Penalties & Licensing

Study questions with answers

12 sample Penalties & Licensing questions with the correct answer, a short explanation, and the official handbook reference. Read through them, then take the quiz above.

1. 1. An applicant under age 21 who fails the driving test must wait how long before retesting?

   Correct answer: Two days

   Applicants under age 21 who fail the driving test must wait two days before retesting.

   Source: Section 11: Taking the Driving Test — Test Failure

2. 2. Under Ohio's distracted driving law, what is the penalty for a first offense within two years for a driver 18 or older?

   Correct answer: 2 points and a fine of up to $150

   For a first violation inside a two-year span, the driver picks up 2 points and a fine reaching $150, though taking a distracted-driving class can waive both.

   Source: Section 3: Be Alert — Distracted Driving (Penalties)

3. 3. How many questions are on the Ohio knowledge test, and what score is needed to pass?

   Correct answer: 40 questions with a 75% passing score

   The knowledge test is made up of 40 multiple-choice questions and requires a 75% passage rate to pass.

   Source: Section 1: How to Get Your Driver License — Knowledge Testing

4. 4. For a driver under age 21, when does the Ohio driver license expire?

   Correct answer: On your 21st birthday

   For anyone below 21, the license runs out the day they turn 21, and that renewal has to be done in person.

   Source: Section 12: Purchase Your Driver License — Renewing Your Driver License

5. 5. As part of driver education, a driver under age 21 must log 50 hours of driving that include at least how many hours of night driving?

   Correct answer: At least 10 hours of night driving

   A total of 50 supervised driving hours must be recorded with a qualifying licensed driver, and no fewer than 10 of those hours have to be after dark.

   Source: Section 1: How to Get Your Driver License — Driver Education Requirements (Under Age 21)

6. 6. Within how many days of establishing residency must a new Ohio resident obtain an Ohio driver license?

   Correct answer: Within 30 days

   New residents get a 30-day window from the time they settle in to obtain an Ohio-issued license.

   Source: Section 13: What Else Should I Know? — New Ohio Residents

7. 7. In the opening year after getting licensed, what hours are generally off-limits to a driver under 18?

   Correct answer: From midnight to 6 a.m.

   For that first year the young driver is barred from the road between midnight and 6 a.m., except for cases like riding with a parent or heading to work, school, or a religious event.

   Source: Section 12: Purchase Your Driver License — New drivers under age 18 restrictions

8. 8. A driver who piles up 12 or more points in a span of two years faces what consequence?

   Correct answer: The BMV imposes a license suspension

   Hitting a total of 12 points or more across two years triggers a 12-point license suspension from the BMV.

   Source: Section 6: State Laws and Penalties — Point Assessment on Driver License

9. 9. If you fail the knowledge test, how long must you wait before taking it again?

   Correct answer: One day

   A failing score means waiting a day to try again; you can attempt it as often as you like, though never more than one time in a single day.

   Source: Section 1: How to Get Your Driver License — Knowledge Testing

10. 10. Driving on a suspended license counts as a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by a fine reaching what maximum?

    Correct answer: Up to $1,000

    Treated as a first-degree misdemeanor, this offense can bring a fine as high as $1,000 and may add another year of suspension on top.

    Source: Section 6: State Laws and Penalties — Driving Under Suspension

11. 11. After passing the vision screening and knowledge test, within how many days must you purchase a TIPIC?

    Correct answer: Within 60 days

    Head to a Deputy Registrar agency within 60 days of your passing score to buy the TIPIC; miss that window and you'll redo both the vision check and the written exam.

    Source: Section 1: How to Get Your Driver License — Temporary Instruction Permit Identification Card (TIPIC)

12. 12. What is an SR-22?

    Correct answer: A certificate of financial responsibility filed with the state

    The SR-22 is not insurance itself but a state-filed document certifying financial responsibility and showing that your coverage meets the legal liability minimums.

    Source: Section 6: State Laws and Penalties — Point Assessment on Driver License