If you are considering getting your Ohio driver’s license, you may be wondering how much does driving school cost in Ohio?

After all, driver’s ed is a requirement in Ohio for everyone under 18 years old. So if you want to get your license, you’re going to need to understand the costs.

In this post, we’ll cover the general costs of driving schools in Ohio as well as the overall costs associated with getting your Ohio driver’s license.

The Cost of Classroom Instruction

Step one in getting your Ohio driver’s license is to complete your 24 hours of classroom instruction. According to Mary at the Ohio BMV, “Classroom is something of a misnomer as you can complete these hours online.” In fact, several of the BMV-approved driving schools in Ohio offer this course online.

Most driving schools in Ohio charge somewhere around $100 for the 24-hour course instruction course, but you can sometimes find special offers to get your driving education course for less than $50.

The Cost of Getting a Temporary Instruction Permit

Once you complete your 24-hour Ohio driver’s ed course, you’ll be eligible to take your written permit test at your local BMV site and apply for your Temporary Instruction Permit Identification Card (TIPIC). While this step is technically not part of “driving school,” it does come with a cost you should be aware of. There is a $23.50 temporary permit packet fee that will be due when you submit your application for your TIPIC.

The Cost of Behind-the-Wheel Driving Instruction

The state of Ohio requires eight hours of driving instruction through one of the BMV-approved driving schools in Ohio. This instruction is often divided into four two-hour lessons or eight one-hour lessons.

As you can imagine, it can get expensive paying for behind-the-wheel instruction because you have to pay for eight hours of a professional driving instructor’s time. And driving schools need to pay for overhead costs like gas, vehicle maintenance, and insurance on top of the instructor’s time.

The pricing varies at different driving schools in Ohio, but you can usually find an eight-hour behind-the-wheel course for around $300-$400.

The Cost of 50 Hours of Driving Practice

While this isn’t technically part of the driver’s ed requirement, you should know you’ll need to spend at least 50 hours driving with a licensed adult before you can get your own Ohio driver’s license. Fifty hours of driving naturally comes with costs of its own, like gas and vehicle maintenance.

But here’s the good news: this driving expense doesn’t have to be an additional expense. Just chauffeur your supervising driver to the places he or she already needs to go instead of making extra trips. Running errands, going to and from appointments, taking a weekend trip... you might even be able to carpool to work and school if the buildings are close enough to walk between.

The Cost of Getting Your Driver’s License

Just like there was a processing fee for your temporary permit, there is a processing fee for your Ohio driver’s license. This fee depends on your age. Sixteen-year-olds pay $25.75, and the price drops slightly for each age group until it hits $20.75 for 20-year-olds. At 21 and over, the price increases slightly to $24.50.

Is an Ohio Driver’s License Worth the Cost?

So how much does driving school cost in Ohio? The driving school itself will cost somewhere around $350-$500. The processing fees will add around $50 to that cost. And as long as you plan your 50 hours of driving practice around your supervising driver’s existing driving habits, you won’t incur any additional expenses for extra gas and car maintenance.

Now, is this $400-$550 total cost worth it? For most people, absolutely yes! While a few of Ohio’s big cities offer reliable systems of public transportation, most of the state is only accessible by car. And having a license gives you the freedom to get where you need to go. This freedom will be invaluable as you go to school, get a job, and enjoy your social life.