Lawmakers advance bill to raise driving age

Published 8:56 am Thursday, October 31, 2019

COLUMBUS (AP) — Ohio teenagers hoping to get behind the wheel will have to wait a bit longer under a bill that will undergo a full House vote.

The Ohio House Transportation and Public Safety Committee voted 11-to-4 on Tuesday to advance a bill that would raise the minimum age to get a probationary driver’s license from 16 to 16  1/2.

The current eligibility age for a learner’s permit will remain at 15  1/2 but the new bill will require the individual to hold that permit for one year before they can get their license, instead of six months.

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Under the new law, a new driver will be able to bypass the probationary license process when they turn 18.

A similar bill was introduced in November 2017 but failed.