The Ohio BMV 5745 form is the driver license and identification card application every Ohio resident submits in person at a deputy registrar to obtain, renew, or replace a credential. You can download it as a PDF or Word document from the BMV’s forms page at bmv.ohio.gov, or pick up a blank copy at any deputy registrar office.1Ohio BMV. Motor Vehicle Laws Forms Fees Filling it out ahead of time, with the right documents in hand, is the difference between a single counter visit and a return trip.
Decide Between a Standard and a Compliant Card First
Before you write anything on the form, decide which card type you want. Both versions ask for the same core information — full legal name, date of birth, legal presence in the United States, Social Security number, and Ohio street address — but the Compliant card, marked with a star to show it meets REAL ID standards, requires stricter address documentation.2Ohio BMV. Acceptable Documents
Federal REAL ID enforcement began May 7, 2025. A Standard Ohio license is no longer accepted by TSA for domestic flights.2Ohio BMV. Acceptable Documents You can still fly with a valid U.S. passport or military ID, but if you use your license at the airport, the Compliant version is the one you want.3Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID
Documents to Bring With the Form
The deputy registrar needs originals or certified copies. Photocopies, scanned printouts, and laminated birth certificates are not accepted.
Full Legal Name and Date of Birth
One of the following covers your name, date of birth, and legal presence all at once: an original or certified U.S. birth certificate, an unexpired U.S. passport or passport card, a Certificate of Naturalization, or a Consular Report of Birth Abroad.4Ohio BMV – Online Services. Compliant DL-ID Card – Acceptable Documents List
Social Security Number
Ohio law requires every applicant to provide a Social Security number, and the BMV verifies it electronically.5Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 4501.31 – Display of Social Security Number on Licenses The simplest proof is an original Social Security card. A W-2, 1099, or pay stub displaying the full number also works, as long as it’s from the current or most recent tax year. Handwritten documents are not accepted.4Ohio BMV – Online Services. Compliant DL-ID Card – Acceptable Documents List
Ohio Street Address
For a Compliant card, you need two address documents from different sources, dated within the past 12 months. A bank statement and an electric bill would qualify; two bills from the same utility would not.2Ohio BMV. Acceptable Documents Financial institution statements, electric bills, water bills, and telephone bills are among the accepted proofs.4Ohio BMV – Online Services. Compliant DL-ID Card – Acceptable Documents List The address on your documents has to be a physical Ohio location; P.O. Boxes are not accepted.6Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Ohio Driver License/ID Application Form BMV 5745
A Standard card only requires one address document.
Name Change Documentation
If the name on your birth certificate or passport doesn’t match the name you use now, bring the paperwork that connects them: an original or certified marriage certificate, a certified decree of divorce or dissolution, or a certified court-ordered name change.2Ohio BMV. Acceptable Documents If your name changed more than once, bring every document in the chain. Missing a link means the registrar can’t verify how you got from the birth name to the current one.
Filling Out the Two Pages
Most of the form is straightforward. A few sections are worth slowing down on.
At the top, write your full legal name exactly as it appears on your primary identity document. If your birth certificate reads “Katherine” and you go by “Kate,” write “Katherine.” Any mismatch between the form and your documents becomes a problem the registrar can’t fix at the counter. Enter your date of birth, current Ohio street address, and Social Security number in the fields provided.
The physical descriptor section asks for height, weight, eye color, and hair color. These print on the finished card, so answer accurately. The medical disclosure questions cover vision and hearing conditions, and the BMV uses your answers to decide whether any restrictions apply, such as a corrective lenses requirement.7Ohio BMV. Driver License Restrictions
A checkbox lets you register as an organ donor. Checking it adds the donor heart symbol to your card. The choice is optional and can be changed later.
The bottom of page one has a signature line. The form warns that providing false information is a criminal offense.6Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Ohio Driver License/ID Application Form BMV 5745 Sign and date it. Unsigned applications will not be processed.
Page two contains a document checklist the registrar staff fills in as they review your proofs. You don’t complete it yourself, but reading through it is a quick way to confirm you have everything before you leave the house.
Submitting the Form at a Deputy Registrar
Form BMV 5745 has to be submitted in person at a deputy registrar license agency. The Ohio Department of Public Safety maintains a searchable office directory at publicsafety.ohio.gov.8Ohio Department of Public Safety. Local Office Not every location handles every transaction, so it’s worth confirming ahead of time.
Vision Screening
Every applicant takes a vision test at the counter. The minimum acuity for an unrestricted license is 20/40, with at least 70 degrees of side vision in each eye.7Ohio BMV. Driver License Restrictions Bring your glasses or contacts if you use them; you’ll be tested with your corrective lenses on. If you don’t meet the standard, the BMV will refer you to an ophthalmologist or optometrist, and a corrective-lens restriction may be added to your license.9Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Administrative Code 4501:1-1-20 – Vision Standards for Driver License Applicants
Fees
For drivers 21 and older, a four-year license costs $27.50 and an eight-year license costs $54.00.10Ohio BMV. Documents and Fees Drivers under 21 pay less because their license expires on their 21st birthday regardless of issue date, meaning they’re paying for a shorter validity period. Drivers 65 and older can only purchase the four-year license; the eight-year option isn’t offered.11Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 4507.09 – Expiration and Renewal of License Deputy registrars accept cash, check, and card.
After You Leave the Counter
The registrar issues a temporary paper document at the end of your appointment. It serves as your legal proof of identity and driving privilege while the permanent card is produced. Ohio no longer prints licenses on-site; your card is manufactured centrally and mailed in a plain envelope, usually arriving within seven to ten business days.12WYSO. Ohio Driver Licenses Now Arrive By Mail
If the card hasn’t arrived within two weeks, contact the BMV. A common cause of delay is an address mismatch, so double-check that the street address on your form is exactly what the post office has on file for you.
When You Don’t Need to Submit the Form in Person
Not every renewal requires a counter visit. Ohio residents can renew a license or ID card online through BMV Online Services at bmvonline.dps.ohio.gov, provided the current credential is still valid or has been expired for fewer than six months.13Ohio BMV. Renewal CDL holders, anyone with a suspended license, and applicants updating legal presence documentation cannot renew online. If you aren’t eligible, the BMV can mail a renewal packet to the address on file.
A license issued to a driver under 21 expires on the driver’s 21st birthday, and renewal cannot be processed more than 30 days before that birthday.13Ohio BMV. Renewal For drivers 65 and older, the license expires every four years with no eight-year option available.11Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 4507.09 – Expiration and Renewal of License