Upgrades save millions of trips to BMW

VW independent staff/submitted information

COLUMBUS =– Earlier this month, Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jim Tressel, and Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) Registrar Charles Norman announced that the state has saved Ohioans more than 10 million trips to the BMV due to technology upgrades that allow certain transactions to take place without an in-person visit.

“We’ve put significant focus on using technology to save customers’ valuable time and cut down on congestion at BMV deputy registrar locations across the state,” Governor DeWine said. “This milestone demonstrates the importance of these upgrades, which have made BMV services more accessible and efficient.” 

Since 2019, the Ohio BMV has worked to transform the overall customer experience, and it now lays claim to one of the most expansive menus of online services of any motor vehicle agency in the country.

“Ohio has definitely been ahead of the game in modernizing BMV services,” Lt. Governor Tressel said. “No one enjoys waiting in long lines, and giving Ohioans the option to conduct more business online reduces wait times for those who do visit the BMV in person.”

“The BMV is always looking for convenient, innovative solutions to enhance the overall customer experience for Ohioans,” said BMV Registrar Charlie Norman. “We are dedicated to finding opportunities that modernize and improve our processes so that we can provide more service options to better meet customers’ diverse needs.”

BMV services that have saved Ohioans in-person trips to the BMV include, but are not limited to driver’s license/ID/CDL renewal, BMV Express self-service kiosks, online knowledge testing, and the Ohio online title portal.

Since 2022, Ohioans have been able to renew their driver’s license or identification card online by visiting the Ohio BMV’s website. So far, more than 608,000 Ohioans have renewed their licenses and identification cards online, and the Ohio BMV has recently expanded the service to eligible commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders. Once approved, the customer will receive a printable interim credential, and the renewed license or identification card will arrive in the mail within 7 to 10 days. Driver’s license and identification card reprints can also be ordered online.

The ability to order temporary tags online and renew vehicle registration via OPLATES also contributed significantly to the overall decrease in visits to the BMV.

All Ohio BMV transactions can still be made in person at any of Ohio’s deputy registrar locations across the state. To save time, the Get In Line, Online service, launched in 2019, allows customers to advance in the queue without physically waiting in the office. After checking in online, customers have until close of business that day to arrive at the deputy registrar location, check in at a self-service kiosk, and claim their spot in line. Since 2019, Ohioans using Get In Line, Online have saved over 812,000 hours of in-office wait time.