The short version
- A four-year license costs $27.50, and an eight-year license costs $54. Drivers 65 and older can only get the four-year license.
- You can renew online every other time if you’re under 65 and your current license was issued in person. Online renewals are for four years.
- After six months expired, you’ll have to retest. Until then, you can renew normally, but you can’t legally drive on an expired license.
Ohio licenses are issued by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) through deputy registrar license agencies, and every card is mailed to you from a central facility.
Not a standard renewal?
- New to Ohio? You have 30 days after moving to transfer your out-of-state license. Our guide to transferring an out-of-state license to Ohio covers the steps.
- License suspended? You’ll have to clear the suspension before you can renew. Our guide to Ohio license suspensions covers reinstatement.
- Lost your license? If nothing on it has changed, you can order a reprint online, once per card. Otherwise, a duplicate costs $29 at a deputy registrar.
When to Renew an Ohio Driver’s License
Ohio licenses expire on your birthday, four or eight years after they’re issued. You can renew any time before then, but you won’t get credit for time left on your old license. If you’re under 21, your license expires on your 21st birthday, and you can’t renew more than 30 days before it.
Choosing Four or Eight Years: Drivers 21 to 64 can choose a four- or eight-year license, and the eight-year license costs $1 less than two four-year renewals. At 65 and older, you can only get a four-year license.
If Your License Has Expired: There’s no grace period for driving, so you can be cited as soon as your license expires. You can still renew it normally for six months after it expires. After that, you’ll need a temporary permit and must pass the required tests before you get a new license, though military members may be exempt from the tests.
What You Need to Renew in Ohio
Your Current License: At a deputy registrar, your current license is usually all you need for a standard card. Without it, bring proof of your full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, Ohio address, and citizenship or legal presence. A name change takes proof of the change.
A Vision Screening: In-person renewals include a vision screening. If you don’t pass but think your vision meets the standard, an optometrist or ophthalmologist can screen you instead, within 90 days before you renew.
REAL ID or Standard Card: You can choose a REAL ID-compliant card or a standard card, and they cost the same. Since May 7, 2025, a standard card won’t get you through airport security on its own, so you’d need a passport or another TSA-approved ID to fly within the U.S. Your first compliant card takes an in-person visit with proof of legal presence, your Social Security number and two proofs of your Ohio address from different sources.
How to Renew Your Ohio License
Online
You can renew at BMV Online Services if:
- You’re under 65, and your current license was issued when you were 21 or older
- Your current license was processed in person at a deputy registrar
- It’s unexpired, or expired no more than six months
- You’re a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and an Ohio resident
- Nothing has changed except your address, and you don’t have a medical restriction that requires an office visit
Because your current license has to have been issued in person, you’ll alternate between online and in-person renewals. Online renewals are for four years, and you can’t get your first REAL ID online. Your new card is mailed, so update your address first if you’ve moved. Our guide to changing your address with the Ohio BMV explains how.
At a Deputy Registrar License Agency
Bring your current license and payment. You’ll get a temporary document at the counter, and your card arrives by mail in about 10 business days. Our guide to Ohio BMV appointments explains how to get in line online.
From Out of State
If you’re temporarily out of Ohio, renew online if you qualify. Otherwise, you can request a renewal packet by phone, chat or email if your license expired less than 180 days ago, and mail it back postmarked within 180 days of the expiration date. You’ll need an Ohio address on your BMV record. Active-duty military members and their dependents stationed outside Ohio have their own online and mail options.
Ohio License Renewal Fees
License fees went up in 2026, when the deputy registrar service fee rose from $5 to $8. The fees below include it.
| License | Fee |
|---|---|
| Four-year license, 21 and older | $27.50 |
| Eight-year license, 21 to 64 | $54 |
| Duplicate license | $29 |
| Temporary permit, license expired six months to two years | $29.50 |
| Example: one eight-year license vs. two four-year renewals | $54 vs. $55 ($27.50 × 2), a $1 saving |
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, if you’re under 65, a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and your current license was issued in person. You’ll alternate between online and in-person renewals.
Any time before it expires, but you won’t get credit for time left on your old license. If you’re turning 21, you can’t renew more than 30 days before your birthday.
Not for driving. You can renew normally for up to six months after it expires, but after that, you’ll need a temporary permit and must retest.
Yes, if you renew in person. If you don’t pass at the deputy registrar, an eye doctor can screen you within 90 days before you renew.
About 10 business days. You’ll get a temporary document when you renew to use until your card arrives.
Yes. Renew online if you qualify, or request a renewal packet by mail if your license expired less than 180 days ago.
Conclusion
Ohio driver’s licenses expire on your birthday, and you can renew any time before then for four years at $27.50 or eight years at $54. If you’re under 65 and your current license was issued in person, you can renew online, and you’ll go back to a deputy registrar the next time. In-person renewals include a vision screening, and every card arrives by mail. Don’t let your license sit expired for more than six months, or you’ll have to retest.
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