Long lines have formed at Toledo-area deputy registrar offices after the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles directed them to reopen Tuesday, but a state spokesman said Wednesday there’s no rush to get expired registrations or state identification renewed.
While the deputy registrars have reopened, Ohio’s state of emergency related to the coronavirus pandemic has not been lifted, and therefore the state’s rolling extension of license and registration expirations remains in effect, said Lindsey Bohrer, a bureau spokesman.
State officials announced March 6 that all license and registration expirations had been waived until Dec. 1 or 90 days after the emergency declaration is lifted, whichever occurs first.
“There is no rush to renew! In fact, we encourage you NOT to immediately visit a license agency,” the bureau said in a notice prominently displayed on its website this week.
Even vehicle registration renewals, which can be done by mail, have extended deadlines under the emergency order.
People whose business requires a deputy-registrar visit should know “things might look a little different and staff will be enforcing social distancing for everyone’s safety” at those offices, the bureau said.
The bureau reminded customers that arriving with necessary documents in-hand to support license applications will shorten their time at deputy registrar offices, particularly for those planning to use their state identification at airports or for access to federal facilities.
Proof of five important elements is required to obtain a RealID compliant license or non-driver identification card: full legal name, date of birth, legal presence in the United States, Social Security number, and Ohio residence.
A birth certificate issued in the United States, a U.S. passport, or various federally issued naturalization documents typically cover the first three elements, while a Social Security card or a current Form W-2 or 1099 tax statement address the Social Security number.
Two forms of documentation from a state-approved list are necessary to show Ohio residence; those items include paycheck stubs, utility bills, various government-issued permits, and motor-vehicle registrations.
Temporary identification is issued to applicants for RealID-compliant cards, which are centrally processed and mailed to recipients. Ohio also continues to issue conventional licenses and non-driver identification, but those cards are not valid for passing security checkpoints at airports or for entering military bases or other secured federal facilities.
First Published May 27, 2020, 11:14 p.m.