To get a new Ohio state ID card, you need to bring original or certified documents to a deputy registrar proving five things: your full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number (if one has been assigned), legal presence in the United States, and current Ohio street address.1Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Acceptable Documents List Photocopies are not accepted. If your current legal name differs from the name on your identity documents, you also need paperwork linking the two.
The Five Things Your Documents Have to Prove
Every applicant, regardless of age, must document the same five elements. One document often satisfies more than one requirement, so the stack you carry to the counter is usually smaller than the list suggests. What matters is that every element is covered and that each document is an original or certified copy.1Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Acceptable Documents List
Documents That Cover Name, Date of Birth, and Legal Presence
A single document can knock out three requirements at once. A certified birth certificate proves your legal name, date of birth, and U.S. legal presence together. A valid U.S. passport or passport card does the same. Other documents accepted for this combination include a Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550 or N-570), a Certificate of Citizenship, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, and a valid Permanent Resident Card.1Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Acceptable Documents List
Documents That Prove Your Social Security Number
Your official Social Security card is the cleanest option, but it isn’t the only one. A W-2, a 1099, or a pay stub that displays your full Social Security number will also work. Tax forms and pay stubs must be from the current or previous tax year, and they cannot be handwritten.1Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Acceptable Documents List
Two Documents for Your Ohio Address
This is the requirement that most often sends people home empty-handed. You need two documents showing your current Ohio street address, and they have to come from two different sources.1Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Acceptable Documents List A bank statement paired with a utility bill works. Two statements from the same bank do not.
Accepted residency documents include utility bills, bank or investment account statements, mortgage statements, insurance policies, federal or Ohio tax returns, and correspondence from the BMV itself. Utility bills and financial statements have to have been issued within the last 12 months.
If Your Name Has Changed
If the name you use now doesn’t match the name printed on your identity documents, bring paperwork that connects them. Acceptable options are an original or certified marriage certificate, a certified divorce decree, or a certified court order changing your name.1Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Acceptable Documents List If your name has changed more than once, you need documentation for each change, forming an unbroken chain from your birth name to your current legal name.
Extra Documents if You’re Applying for a Child
Any applicant under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, and both people need to prove who they are.2Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Getting an ID Card for Your Child A valid Ohio driver’s license or ID card is enough for the parent or guardian on its own. Without one, the adult has to bring the same five-element document set the child brings: legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, legal presence, and Ohio residency.1Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Acceptable Documents List
The child needs all five elements documented too. To confirm the child’s address, the parent or guardian signs a residency certification, BMV Form 2336, at the deputy registrar.
If you’re applying on behalf of a child under 17 who is permanently or irreversibly disabled and want the fee-exempt eight-year card, add BMV Form 5755, signed by a physician or healthcare provider. That certification is valid for only 30 days from the date the provider signs it.3Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Health Care Provider Certification of Eligibility for Identification Card Fee Exemption
Compliant vs. Standard: Same Documents, Different Card
The document requirements are identical whether you want a REAL ID-compliant card (marked with a star in the upper corner) or a standard card.4Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Driver License and ID Cards – Identity Documents What differs is what the card can be used for. Since May 7, 2025, federal agencies no longer accept standard state ID cards for boarding domestic flights, entering certain federal buildings, or accessing nuclear power plants.5Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID Deciding which you want doesn’t change what to bring, only what to ask for at the counter.
Where to Bring Them
Applications happen in person at any deputy registrar license agency. The BMV’s “Get In Line Online” feature lets you reserve a spot in the queue before you arrive. A clerk reviews your documents, takes your photo, and collects your signature. If everything checks out, you leave with a temporary identification document, and the permanent card arrives by mail at your Ohio residential address within a few weeks.