If you're new to Ohio, you may not have thought about it yet, but you're
going to need a new driver license, license plates, and an Ohio title for
your car. Here are the steps to follow.
Once you are an Ohio resident, you
need to become an official Ohio driver as soon as possible. You are
considered an Ohio resident once you: take a job, sign a lease, buy a
home, register to vote, or enroll children in school.
You first need to get a booklet, "Digest
of Ohio Motor Vehicle Laws." This booklet is available from the
Ohio Department of Public Safety (614-466-4344) or a local
license agency.
Look in your yellow pages under "License Services" for the
license agency
nearest you.
All the information you
need to study for an Ohio driver license test is in the
Digest
of Ohio Motor Vehicle Laws
booklet.
After you've studied the
Digest, you're ready to take the test. Go to the nearest
State Highway
Patrol Examination Station for a written test and vision screening. The
list of locations is in the back of the Digest. No appointment is
necessary, but be sure to check which days and hours the nearest station
is open.
The driving test is
usually waived for new residents who have a valid out-of-state license.
The examiner may require one for someone who may need a license
restriction.
Additionally,
non-U.S. citizens are required to provide
proof of
legal presence before an Ohio driver's license or
identification card can be issued.
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Click
HERE
to schedule a driving test online! |
New Residents Under 18
Before you can become
licensed in Ohio, you must provide proof of six months prior driving
experience. You must complete an affidavit that documents 50 hours
(see
Fifty Hour Affidavit - BMV 5791)
of driving of which 10 hours were at night. See
Graduated Driver Licensing
requirements.
In addition, you must have
a cosigner (parent or legal guardian) and present proof of completion of a
driver's education course that meets or exceeds Ohio's requirements. To
determine if your driver's education course will qualify, visit a
State Highway
Patrol Examination Station with your current driver
license and original driver training certificate of completion.
If it is determined that
the driver training you completed meets Ohio requirements, you will be
permitted to complete testing for your license. Your original documents
will be returned to you.
Upon your successful
completion of testing, you will need to go to your local
license agency
within 60 days to have
a driver license issued.
The staff at
the
license agency will ask you to surrender your out-of-state license,
and they will issue your Ohio driver license, usually at a cost of $23.00.
If your old driver license
has expired or you are a first-time driver, you'll have to purchase a
Temporary
Instruction Permit Identification Card (TIPIC)
from a
license agency for $22.00
(see
First Time License). Proof of Social Security number and a
certified birth certificate are required for this packet.
Title, Registration and
License Plates
If you own a vehicle, you
will need to have it
inspected. The purpose is to avoid registration of
stolen vehicles. All deputy registrar license agencies offer this service and many, but not
all, car dealerships do also, so call ahead to be sure.
The
inspection of your
vehicle will verify the make, model, body type, and manufacturer's serial
number or vehicle identification number. You will be given the completed
inspection form.
This takes about five
minutes.
Next, follow this
checklist:
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Go to any county Clerk
of Courts title office;
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If your vehicle has two
owners, both of you have to handle this unless you get a notarized power
of attorney
(Power
of Attorney for Certificate of Title &
Power of Attorney
for Vehicle Registration)
for the one who can't come;
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If you have a lien on your car, you will have to request that your
lienholder send the original title directly to the
title office
This will allow the lien to be recorded on the Ohio title. You
will be provided with a memorandum certificate of title while the
original is either sent to the lienholder or filed electronically; |
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You will need to phone the
Clerk of
Courts to determine the charge for your title transfer.
If sales tax is due, it will be collected before the title is
issued; |
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If you lease a car, contact your leasing agency to find out how they
want you to handle the title transfer. It varies from company to
company; |
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Now it's off
to the
license agency to get your new license plates. To register your
vehicle in Ohio, you must present your new Ohio title (or memorandum
of title, if your car has a lien). |
The
license agency will
collect the proper registration fees depending on when you purchase your
tags, what
taxing district you reside in, and when your birthday is. For
passenger vehicles and non-commercial trucks, the cost will range from $35
to $105. Again, as with your title, the legal owners of the car must
apply.
Listed here are some
of Ohio's
motor vehicle laws that may differ from other states' laws.
Safety
Belts
Ohio's mandatory safety
belt usage law requires drivers and front-seat occupants of most passenger
vehicles to wear their safety belts whenever they drive or ride in a motor
vehicle on Ohio's roadways. If you are a driver under 18 years of age, all
occupants, front and back seats, must wear safety belts while operating on Ohio's
roadways.
This law exempts from
compliance:
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1. |
Children already
covered by the child safety restraint law; |
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Persons operating
vehicles to deliver mail or newspapers for home delivery; |
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3. |
Persons who carry
an affidavit from their physician describing the medical
conditions which preclude safety
belt use; |
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4. |
Persons in vehicles
manufactured before 1966. Persons in vehicles equipped with air bags
are not exempt from the safety belt law. |
A violation of the safety
belt law is not a moving violation and carries no points on your permanent
driving record.
Child
Restraint Law
Any child who is less
than four years of age or weighs less than 40 pounds is required to use a
child safety restraint that meets federal motor vehicle standards.
Window Tinting
The acceptable percentages
of light transmission for motor vehicles are as follows: for the
windshield, the tinting must allow 70 percent light transmission; for all
other windows, the tinting must allow 50 percent light transmission, plus
or minus three percent.
Use of Earphones
The use of earphones while
driving a motor vehicle is illegal, except motorcycle operators for
communication purposes.
License Plates Display
Two
license plates are required for all cars,
trucks, and motor homes.
Registration
License plates expire on
the owner's birthday or if the vehicle is leased, the registration expires
on the
20th of
the month designated for the leasing company. There is no grace period.
Registrations can be renewed by going to a
Deputy Registrar license agency, mail-in registration, by logging onto
www.OPLATES.com or by calling the
toll-free number 1-866-OPLATES (1-866-675-2837). Addresses can be updated
by filling out a form at the Deputy Registrar license agency or by logging
onto
www.OPLATES.com.
First-Time
License
(no prior license)
A knowledge and skill test are required for a first-time license.
Nonresident
A
nonresident may operate a vehicle without
Ohio registration as long as the state or country they are from provides
reciprocal privileges.
Nonresident military
personnel may use their home state driver license. Family members must
obtain an Ohio license.
Motorized Bicycle License
A motorized bicycle license may be issued to any person 14
years of age and up who passes prescribed vision, written, and skill tests.
Driver License
Individual driver
licenses are valid for four years and expire on your birthday. There is no
grace period. Commercial Driver Licenses are required for operators of a
commercial motor vehicle.
Alcoholic Beverages
An open alcoholic beverage
container in a vehicle is prohibited.
Radar
State law does not require
the posting of radar enforcement. Radar detectors are legal but not
recommended.
Studded Tires
Studded tires are permitted from November
1 to April 15.
Open Cargo Law
Riding in the back of an
open cargo storage area of a truck or trailer traveling over 25 miles per
hour is illegal for persons under age 16.
Camping
Camping in rest areas is prohibited.
BAC
The blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) limit is .08 percent. The driver can be charged with
driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol if their BAC is .08
percent or higher.
Helmets
Motorcycle helmets are
recommended but not required by law except for those less than 18 years of
age, or those who have held a motorcycle license or endorsement for less
than one year. Protective goggles or glasses or a wind screen are
required.
Motorcycles
Riding without a valid
motorcycle license, endorsement, or temporary permit is against the law.
To be licensed, 16 and 17-year olds must show proof of completing a driver
education course and a motorcycle safety education course before they are
eligible to take the on-cycle test at a
State Highway
Patrol Examination Station.
For more information, call 1-800-83-RIDER. Also. see the
Motorcycle Ohio Web site.
Title
A Certificate of Title is
required.
Disabled
People with disabilities
can obtain license plates or a window placard with a symbol on them
allowing people to park in the disabled or "handicapped" parking areas.
Applications are available through the Bureau
of Motor Vehicles with documentation of the disability. For more
information, please call
1-800-589-8247, Monday through
Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time).
Financial Responsibility Law
No one can operate a
motor vehicle without
proof of
insurance. To comply with the law, liability coverage of
$12,500-$25,000 for personal injury or
death and $7,500 for property damage is required.
Motor Vehicle Crash Report
(Form
BMV 3303)
When involved in a crash
that causes injuries or more than $400 in damage, and the other party is
uninsured, you may file a motor vehicle crash report within six months
from the date of accident. These forms
are available from law enforcement, your insurance agent, or the
BMV.
For more information call
614-752-7500.
E
Check
Certificate
The
Automobile
Inspection and Maintenance program is a pollution control inspection
program to increase the air quality in certain counties in Ohio. Those
counties are: Cuyahoga,
Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina,
Portage, and Summit.
An E
Check Certificate is required before motor vehicles can be registered in
these counties. For further information about the E
Check program, call 1-800-CAR-TEST.
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