Your teen has a learner’s permit, and you want to know who can ride along and what that person is responsible for. Here’s the short answer: for a driver under 18, the supervising driver must be a licensed relative at least 25, a licensed spouse at least 21, a licensed driving school instructor or a certified driver rehabilitation specialist. They need a valid license and must sit in the front passenger seat.
Every hour they supervise counts toward the 50 hours of practice, at least 10 of them at night, that the BMV’s driver’s license page requires before a license.
The rule to follow
Before the car moves, check two things: the person next to your teen is someone Indiana allows, and they’re in the front passenger seat. The BMV’s driver education page lists who qualifies, and the Indiana Driver’s Manual adds that their driving privileges must be valid: not expired, suspended or revoked.
Why it matters
Hours with someone who doesn’t qualify don’t count. A parent or guardian signs the Log of Supervised Driving, State Form 54706, to certify the hours were driven with an eligible supervising driver, and the form warns that a false statement may count as perjury.
How it works in practice
- 25 or older, and family. A licensed driver at least 25 who is related to your teen by blood, marriage or legal status can supervise. That covers parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles.
- 21 for a spouse. A permit holder’s licensed spouse can supervise from age 21.
- Front passenger seat, every drive. The Driver’s Manual puts the supervising driver in the front passenger seat, whoever they are.
- Instructors count too. A licensed driver training school instructor, or a certified driver rehabilitation specialist recognized by the BMV, can supervise a driver under 18.
- 18 and older is simpler. A new driver 18 or older can practice with any licensed driver at least 25, or a licensed spouse at least 21.
What the practice gets you
Hours that count, and a log you can sign with confidence. Your teen also gets practice with more than one experienced driver, and each one notices different things.
Frequently asked questions
Can a grandparent be a supervising driver in Indiana?
Yes. A grandparent who is licensed, has valid driving privileges and is at least 25 can supervise, as long as they sit in the front passenger seat.
Can an older brother or sister supervise a permit driver?
Only if they’re at least 25 and licensed. A sibling who is younger than 25 can’t supervise a driver under 18.
Can a family friend supervise practice hours?
Not for a driver under 18, unless the friend is a licensed driving school instructor or a certified driver rehabilitation specialist. A teen in the care of the Department of Child Services can also drive with a licensed adult 25 or older whom the department approves.
Who signs the 50-hour log?
For a driver under 18, a parent or legal guardian signs the log’s affirmation. A driver 18 or older signs it themselves.
What Drive Now offers
Drive Now is a free app run with Simmons Driving School in Terre Haute. Parents and instructors link to a student in the app, and students accept almost every request: 293 of the 294 they answered between August 18 and October 29, 2026, half of them within an hour. Drives with any linked supervisor go on one log. When the hours are done, the app fills in State Form 54706 for a parent to sign, and the Indiana BMV accepts the Drive Now app log.