COLUMBUS — Migrants who apply for a driver’s license or state identification card in Ohio must prove they are legal residents and are subject to the same rules as Ohio citizens, the head of Ohio’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles said.
BMV Registrar Charlie Norman said only U.S. citizens and lawful residents are eligible to apply for a driver’s license or state-issued identification card in Ohio.
Applicants must provide documentation verifying their legal name, date of birth, social security number, Ohio residency and proof of U.S. citizenship or legal residency. The BMV then checks a federal immigration database to verify the applicant’s lawful status, Norman said.
Norman spoke to reporters last week as rumors circulated about Haitian migrants in Springfield.
Norman told reporters that migrants must pass the same written exam as U.S. citizens to obtain their temporary permit, which is available in several languages, and must pass an in-car driving exam to obtain their license.
“All applicants taking the in-car skills and maneuverability tests are required to understand highway warnings, traffic signs and basic directions given in the English language,” he said. “The misconception out there is that (immigrants are) not required to take that test, or that there’s some sort of shortcut available to immigrants for licensure than is available for native Ohioans.”
While Ohio law requires minors to finish driver’s education before they can apply for a driver’s license, adults are not subject to the same rule unless they fail the in-car skills and maneuverability test.
In those cases, Norman said applicants are required to complete an abbreviated driver training program before they may retake the in-car exam.
An immigrant’s driver’s license or state-issued identification card expires when their lawful residency ends, Norman said.
