Indiana Driving Laws 2026: Speed Limits, DUI BAC Limits and BMV Road Rules for the Written Test

What is the speed limit in Indiana on an urban road when no sign is posted? Indiana sets 30 mph in urban districts, 55 mph on other roads, and 70 mph on rural interstates. The BMV knowledge test is 34 questions. DUI (called OWI in Indiana): 0.08% adults, 0.02% under-21. Headlights required 30 minutes after sunset and when visibility is under 500 feet. All drivers must use hands-free devices, handheld phone use is prohibited.

1. Speed Limits in Indiana

Indiana separates speed limits by road type and urban vs. rural classification, and urban areas are defined as having at least 50,000 people. Work zones are always at least 10 mph below the areas posted limit. Heres the full statutory breakdown:

Key test point: Indianas handbook notes that crash severity increases with speed at impact, and the effectiveness of safety belts and air bags declines as speed increases. Rural interstate is 70 mph for passenger cars but only 65 for heavy trucks, a distinction tested on the BMV exam. Work zone speed limits are always at least 10 mph below the areas normal maximum.

2. Right-of-Way: Who Goes First

Indianas BMV knowledge test hits right-of-way hard, especially at 4-way stops, roundabouts, and pedestrian crossings. The principle holds across every scenario: right-of-way is something you yield, never something you demand.

4-way stop (all arrive at once)

Driver to the right

4-way stop (one arrives first)

Driver who arrived first

Roundabout / traffic circle

Vehicles already inside the circle

Emergency vehicles (lights/siren)

Emergency vehicle, pull to the right and stop

Pedestrians in crosswalk

Pedestrians always

T-intersection (no signs)

Through road traffic; drivers on the dead-end must yield

Yield sign

Cross traffic and pedestrians always

Merging onto a highway

Traffic already on the highway

3. Turns: 200 vs 300-Foot Signal Rule

Indiana requires signaling at least 200 feet before any turn or lane change, and if the posted speed limit is 50 mph or more, that extends to 300 feet. Right turns on red are generally permitted after a full stop. Heres how every turn scenario breaks down under Indiana law:

Right turn on red

Permitted after a full stop unless a sign prohibits it. Yield to pedestrians and cross traffic.

No right turn on red

When posted, you must wait for a green light before turning right.

Left turn on red

Only allowed from a one-way street onto another one-way street, after a full stop.

Left turn from two-way street

Start from the left lane; end in the left lane of the cross street.

Right turn

Stay as close to the right curb as possible; end in the right lane.

U-turns

Legal where not prohibited by a sign; must not interfere with traffic. Illegal in Indiana wherever signs prohibit it, where the turn cannot be completed safely, or where it creates a hazard for other vehicles. An improper U-turn carries 4 points on your BMV record.

4. Lane Rules & Line Markings

Indianas straight, flat roads can lull drivers into complacency about lane discipline, but the BMV exam tests every marking. On multi-lane roads, knowing which lines you can cross and when, and how the shared center turn lane works, is essential.

Center turn lane (CTSL)

Used only to begin or complete a left turn; not for through travel or merging. You may travel no more than 300 feet in the CTSL.

Solid white line

Do not cross; marks the edge of the road or a lane that should not be changed.

Solid yellow line (your side)

No passing allowed.

Broken yellow line

Passing allowed when safe.

Solid + Broken yellow centerline

Passing allowed only on the broken-line side.

5. Passing Another Vehicle

Indianas long, flat two-lane rural roads can make passing look easy, but the rules are firm, and a wrong decision on a rural Indiana highway can be fatal. Heres what the BMV manual requires:

• Only pass on the left, using the oncoming lane, when it is safe and legal.
• Do not pass within 100 feet of an intersection, railroad crossing, bridge, or curve where your view is limited. Look for the No Passing Zone pennant sign.
• The vehicle being passed must not speed up while you are overtaking.
• Return to your lane before coming within 200 feet of oncoming traffic.
• Never pass a stopped school bus with flashing red lights, this applies in both directions on undivided roads.
• You may pass on the right only when the vehicle ahead is turning left and there is a usable lane to the right.

6. Following Distance

Indiana makes following too closely a 6-point violation, one of the highest single-offense point values in the states point system. The 3-second rule is your baseline under normal conditions. On Indianas interstates behind semi-trucks, leave extra space, the BMV manual is explicit about truck blind zones.

7. School Buses & Emergency Vehicles

Indianas school bus rules and the Move Over law are both tested on the BMV knowledge exam. Indiana school buses may have a maximum speed of 40 mph on non-interstate roads, and you must stop when their red lights flash, in both directions on undivided roads.

School Buses

• When a school bus stops with flashing red lights and an extended stop arm, all traffic in both directions must stop on undivided roads.
• On roads with a true median or physical barrier, only traffic behind the bus must stop, oncoming traffic may proceed.
• A center turn lane does not count as a divider. On 4+ lane roads without a raised median or barrier, all directions must stop.
• You must remain stopped until the red lights stop flashing and the stop arm is retracted.
• Illegally passing a stopped school bus in Indiana carries significant fines and points on your BMV record. You must remain stopped until the red lights stop flashing and the stop arm is retracted.
• Railroad crossings: School buses must stop at ALL railroad crossings, with or without passengers, even if no lights are flashing and no train is visible. This is a frequently tested rule.

Emergency Vehicles

• When you see or hear an emergency vehicle (police, fire, ambulance) with lights or siren: pull to the right edge of the road and stop. Do not block intersections.
• Move Over Law (Indiana): When approaching a stationary emergency vehicle or tow truck with flashing lights on a multi-lane road, move one lane away from the vehicle when it is safe to do so. If a lane change is not possible, slow down and proceed with caution.

8. OWI Laws & BAC Limits

Indiana does not use DUI, it is called OWI (Operating While Intoxicated), and that is the exact term the BMV knowledge test uses. Know the difference. Refusing a chemical test in Indiana does not protect you, a first-time refusal triggers an automatic 1-year suspension before any court outcome, and a prior OWI conviction makes that 2 years.

9. Seat Belts & Child Seats

Indiana requires all drivers and passengers to wear seat belts at all times, no exceptions based on seat position. The BMV manual puts it in terms of survivability: seat belts increase the chance of survival by 45% and cut serious injury risk by 50%. Failure to use a seat belt is also a 2-point violation.

10. Where You Cannot Park

Indianas parking rules include a specific rule about accessible parking spaces that is unique and frequently tested: parking in the diagonally striped area next to a disability space is prohibited, even if you have a valid placard. Heres the full list of illegal parking areas:

• Within 15 feet of a fire hydrant
• Within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection
• Within 30 feet of a stop sign, yield sign, or traffic signal
• Within 50 feet of a railroad crossing
• On a sidewalk, in front of a driveway, or on a bridge
• In a no-parking zone or alongside a curb painted yellow or red
• Double parking (alongside a vehicle already parked at the curb)
• Headed downhill: turn wheels toward the curb. Headed uphill with a curb: turn wheels away from curb. Uphill without a curb: turn wheels toward the shoulder.

11. Driving in Bad Weather

Indianas flat terrain and river systems create persistent fog hazards, especially in the Ohio River bottoms, along the Wabash, and in low-lying areas around Indianapolis. Winter brings lake-effect snow from Lake Michigan into Northwest Indiana. The BMV manual covers each scenario:

• Headlights required in Indiana from sunset to sunrise and whenever visibility is less than 500 feet. Use low beams, never parking lights, when headlights are needed.
• In heavy fog, use low beams, high beams reflect off fog and reduce visibility.
• If you start to hydroplane, ease off the gas gently. Do not brake hard or turn sharply.
• In icy conditions, brake gently well in advance. Start slowing earlier than normal. Leave extra following distance.
• If your car goes into a skid, steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go. Do not overcorrect.
• Never use cruise control on wet, icy, or slippery roads.

12. Points & License Suspensions

Indianas BMV Point Study Committee assigns point values based on the severity and history of violations. Points stay on your record for 2 years from the conviction date. You can earn a 4-point credit by completing a BMV-approved Driver Safety Program, once every 3 years. Heres how the point system works:

Note: A BMV-approved Driver Safety Program (DSP) course provides a 4-point credit, one credit per 3-year period. Maximum fee is $55. The BMV may require drivers 21+ with 2+ traffic convictions in 12 months to complete a DSP. Failure to complete within 90 days of BMV notice results in suspension.

13. Headlight Rules

Indianas headlight dimming rule is distinct: 500 feet for oncoming traffic but only 200 feet when following another vehicle, not 300 feet as in some other states. That difference is a standard BMV exam question:

Key test point: Indianas rule is 500 feet for oncoming traffic and 200 feet when following, not 300. This is the most commonly missed headlight question on the Indiana BMV exam. Also: failure to use headlights is a 2-point violation in Indiana.

14. Night Driving

Indianas flat terrain means headlights can be seen for great distances, but they also mean glare from oncoming vehicles carries far. The BMV manual specifically addresses how to handle high-beam glare on Indianas rural roads. Indiana has consistently high deer-vehicle collision rates, especially during OctoberDecember mating season.

15. Cell Phones & Distracted Driving

Indiana prohibits holding a telecommunication device while operating a vehicle. The ban covers not just texting but all handheld use, calls, internet, navigation if held. Hands-free operation is permitted. The BMV manual notes that repeatedly flashing headlights is a form of aggressive driving, do not use it to intimidate other drivers.

Key test point: Indianas handheld device ban covers all use, not just texting. Holding the phone for any reason while driving is prohibited. The BMV manual also specifically calls out repeatedly flashing headlights as an aggressive driving behavior, do not use it.

16. Railroad Crossings

Indiana is a major rail corridor state, Union Pacific, CSX, and Norfolk Southern freight lines cross thousands of public roads. The BMV knowledge test expects you to know the exact 1550 foot stop range and which vehicles must always stop at crossings, regardless of signals.

Key test point: Never drive around or under a lowered crossing gate, it is illegal and extremely dangerous. Wait until gates are fully raised and all tracks are clear.

17. How to Drive a Roundabout

Indiana has embraced roundabouts across its highway network, from suburban Indianapolis intersections to rural state highway junctions across central and northern Indiana. The BMV tests them directly. The rule that trips everyone: entering traffic yields to vehicles already inside the roundabout, every single time.

Key test point: The most common wrong answer on roundabout questions is thinking you have right-of-way when entering. You never do, yield to traffic already inside.