or more active points, expect to pass the knowledge exam first.
4. Your new license is unrestricted, though the hands-free law and every other traffic law still apply.

Common mistakes

• Giving friends rides home from school in the first six months. Unless a qualifying adult is in the front seat, that breaks the passenger rule.
• Thinking the 10 p.m. limit ends at 17. It applies for the first 180 days whatever your age under 21; the later curfew applies until 18.
• Using voice-to-text or a hands-free call because adults can. The probationary ban covers all device use.
• Forgetting to renew at 21 and driving on an expired license.

Test yourself: After you pass in Indiana: restrictions and your licence

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Indiana Probationary License Restrictions and Curfew
• Indiana Bioptic Driver Program
• Indiana Permit Test