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Shoro.aiThe Indiana BMV written test is available in 19 languages. The road test is English only.
This catches people off guard constantly. You study in your native language, pass the written exam, then realize the examiner only speaks English. Plan ahead.
The written knowledge exam is available in 19 languages at Indiana BMV branches: Arabic, Burmese, Chin, French, German, Haitian Creole, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Polish, Punjabi, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and ASL video. The road test is English only with zero exceptions, no interpreter is permitted in the vehicle during examination.
Language selection is made at the kiosk before the test begiiana BMV branches. The road test has zero language options: English only.
Written Knowledge Test languages:
No changes to this language list have been announced for 2026. If your language isn't listed, request an interpreter for the written test only.
Check Indiana BMV knowledge test locations to find a branch that offers testing in your preferred language.
Interpreters are permitted for the written knowledge test only. Schedule the appointment online in advance and have the interpreter complete State Form 42065 (interpreter affidavit) at the branch. The interpreter may only translate the screen text verbatim, explaining, clarifying, or paraphrasing an answer is strictly prohibited and triggers immediate test termination. No interpreter of any kind is allowed in the vehicle during the road test.
Interpreters are allowed for the written test but prohibited during the road test. Safety regulations prevent any third party from being in the vehicle during examination.
Written test interpreter rules:
Road test restrictions:
Review the full Indiana BMV learner's permit requirements for additional accommodation details.
The BMV offers testing accommodations for applicants with documented disabilities. Submit Medical Certification Form 54879 before your appointment.
Accommodations may include extended time, oral testing, or modified equipment. See our guide on Indiana permits for applicants with disabilities for the full process.
The 50-question knowledge test displays on screen in your selected language, study in your native language and test in it too. Road test commands are spoken in English only: "turn left," "change lanes," "parallel park," "back up," "yield." Indiana requires drivers to understand English road signs and communicate with law enforcement, which is the legal basis for the English-only road test rule.
Written instructions display on screen in your chosen language. Verbal road test instructions are spoken in English: no exceptions.
If you're a parent who doesn't speak English, your teen can complete the permit process independently once old enough.
Practice verbal commands with a fluent English speaker before your road test date. Misunderstanding an examiner's spoken command triggers automatic failure. Disobeying a traffic signal, failing to respond correctly to examiner directions, and not wearing a seatbelt are all automatic failures. Practice English driving commands with your supervising driver before the road test, a command misunderstood due to language barrier produces the same result as a command ignored.
You must recognize the examiner's basic operational and maneuver vocabulary before showing up.
Commands you must understand:
Automatic failures include:
You can ask the examiner to clarify instructions before the test starts. Practice English commands with your supervising driver: an automatic failure for misunderstanding directions is a frustrating way to lose.
Complete State Form 39071 vehicle checklist before your appointment. If you're under 18, bring your completed 50-hour practice driving log (State Form 39069) as proof of supervised driving experience.
A Burmese speaker at the Fort Wayne Anthony Blvd branch can take the full written test in Burmese, then must understand English commands like "yield" and "back up" for the road test with no interpreter in the vehicle. A Russian speaker in Indianapolis can bring a family member interpreter for the written test after signing the affidavit, but that interpreter cannot enter the vehicle for the driving exam.
Here's what the accommodation process actually looks like for non-English speakers across Indiana.
Indiana's bilingual test vs. oral exam confusion caught one Evansville applicant off guard, requested a bilingual knowledge test thinking it covered oral exam accommodations too. Completely separate processes; the oral exam requires its own ADA form submitted 5 days in advance and is handled by a different Indiana BMV team. Assuming one substitutes for the other costs you the entire appointment with no same-day remedy.
At the South Bend BMV, an applicant's ADA accommodation record didn't migrate to the branch system despite correct advance submission. A supervisor verified it by confirmation number and the test proceeded same afternoon. Save your accommodation submission confirmation number in your phone until after the test is completed, it's the fastest resolution tool when records don't transfer correctly between BMV systems.
Schedule your road test for a mid-morning weekday at less busy branches like Bloomington. Afternoon queues rush examiners. Stress increases mistakes.
Triple-check your vehicle's brake lights, turn signals, and registration before your appointment at any branch. Equipment failures mean immediate cancellation and weeks of rescheduling delays. Find your nearest BMV branch location to confirm testing availability.
For more details about Indiana permit test language options, see our full guide.
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