Driving Tests

Ohio Teen Driver Suspension Rules: Tickets Before Age 18

informational·how to guide·Published May 5, 2026

What happens if an Ohio teen with temps or a probationary license gets tickets before 18?

Under Ohio Revised Code 4510.31, the BMV suspends the temps (TIPIC) or probationary license of a teen after one OVI violation (class D), two listed violations (class E) or three (class C) before age 18. Ohio's driver training curriculum says two moving violations mean 90 days and three mean one year. Mail or deliver your license or permit to the BMV within 14 days of the notice.

Where the Ohio suspension facts come from

The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) is part of the Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS). The suspension rules come from Ohio Revised Code 4510.31. Ohio Revised Code 4507.071 (probationary license), 4507.11 (license examination) and 4511.41, 4511.43 and 4511.75 (traffic rules) add details. The BMV teen driver page gives the alcohol rule, and the BMV fee page gives the reinstatement fee. The suspension lengths come from the 2026 ODPS driver training curriculum, which is guidance and not law. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Ohio BMV (bmv.ohio.gov) before you drive.

Which violations before 18 lead to which suspension class

Which violations before 18 lead to which suspension class
Violations before age 18	Suspension class	Which violations count
One OVI violation	Class D	A violation of Ohio Revised Code 4511.19 (the OVI section) or a similar city ordinance.
Two separate listed violations	Class E	Violations of the sections listed in Ohio Revised Code 4510.31, or similar city ordinances. Examples: the right-of-way rules at intersections and at stop and yield signs (4511.41, 4511.43) and stopping for a school bus (4511.75).
Three separate listed violations	Class C	The same listed sections.

How long the suspension lasts and what you must do first

The ODPS driver training curriculum says that temps and probationary license holders with two moving violations before age 18 get a 90-day suspension, and three moving violations mean one year. Certain traffic-related violations mean six months. For a juvenile, the judge or magistrate who hears the traffic case sets the consequences.
A conviction, a guilty plea and a finding in juvenile court all count. The BMV must suspend even if the juvenile case ends after your 18th birthday. When you get the notice, mail or deliver your permit or license to the BMV within 14 days. The BMV keeps it during the suspension.

What a court can do after a second or third violation

You want to drive during the suspension

If the suspension is for a second or third violation of the traffic sections named in Ohio Revised Code 4510.31(C), such as the right-of-way and school bus sections, you can petition the court for limited driving privileges. The court sets the purposes, times and places, and it may add conditions. For any suspension of temps or a probationary license under 18, the court may also allow you to practice driving with a parent, guardian or custodian.

A suspension would seriously affect your job, school, training or treatment

For a second or third violation of those traffic sections, the court may order the BMV to waive the suspension. Before sentence, you file a petition that explains the effect and show proof that you finished an advanced juvenile driver improvement program after that violation. The court must also find reasonable cause. The court decides.

You ask for a waiver of the suspension for a third violation

The waiver is not available if you filed a waiver petition for the second violation, or if the court waived the second violation suspension.

You are convicted of another listed violation or a violation of Ohio Revised Code Chapter 4510 while you have limited driving privileges

The court suspends the permit card for your limited driving privileges, and the BMV imposes a class C suspension of your temps or probationary license. No further limited driving privileges are granted during that suspension.

How to drive again after the suspension

1
Wait until the suspension period ends
No application for a driver's license is accepted until the suspension period has expired.
2
Get a new temporary instruction permit
A new TIPIC must be issued to you. The guide to getting temps in Ohio explains the permit steps.
3
Finish a juvenile driver improvement program
The program must be approved by the Ohio director of public safety.
4
Take the license examination again
You take the examination for a driver's license under Ohio Revised Code 4507.11. It includes a test of your knowledge of motor vehicle laws, such as stopping for school buses and phone use while driving, a test of your physical fitness to drive and a test of traffic control devices.

A ticket in the first six months of a probationary license

A teen can get a probationary license at 16 after holding temps for at least six months, as the TIPIC holding period question shows.
If the license was issued before age 17 and the teen has a moving violation in the first six months, the court may order a parent or guardian to ride along for up to six months, but not past age 17 (Ohio Revised Code 4507.071). After a first violation, the teen can petition the court to drive without them; after a second, the court may end that privilege. Breaking the court order is a minor misdemeanor. See the other limits in Ohio probationary license rules.

Alcohol convictions and the $40 reinstatement fee

The BMV says that for alcohol-related convictions, the license is suspended for at least six months.
The BMV lists a $40 (U.S. dollars) reinstatement fee for listed suspension types that run longer than 89 days or are indefinite at setup time. The list includes the codes P2 (probationary suspension, two violations), P3 (probationary suspension, three violations) and PD (probationary suspension, OVI).

Key takeaways

Before age 18, one OVI violation brings a class D suspension, two listed violations a class E suspension and three a class C suspension (Ohio Revised Code 4510.31).
The ODPS curriculum says 90 days for two moving violations and one year for three. Mail or deliver your license or permit to the BMV within 14 days of the notice.
After a second or third violation of the traffic sections named in Ohio Revised Code 4510.31(C), a court may grant limited driving privileges or waive the suspension if the conditions are met.
To drive again: wait until the suspension ends, get a new TIPIC, finish a juvenile driver improvement program and take the license examination again.
Next step: practice on the free Ohio temps (Class D knowledge) practice test.

Ohio teen suspension: common questions

Can a teen lose temps for a drug offense in Ohio?

Yes. If a juvenile court finds a teen under 18 to be an unruly child, a delinquent child or a juvenile traffic offender for an act that would be a drug abuse offense for an adult, the BMV imposes a class D suspension of the temps or probationary license. The BMV may end it early if the teen completes a drug or alcohol program that the court specifies.

What is a moving violation for a probationary license holder?

Under Ohio Revised Code 4507.071, it is any violation of a law or city ordinance that regulates how you operate a vehicle on streets and highways. It does not include pedestrian, parking, vehicle size or load, vehicle fitness or vehicle registration violations, or a violation of the safety belt section (Ohio Revised Code 4513.263).

What if a teen is convicted of OVI and has no permit or license?

If the teen is 16 or older, the BMV denies a permit or license for six months from the date of sentence. If the teen is under 16 on that date, the six months start on the 16th birthday. The rule applies to a guilty plea too (Ohio Revised Code 4510.31).

Can a teen drive during a suspension?

Only with limited driving privileges that a court grants. After a second or third violation of the traffic sections named in Ohio Revised Code 4510.31(C), the court can allow driving for set purposes, times and places. In any teen suspension, it can allow practice driving with a parent, guardian or custodian. A court cannot grant these privileges to a teen with three or more violations of an equivalent offense (Ohio Revised Code 4511.181) before 18.

What if a teen is already suspended when sentenced for OVI?

The OVI suspension does not start at once. Under Ohio Revised Code 4510.31, it takes effect on the day after the current suspension ends. The OVI suspension is a class D suspension, so the two suspensions come one after the other.