Governor DeWine Highlights Significant Growth in Ohio Driver Education

(COLUMBUS, Ohio)— One year after expanding driver training requirements in Ohio to include all new drivers under the age of 21, Governor Mike DeWine announced on Friday unprecedented growth in Ohio driver education industry.

Effective September 30, 2025, new Ohio drivers ages 18, 19, and 20 must meet driver training requirements as a prerequisite to earning a driver’s license. Previous Ohio law only required driver training for those becoming licensed at 16 or 17 years old.

“To meet the increased need for training more drivers, Ohio’s driver training capacity expanded rapidly to meet demand,” said Governor DeWine. “The growth we are seeing shows how seriously Ohioans are taking road safety and how our training community is stepping up to meet this need.”

According to the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO):

• The number of licensed driving instructors grew by nearly 50% to more than 1,900 instructors since the law was signed.
• A total of 45 new driver training enterprises opened across the state, bringing the total to 225 driver training programs.
• An additional 25,000 people completed driver training before obtaining a standard driver’s license, a nearly 30% increase from the previous year.

Ohio is now on track to reach nearly 130,000 driver training certificates issued in 2026, which would be the highest number of certificates ever recorded in the state in a calendar year. This expected milestone would represent a 43% increase over the five-year average, reflecting strong statewide momentum and significant consumer response.

The expansion of driver training requirements builds on ongoing efforts by Governor DeWine and the Ohio Department of Public Safety to reduce roadway fatalities and expand access to training. This includes the Drive to Succeed scholarship program, which has already helped more than 10,000 low-income students statewide access driver education.

The growth of the driver training industry has also been reinforced by OTSO’s Instructor Development Grant, which assists in training and credentialing new instructors, and the Instructor Incentive Program, which rewards and retains high-performing instructors.

RoadReady Ohio App: One Year of Safer Driving Support

September also marked the one-year anniversary of RoadReady Ohio, the state-supported mobile app that helps new drivers and families log practice hours, build driving skills, and prepare for licensure.

According to OTSO, the app was downloaded more than 81,000 times in its first year – an average of over 221 downloads each day. The app syncs directly with the Ohio BMV to generate verified driving logs after the required 50 hours of supervised practice are completed.

“The goal is simple: to give every new driver the skills and confidence they need to stay safe,” said OTSO Director Emily Davidson. “This high-tech tool helps new drivers build safe habits not just during their first year on the road, but for every mile they drive.”

Developed in partnership with J.F. Griffin, RoadReady Ohio uses telematics to score driving behavior – including braking, acceleration, and speed – and provides real-time tips to build safer habits. Ohio was the first state in the nation to leverage this technology as part of its driver training framework.