Ohio’s new driver’s license and identification cards went into effect on July 2nd. They are compliant with federal regulations. A little confusion has swirled around regarding the new process and requirements. Registrar of the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Don Pettit, said there’s bound to be a little confusion with anything new.Â
People have the question, do I need to go get the new license right now? The answer is no. If your ID is still legal it is OK to use. You may need a federally compliant ID, come 2020.
"An important date to keep in mind there is October 1, 2020, when the federal guidelines shift and a federally compliant card is required to access federal services, such as getting through TSAÂ at an airport, for domestic flights or getting into a federal facility," said Petit.
The second confusion has been what documents are needed for the federally compliant license. There are five elements a person must verify: your full legal name, date of birth, legal presence in the United States, social security number and residence address.
You can prove your name, age and legal status with documents like a birth certificate or passport. To prove your social security number you can use a social security card, W-2 or 1099 form. To prove your residence you need two forms to do so.
"The last category is the residence address," Petit said. "For that federally compliant card we’re going to need to see two proofs of address. You know typically things like utility bills, a bank statement, insurance policy statement. If your current Ohio driver’s license has your current residence address, that can be used as one proof of address."
If you need help confirming if the documents you have will work, you can visit www.bmv.ohio.gov. There you can find an interactive checklist that will show you if what you have will be acceptable to receive a federally compliant license.
