How to Get a New ID in Ohio: Documents, Rules, and Fees

To get a new ID in Ohio, visit any deputy registrar office with documents proving your full legal name, date of birth, legal presence in the U.S., Social Security number, and Ohio residency. The card is free for any Ohio resident aged 17 or older, and you’ll leave with a temporary paper ID while the permanent card is mailed to you.¹

Applicants under 17 pay a fee set by statute, so check the BMV’s current fee schedule if you’re applying for a minor.² The card lasts either four or eight years. Since adults pay nothing either way, most people pick the eight-year card.

Standard or Compliant: Pick Before You Pack Documents

Ohio issues two versions of the state ID under Ohio Revised Code 4507.50.² A Standard ID works for anything at the state level: voting, buying age-restricted products, proving your identity to employers and banks. It doesn’t meet federal security requirements.

A Compliant ID meets the federal REAL ID Act. Since May 7, 2025, air travelers 18 and older need a REAL ID-compliant license, identification card, or another acceptable federal ID such as a U.S. passport to board a domestic commercial flight, and the same requirement applies to entering federal facilities and military bases.³

Both cards cost the same, so unless you’re certain you’ll never fly or step into a federal building, the Compliant ID is the safer choice. The document rules below cover what the Compliant ID requires; a Standard ID uses the same categories with slightly more flexibility on which specific documents count.

The Five Things You Must Document

Ohio Revised Code 4507.51 requires documentary evidence of your identity and age, and the BMV enforces a specific acceptable documents list at the counter.⁴ Partial documentation on any one category sends you home. Before you go, run through Ohio’s interactive checklist, which asks what card you want and lists exactly what to bring.⁵

Full Legal Name and Date of Birth

One document showing both. The usual choice is an original or certified copy of your birth certificate, or a valid U.S. passport. If your current legal name differs from the name on your birth certificate because of marriage or a court-ordered change, bring the connecting paperwork too: marriage certificate, divorce decree with name restoration, or the court order. Every step in the name chain has to be documented.

Legal Presence in the United States

Your birth certificate or U.S. passport doubles as proof of legal presence. Naturalized citizens can use a Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of Citizenship. Non-citizens have additional documents, covered below.

Social Security Number

A document showing your full nine-digit number. The BMV accepts your Social Security card, a W-2 or 1099, or a pay stub, but the number cannot be handwritten and must come from the current or most recent tax year.⁶ If you’re ineligible for an SSN, get a denial letter (Form SSA L-676) from the Social Security Administration. The letter is only valid for 60 days, so time your visit accordingly.

Ohio Residency

Two documents from different sources showing your current Ohio street address. Utility bills, bank statements, insurance policies, mortgage statements, and pay stubs all qualify, and each must have been issued within the last 12 months.⁶ Two utility bills from different providers, say electric and water, fill both slots. A P.O. Box doesn’t count. The address on the documents has to be a physical street address.

Physical Description

You self-report height, weight, hair color, and eye color on the application, and those details print on the face of the card. Answer honestly; providing false information on the application is falsification under Ohio Revised Code 2921.13, a first-degree misdemeanor.⁷

Extra Rules for Non-U.S. Citizens

Non-citizens in lawful immigration status can apply for an Ohio ID, with a heavier document load. On top of the standard residency and SSN proof, you’ll typically need your valid passport with visa stamp, your I-94 arrival/departure record, and the immigration document tied to your status: an I-20 for F students, a DS-2019 for J exchange visitors, or the equivalent for other visa categories.⁸

Two timing rules catch applicants off guard. Wait at least ten calendar days after entering the U.S. before applying, so your arrival data can process through federal databases. And if you’re an F, M, or J nonimmigrant, your SEVIS record must show Active status; wait at least two federal business days after SEVIS activation before visiting the deputy registrar.⁸ If you’re ineligible for an SSN, bring the SSA denial letter.

Your ID will generally expire on the same date as your immigration document rather than following the standard four- or eight-year cycle. Plan renewals of both together.

What Happens at the Deputy Registrar Office

Once your documents are in order, the visit is short. A representative reviews your paperwork against state and, for the Compliant ID, federal requirements, and each document is scanned into the BMV’s electronic system. If something falls short, the representative tells you what’s missing so you can return with the right materials.⁹

After the paperwork clears, a digital photograph is taken for the card. Take off hats, sunglasses, and anything else that obscures your face before the photo. You’ll also have the chance to register to vote or update your voter registration during the transaction, since Ohio deputy registrars serve as voter registration agencies under the National Voter Registration Act.

You leave with a temporary paper ID that proves your identity while the permanent plastic card is manufactured and mailed to the address on your application. The permanent card typically arrives within a few weeks. Destroy the temporary one once the real card is in hand.

Replacing a Lost or Damaged Card

If your card is lost, stolen, or damaged, the BMV calls the replacement a “reprint.” You have two options:

Online through the BMV’s services portal. Select the DL/ID Reprint option and pay the replacement fee, and the new card is mailed to the address on file. You can’t change your address or other information through the online process.
In person at any deputy registrar office, with the same identity documents required for a new card. The in-person route lets you update your address or other details at the same time.

Unlike first-time issuance, replacement cards carry a fee for adults. Certain groups are exempt from that fee, including disabled veterans with a 100% service-connected disability rating and residents who are permanently disabled and unemployed.¹⁰

If you suspect the card was stolen and could be used fraudulently, file a police report, use the Federal Trade Commission’s identity theft resources at IdentityTheft.gov, and contact the BMV directly to flag your record.

1
Ohio BMV. Ohio Identification Card
2
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 4507.50 – Issuance of Identification Card or Temporary Identification Card
3
Transportation Security Administration. TSA to Highlight REAL ID Enforcement Deadline of May 7, 2025
4
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 4507.51 – Application for Identification Card or Duplicate
5
Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Compliant DL-ID Card – Acceptable Documents List
6
Ohio Department of Public Safety. Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles Acceptable Documents List
7
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 2921.13 – Falsification
8
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Applying for a Driver’s License or State Identification Card
9
Ohio Legal Help. Getting a Real ID in Ohio
10
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 4507.52 – Identification Card Contents