The IN licensing action explained
After a OWI arrest in Indiana, the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (in.gov) opens its own case against your driving privilege. It is administrative, it moves faster than the criminal case, and it is decided regardless of what the court later does with the charge.
Hearing requests, suspension notices, reinstatement fees and interlock paperwork.
Deadlines, forms and how the hearing is conducted.
How the IN agency runs the licence case
- A court may order the BMV to suspend driving privileges after an OWI arrest or conviction.
- Ind. Code § 9-25-6-15 sets a reinstatement fee that must be paid before privileges are restored.
- Required reinstatement and insurance forms are listed on the BMV's suspension and reinstatement pages.
- Specialised driving privileges may be available by petition to the sentencing court.
Indiana licence facts
Indiana OWI law at a glance
Sourced from the Indiana code and state agency sites. Verify current text before relying on it.
- Offense name
- OWI (Indiana)
- Controlling statute
- Ind. Code § 9-30-5-2
- Implied consent
- Ind. Code § 9-30-6-1
- Per se BAC limit
- 0.08 (0.04 CDL, 0.02 or lower under 21)
- First-offense fine
- up to $5,000
- First-offense jail exposure
- up to 1 year
- Licence suspension
- 6 months
- Ignition interlock
- Not automatic on a first offense
- Trial court
- the Superior Court or Circuit Court
- High-risk filing
- SR-22 for 3 years
A first offense is a misdemeanor; the suspension length depends on the charge level.
Getting the licence back
- Serve the full suspension or hard-suspension period the agency sets.
- Complete any ordered assessment, education or treatment programme.
- Install an ignition interlock device if the court or agency orders one.
- Indiana requires a SR-22 certificate of financial responsibility for 3 years before a licence is reinstated after a OWI conviction.
- Pay the reinstatement fee and any licence-issuance fee in full.
Fees and processing times change; confirm the current amounts on in.gov before you travel to an office.
Indiana ZIP codes covered
These Indiana ZIP-code pages carry the local court, filing and licensing detail for the area, and each one links back to this resource page.
Counties and cities using these Indiana resources
Counties
Other Indiana official resources
Frequently asked questions
- How long is a first-offense suspension in Indiana?
- A first OWI offense generally carries a 6 months suspension in Indiana. Reinstatement conditions, fees and any interlock requirement are set by the licensing agency.