Ohio Won't Issue Same-Day Driver's Licenses Anymore

COLUMBUS, OH — Starting July 2, Ohio residents will no longer be able to get their license the same day they walk into a BMV. Instead, state officials said, they will have to wait for a mailing from a central production facility. This new process should make the license production process more secure, the state said.

The process for getting a license or identification card will remain effectively the same. Ohioans will still need to go to a BMV and get photographed for their license. Ohioans will still need to present certain documents during the registration process. Licenses and ID cards will still be valid for four years and will require a new photo during each renewal.

The mailing process should take about 10 days. That means Ohioans will get their license 10 days after they go to the BMV. Residents will get a temporary license to use while waiting for the new print out. There will also be an option to make the license or ID card acceptable for federal identification purposes.

Temporary licenses or ID cards can be used for voting.

The vast majority of states in America (41, in total) have a centralized license production facility and process similar to the one being enacted in Ohio. The goal is to improve security, and the BMV thinks this will make it harder to steal information from one of the 180 BMV registrars in the state.

With that said, Ohio residents have reacted negatively to the announcement with many pointing out that mailing information seems less likely to protect private information. Mail carriers accidentally delivering a license to the wrong person could make identity theft much easier, many commenters pointed out.

The new licenses and ID cards are pictured below.

Image from BMV