Indiana
Indiana was the second state in the entire country to pass a Seizure Safe Schools law. It did that in 2019. It also has one of the more unusual driving rules in the Midwest: the law doesn't specify a fixed number of seizure-free months. Here's what that means in practice.
Representation
Jim Banks, U.S. Senator (R-IN) | (202) 224-4814
Todd Young, U.S. Senator (R-IN) | (202) 224-5623
Go Here To Find Your Congressional Representative
Driving Laws
Under IND. CODE § 9-24-2-3(b), an individual subject to epileptic seizures may not be denied a driver's license if they present a statement from a licensed physician or advanced practice registered nurse, on a form prescribed by the Bureau, certifying that the individual is under medication and is free from seizures while under medication. The law does not name a fixed time period. What matters is the physician's certification of current seizure control.
Indiana requires you to report your condition at the time of application or renewal (IND. CODE § 9-24-9-2). Failure to report is a Class C infraction carrying a fine of up to $500.
There is no statewide requirement that physicians report patients they diagnose with epilepsy to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. However, a separate statute requires physicians and others who diagnose or treat persons with a disability to report the disabling condition to the state board of health within 60 days (IND. CODE § 16-40-1-2). Physicians, optometrists, and nurses who report a patient's fitness to drive within 30 days of examining them have civil and criminal immunity for that report (IND. CODE § 9-24-10-7.5).
In practice, many Indiana physicians apply their own seizure-free thresholds before signing off. The Bureau defers to the physician's judgment. If the Bureau receives information suggesting a driver is medically unsafe, it may require a medical examination or driving test.
Confirm current requirements with the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles and the Epilepsy Foundation's Indiana driving law page.
School Laws
Governor Eric Holcomb signed HEA 1089 into law on May 7, 2019, making Indiana the second state in the nation to pass Seizure Safe Schools legislation, following Kentucky's Lyndsey Crunk Act. The law went into effect in July 2020.
Under the law, public schools are required to: train school personnel on seizure detection and first aid; have a Seizure Action Plan on file for every student diagnosed with epilepsy or a seizure disorder, available to all personnel responsible for that student; and ensure that FDA-approved or physician-prescribed seizure medications can be administered at school, including in the absence of a nurse.
Indiana families have a state law to point to. Use it. Put requests in writing, ask which staff have completed training and when, and ask to see the Seizure Action Plan currently on file for your child. If the district stalls, Section 504 and IDEA are federal and they're stronger.
Support
Epilepsy Foundation of Indiana is based in Indianapolis and championed HEA 1089, and it continues to advocate at the state level. Support groups, education programs, and case management services.
Epilepsy Alliance Ohio serves 10 counties in Indiana from its Cincinnati and Columbus offices — if you're in the southeastern corner of the state, check whether their services reach you.
Epilepsy Care
If your seizures aren't controlled after 12 months with a general neurologist — or after two medications have failed — national guidelines say you should be at a Level 3 or Level 4 center. Most people who meet that bar were never told it existed.
Check out the NAEC to find a Level 3 or4 Epilepsy Center near you.
Confirmed NAEC Level 4 centers include Indiana University Health/IU School of Medicine in Indianapolis, which operates one of the flagship comprehensive epilepsy programs in the state.
Additional Level 3 and Level 4 centers operate in the Indianapolis metro and northern Indiana. Verify current accreditation in the NAEC directory rather than trusting a hospital's marketing page—accreditation is annual.
Worth noting if you're in northern Indiana: the University of Chicago and Northwestern Memorial Hospital — both Level 4 — are closer than Indianapolis for many residents near the Illinois border.
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