Contributed
NEW OWNERS — Bethany and Josh Baxter, who recently purchased AmeriDrive driving school locations in Wintersville and St. Clairsville, hold their daughter, Lizzie Baxter.
ST. CLAIRSVILLE — A new law takes effect at the end of the month that will require new Ohio drivers up to age 21 to complete a full driver’s education course.
Beginning Sept. 30, those seeking their first driver’s license will be required to take an Ohio-approved driver training course and complete 50 hours of driving practice supervised by a licensed adult. This Class D training aligns with the training requirements that remain in effect for youth ages 16 and 17. The training must be completed before scheduling a driving test with an Ohio Driver License Examiner, according to the Ohio Traffic Safety Office.
AmeriDrive Driving School co-owner Bethany Baxter said the change was prompted by information provided by crash statistics.
“In the past, it’s always been that the crash statistics, the most crashes that happened were younger ages like 18 and below,” Baxter said. “From what I’ve heard, for the first time, it’s now an older age group that has had the most crashes, which is the 19 to like 20-something range.”
Baxter and her husband, Josh, purchased AmeriDrive locations in Wintersville and St. Clairsville in January.
Josh began his employment at the driving school in 2020, working a second job as a driving instructor while Bethany was pregnant with their daughter, Lizzie. Following her pregnancy, Bethany began working in the office at AmeriDrive.
After 24 years in business, previous owner Mary Lyons was looking to retire and asked the Baxters if they would be interested in purchasing the driving school. Bethany Baxter said that purchasing the business made perfect sense for her family.
After the start of 2025, the Baxters took full ownership of both locations.
Bethany said she feels blessed to have such a dedicated and hardworking staff.
“I have a very talented team. Several of my instructors have been instructing for over 10 years,” she said. “They are all very passionate about making sure our young people know the rules and laws of the road. I’m very lucky to have such a good team.”
She added that another new Ohio driver licensing law recently took effect. Since June 30, all applicants for Ohio’s limited term license have been required to take a full 24-hour course. In addition, they are required to provide the 50-hour driving experience affidavit to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles when they test for their license.
According to the Ohio Traffic Safety Office, a limited term license is the form of driver’s license issued to temporary residents in the United States that is valid for the duration of their stay. A temporary resident is a person who is not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident under U.S. immigration laws, but who does have legal presence in the country.
In 2024, the Ohio BMV issued 33,748 new limited term licenses.
Baxter said that locally, she expects both laws to drum up more business for the AmeriDrive locations.
“I feel like we’re pretty well prepared right now,” Baxter said. “There are 12 of us who are licensed. If there is an influx of people, we’re prepared to handle it.”
The driving schools are located at 58 Maplewood Ave. in Wintersville and at 157 E. Main St. in St. Clairsville.