CLEVELAND — The expiration date for many drivers licenses, identification cards and vehicle registrations that have expired since March has been extended well into next year, thanks to Ohio House Bill 404, which Governor Mike DeWine signed into law on Tuesday.
If the stated expiration date on your drivers license, state ID card or vehicle registration falls between March 9, 2020 and April 1, 2021, the expiration date has been automatically extended and those documents will remain valid until July 1, 2021.
At this time, if your documents expire after April 1, 2021, you must still renew those items by the stated expiration date, and this deadline extension through July 1, 2021 does not apply to you.
Previously, the expiration date for these renewals had been extended to December 1, a date which is fast approaching with no end to the pandemic in sight.
The goal of the extension is to prevent people from having to visit their local Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicle (BMV) locations in person, at a time when people are being encouraged to stay home to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Many of the services that Ohioans need to take care of at the Ohio BMV can be handled online at OPlates.com.
Customers that need to buy a temporary license tag for a vehicle, renew a vehicle registration, order new license plates, or check driving record can take care of those things online from the comfort and safety of home.
If a customer must visit an Ohio BMV location in person, its best to use the "Get in Line Online" virtual queuing system.
The virtual queuing system allows customers to virtually get in line before arriving at the BMV and minimizing the time spent in line.
