Your Ohio state ID number is printed on the front of the card near the top, assigned by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles as a unique alphanumeric sequence that tracks your record and stays with you through renewals. Ohio uses a few different formats, so yours may not look like someone else’s, but it is always on the face of the card.
What the Number Looks Like
The BMV issues state ID numbers in several formats. Yours may appear as two letters followed by six digits, one letter followed by four to eight digits, or eight digits with no letters at all. Whichever pattern yours follows, the number is unique to you and does not change when you renew the card.
Banks, employers, and government agencies use the number to confirm your identity, so it functions as sensitive personal information and should be handled the same way you handle a Social Security number or account number.
Finding the Number Without the Card in Hand
There is no online tool that will show you your Ohio state ID number. The BMV’s online portal lets you reprint a card or verify an issue date, but neither service displays the number on its own.
If you cannot locate your card, your realistic options are to visit a deputy registrar in person with your supporting identity documents, or to request a reprint of the card through the BMV portal and read the number off the reprinted card when it arrives. A reprint costs $9 and keeps the same expiration date as the card it replaces.
Old paperwork can also help. Anywhere you previously supplied the number, such as a bank record, an employment file, or a government form, is worth checking before you make a trip.
If Your Number Has Been Compromised
The BMV generally keeps your ID number the same for life, including through renewals. The one circumstance where it will issue a different number is fraud. If you believe your ID number has been compromised, the BMV accepts requests for a number change, but only in fraud-related circumstances.
Getting an Ohio State ID in the First Place
If you don’t yet have a card, you apply in person at any deputy registrar license agency in Ohio using Form BMV 5745. Any Ohio resident can apply regardless of age; applicants under 17 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who brings their own proof of identity, two documents showing an Ohio street address, and proof of their relationship to the child.
You cannot hold both a valid Ohio driver’s license and a state ID card at the same time. If you have a license and want an ID instead, you surrender the license at the counter.
Ohio law requires you to prove six things before the BMV will issue a card: full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, legal presence in the United States, Ohio residency, and any applicable name change. Documents that satisfy each requirement include:
- Legal name and date of birth: a U.S. passport, certified birth certificate, or permanent resident card.
- Social Security number: your Social Security card, a W-2, or a pay stub showing your full SSN.
- Legal presence: the passport or birth certificate used above usually covers this.
- Ohio street address: a utility bill, bank statement, mortgage document, or other mail showing your current Ohio address. The compliant (REAL ID) version requires two such documents from different sources.
- Name change: a certified marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order.
Every document must be an original or certified copy. Photocopies are rejected. The clerk verifies your documents, takes your photo, and collects the fee. You leave with a temporary paper ID, and the permanent card arrives by mail.
A new or renewed card costs $10 for four years or $19 for eight years for applicants 17 and older. Ohio law also allows residents aged 17 and older to receive a state ID card at no cost, a provision tied to voting access. Residents 65 and older are limited to the four-year option.
Renewing, Replacing, or Updating the Card
You can renew a card that is current or expired by less than six months, either online through the BMV portal if you qualify or in person at a deputy registrar. The fee matches a new card. If you renew in person without presenting your current card, bring the full set of identity documents listed above.
If your card is lost, stolen, or damaged, Ohio law lets you get a duplicate by providing proof of the loss or damage and filing a new application with the required supporting documents. Reprints can also be ordered online. A duplicate or reprint costs $9 and keeps the original expiration date.
Ohio law requires licensed drivers to notify the BMV within ten days of an address change, and the BMV applies the same expectation to ID cardholders in practice. Address updates can be filed in writing on a form the registrar provides, with an option to update your voter registration at the same time. For a name change, bring proof such as a marriage certificate or court order to a deputy registrar; the replacement card keeps the original expiration date.
Through all of these transactions, the number itself travels with you. Renewal, a name change, a new address, or a reprint after loss will not give you a different ID number. Only fraud will.