Indiana driving law, answered
Every answer here comes from Indiana Driver's Manual and, where the manual is silent, the Indiana Code: IC 9-13: General Provisions and Definitions, IC 9-17: Certificates of Title, IC 9-18.1: Motor Vehicle Registration, IC 9-18.5: Distinctive License Plates, IC 9-19: Motor Vehicle Equipment, IC 9-21: Traffic Regulation, IC 9-24: Drivers Licenses, IC 9-25: Financial Responsibility, IC 9-26: Accidents and Accident Reports, IC 9-30: General Penalty Provisions, IC 7.1-5-7: Minors (alcoholic beverages), IC 35-45-3: Littering and Pollution, with the page or the section it is in.
Statutes fetched on 7 October 2026; manuals fetched on 14 September 2026. How the answers are made
How far from a fire hydrant must you park?
You may not park within 15 feet of a fire hydrant or in a fire lane. Firefighters need to reach the hydrant at once, and a parked car can block the hose.
Within 15 feet of a fire hydrant or in fire lanes
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far from a crosswalk at an intersection must you park?
(6) Within twenty (20) feet of a crosswalk at an intersection.
Indiana law, Ind. Code § 9-21-16-5(6)
As of 7 Oct 2026
How far from a stop sign or traffic signal must you park?
(7) Within thirty (30) feet upon the approach to any flashing beacon, stop sign, or traffic control signal located at the side of a roadway.
Indiana law, Ind. Code § 9-21-16-5(7)
As of 7 Oct 2026
How far from a fire station driveway must you park?
(10) Within twenty (20) feet of the driveway entrance to a fire station and, on the side of a street opposite the entrance to a fire station, within seventy-five (75) feet of the entrance (when properly sign posted).
Indiana law, Ind. Code § 9-21-16-5(10)
As of 7 Oct 2026
How close to the curb must you park?
(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) and except where angle parking is permitted by local ordinance for streets under local control and by order of the Indiana department of transportation on streets and highways in the state highway system, including routes through cities and towns, a vehicle stopped or parked upon a roadway where there is an adjacent curb must be stopped or parked with the right-hand wheels of the vehicle parallel with and within twelve (12) inches of the right-hand curb.
Indiana law, Ind. Code § 9-21-16-7(a)
As of 7 Oct 2026
When must you stop for a school bus with flashing red lights?
You must stop when you approach a school bus with its red lights flashing and stop arm out. Children cross the road at the bus, and they are hard to see around it.
You must stop when you approach a school bus with flashing red lights activated and stop arm extended.
As of 14 Sep 2026
What must you do when passing a stopped emergency vehicle with flashing lights?
When approaching an emergency vehicle with flashing red, red and white, or red and blue lights, change lanes away from it; if you cannot, slow to 10 mph under the posted limit and proceed with caution. Officers and medics working beside traffic are killed by drivers who pass too close and too fast.
If you cannot move over, the motorists shall reduce their speed to 10 mph under the posted limit and proceed with caution.
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far behind a fire truck answering an alarm may you follow?
(a) A person who drives a vehicle that is not on official business for the state, a unit of government, a fire department, including a volunteer fire department, a law enforcement agency, or an emergency ambulance service may not do any of the following: (1) Follow any fire apparatus traveling in response to a fire alarm at a distance closer than five hundred (500) feet. (2) Drive into or park a vehicle within the block where fire apparatus has stopped in answer to a fire alarm.
Indiana law, Ind. Code § 9-21-12-7(a)
As of 7 Oct 2026
When must you turn on your headlights?
Headlights must be on between sunset and sunrise and whenever visibility is less than 500 feet. Lights help others see you as much as they help you see the road.
Drivers must use headlights between sunset and sunrise as well as at any other time in which visibility is less than 500 feet.
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far from an oncoming vehicle must you dim your high beams?
Use low beams when within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle. High beams blind oncoming drivers, who may then drift into your lane.
When headlights are on, lower headlight beams must be used when approaching within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle or when following within 200 feet of the rear of another vehicle.
As of 14 Sep 2026
Who must wear a seat belt?
Indiana law requires every person in a moving vehicle that has seat belts to wear one. In a crash, a belt keeps you in your seat instead of being thrown into the windshield or out of the car.
Indiana law requires a driver and all passengers to use seat belts at all times when a vehicle is in operation.
As of 14 Sep 2026
When must a child ride in a car seat?
Passengers younger than 8 must be secured in a child restraint system such as a car seat or booster seat. Adult belts do not fit small bodies. A car seat or booster holds a child where the belt can protect them.
Passengers younger than eight years of age are required by law to be properly secured in a child restraint system such as a child car seat or booster seat.
As of 14 Sep 2026
What is the legal blood alcohol limit for adult drivers?
In Indiana it is a crime to drive while intoxicated or with a blood alcohol concentration over the legal limit of .08. Alcohol slows reactions and dulls judgment long before a driver feels drunk.
Operating a vehicle while intoxicated or with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in excess of the legal limit (.08) is a criminal offense and has an immediate effect on your privilege to operate a vehicle.
As of 14 Sep 2026
What is the blood alcohol limit for drivers under 21?
(a) A person who: (1) is less than twenty-one (21) years of age; and (2) operates a vehicle with an alcohol concentration equivalent to at least two-hundredths (0.02) gram but less than eight-hundredths (0.08) gram of alcohol per: (A) one hundred (100) milliliters of the person's blood; or (B) two hundred ten (210) liters of the person's breath; commits a Class C infraction.
Indiana law, Ind. Code § 9-30-5-8.5(a)
As of 7 Oct 2026
May you use a handheld phone while driving?
Indiana law bars using a phone or other telecommunications device while driving unless it is hands-free or you are calling 911 in an emergency. Holding a phone takes your hand off the wheel and your eyes off the road at the same time.
The only exceptions to this prohibition are when hands-free communication is enabled or if the telecommunications device is being used to contact 911 for a bona fide emergency.
As of 14 Sep 2026
May you text while driving?
Indiana law bars using a phone or other telecommunications device while driving unless it is hands-free or you are calling 911 in an emergency. Holding a phone takes your hand off the wheel and your eyes off the road at the same time.
The only exceptions to this prohibition are when hands-free communication is enabled or if the telecommunications device is being used to contact 911 for a bona fide emergency.
As of 14 Sep 2026
May you turn right on a red light?
To turn right on a red light where allowed, come to a full stop, check that no vehicles or pedestrians are in your path, and make sure no No Turn on Red sign is posted. A right on red is a privilege, not a right, so you must stop and let everyone with a green go first.
To turn right through an intersection with a red light or arrow, when permissible, you must come to a full stop, check to make sure that there are no vehicles and pedestrians in the path of your turn or about to enter the path of your turn, check that there is not a “No Turn on Red” sign and use the correct lane.
As of 14 Sep 2026
May you turn left on a red light onto a one-way street?
You may turn left on a red light only from a one-way street onto another one-way street, after a full stop and with the way clear. Turning left from a one-way street onto another crosses no oncoming lane, which is why it can be allowed.
You may turn left through an intersection with a red light or arrow if you are turning from a one-way street onto a one-way street.
As of 14 Sep 2026
Where are U-turns not allowed?
Never make a U-turn on a curve or when approaching the crest of a hill. Cars coming around the curve or over the hill cannot see you turning across the road.
Never make a U-turn on a curve in the road or when approaching the crest of a hill or grade
As of 14 Sep 2026
What is the speed limit on a residential street when no sign is posted?
In most urban residential areas, vehicles may not go faster than 30 mph or the posted limit. Neighborhoods have children, parked cars and people walking, all of which need time to react to.
In most urban residential areas, vehicles may not exceed 30 miles per hour or the posted speed limit
As of 14 Sep 2026
What is the speed limit on a highway outside town when no sign is posted?
On a non-divided state highway, vehicles may not go faster than 55 mph or the posted limit. With nothing between you and oncoming traffic, a head-on crash is always possible.
On a non-divided state highway, vehicles may not exceed 55 miles per hour or the posted speed limit
As of 14 Sep 2026
What is the speed limit in a school zone?
Near a school you must slow to the lower posted school-zone limit, commonly in effect 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays or when the beacons flash. Children arrive and leave at these hours and may run into the street without looking.
Common hours for school zone speed limits are 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday or when school speed limit beacons are flashing.
As of 14 Sep 2026
When may you pass another vehicle on the right?
(b) A person who drives a vehicle may overtake and pass another vehicle upon the right only under conditions that permit overtaking upon the right in safety. Overtaking upon the right may not be made by driving off the roadway.
Indiana law, Ind. Code § 9-21-8-6(b)
As of 7 Oct 2026
May you have an open container of alcohol in the car?
(b) A person in a motor vehicle who, while the motor vehicle is in operation or while the motor vehicle is located on the right-of-way of a public highway, possesses a container: (1) that has been opened; (2) that has a broken seal; or (3) from which some of the contents have been removed; in the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle commits a Class C infraction.
Indiana law, Ind. Code § 9-30-15-3(b)
As of 7 Oct 2026
How old must you be to get a learner's permit?
To get a learner's permit before turning 16, you must be at least 15 and enrolled with a BMV-licensed driver training school. Starting younger is allowed only when a trained instructor is part of your learning from the start.
Be at least 15 years of age and show proof of your enrollment in a BMV licensed behind-the-wheel training provider by presenting a Certificate of Driver Education Enrollment from the driver training school.
As of 14 Sep 2026
How long must you hold a learner's permit before a license?
A new driver must hold a valid Indiana learner's permit for at least 180 days before getting a license. Six months of supervised driving lets you meet many kinds of roads, weather and traffic before you drive alone.
You must hold a valid (not expired, suspended, or revoked) Indiana learner’s permit for at least 180 days, or
As of 14 Sep 2026
Who must ride with you when you drive on a learner's permit?
A permit driver who is 18 or older may drive only with a licensed driver at least 25 years old, or a licensed spouse at least 21. An adult learner still needs an experienced driver beside them. Being 18 does not make up for having no time behind the wheel.
You may practice driving with a learner’s permit only when accompanied by a licensed driver with valid (not expired, suspended, or revoked) driving privileges who is at least 25 years of age, or with your spouse provided he or she is licensed and at least 21 years of age or older.
As of 14 Sep 2026
What hours may a provisional driver not drive?
After 180 days on a probationary license, a driver under 18 may not drive after 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. Weeknight limits keep young drivers off the road during the late hours when crashes are more likely.
Sunday through Thursday after 11 p.m.
As of 14 Sep 2026
How many passengers may a new provisional driver carry?
For the first 180 days with a probationary license, you may not carry passengers unless a licensed adult 25 or older, a licensed spouse 21 or older, or a driving instructor sits in the front seat. Friends in the car are a big distraction for a new driver, and the chance of a crash goes up with each one.
You may not drive with any passengers for the first 180 days after obtaining your probationary driver’s license unless one of the following individuals is seated in your vehicle’s front passenger seat:
As of 14 Sep 2026
What is the penalty for littering from a vehicle?
(a) A person who recklessly, knowingly, or intentionally places or leaves refuse on property of another person, except in a container provided for refuse, commits littering, a Class B infraction. However, the offense is a Class A infraction if the refuse: (1) is placed or left in, on, or within one hundred (100) feet of a body of water that is under the jurisdiction of the department of natural resources or United States Army Corps of Engineers; or (2) is placed in a cave (as defined in IC 35-43-1-2). Notwithstanding IC 34-28-5-4(a), a judgment of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) shall be imposed for each Class A infraction committed under this section.
Indiana law, Ind. Code § 35-45-3-2(a)
As of 7 Oct 2026
When must you install an ignition interlock after a drunk-driving conviction?
A court may require an ignition interlock device, which tests the driver's blood alcohol before the car will start. The device stops a driver who has been drinking from starting the car at all.
The court may also require the installation of an ignition interlock device, which mechanically tests the driver’s blood alcohol level before his or her car can be started.
As of 14 Sep 2026
Who must wear a protective helmet while operating or riding a motorcycle?
(b) An individual less than eighteen (18) years of age who is operating or riding on a motorcycle or motor driven cycle on the streets or highways shall do the following: (1) Wear a helmet that meets the standards established by the United States Department of Transportation under 49 CFR 571.218 as in effect January 1, 1979. (2) Wear protective glasses, goggles, or transparent face shields.
Indiana law, Ind. Code § 9-19-7-1(b)
As of 7 Oct 2026
How much light must a tinted side or rear window let through?
(c) A person may not drive a motor vehicle that has a: (1) windshield; (2) side wing; (3) side window that is part of a front door; or (4) rear back window; that is covered by or treated with sunscreening material or is tinted with material that has a total solar reflectance of visible light of more than twenty-five percent (25%) as measured on the nonfilm side and light transmittance of less than thirty percent (30%) in the visible light range.
Indiana law, Ind. Code § 9-19-19-4(c)
As of 7 Oct 2026
How much distance must you leave when passing a bicycle?
You may pass a bicyclist when there is a safe amount of room, at least three feet, and no danger from oncoming traffic. A gust of wind or a pothole can make a bicyclist wobble, so leave a cushion.
Drivers may pass a bicyclist when there is a safe amount of room beside the bicyclist (minimum three feet) and when there is no danger from oncoming traffic
As of 14 Sep 2026
Must a vehicle driving slower than other traffic keep to the right lane?
(b) Upon all roadways, a vehicle proceeding at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place under the conditions then existing shall be driven: (1) in the right-hand lane then available for traffic; or (2) as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway; except when overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction or when preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.
Indiana law, Ind. Code § 9-21-8-2(b)
As of 7 Oct 2026
What is the minimum liability insurance coverage for bodily injury or death of one person and property damage?
Indiana's minimum insurance covers $25,000 for injury or death of one person in a crash. The minimum sets a floor on what an injured person can recover from a driver who caused the crash.
The state minimum insurance standard is $25,000 for bodily injury to, or the death of, one individual;
As of 14 Sep 2026
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