Ohio BMV might send you an email and it is not a scam
Deadline for REAL ID is Oct. 1, 2020.
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) -In an effort to get people’s attention about the Oct. 1, 2020 deadline to fly domestically with the new REAL ID, the Ohio BMV is emailing customers.
Stating today, people who’ve given the BMV their email address or signed up to go paperless, will be getting an email to help them navigate the process of getting the new federally compliant drivers license.
"We understand that drivers have a lot of obligations and deadlines in their everyday lives,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. “We hope these new email reminders serve as a convenience for those who are approaching their driver license expiration date and remove the stress of remembering to renew at the last minute.”
The email will include a link to create a personal document checklist, to show you all of the documents you’ll need to take with you to get the new ID.
Even though we’ve all grown skeptical of any email containing a link, this one is not a scam.
“We are hoping that if someone signed up to receive this email reminder, they will likely be expecting and looking out for this email,” Lindsey Bohrer, BMV spokeswoman said.
Since July of 2018, the BMV has issued 5.4 million ID’s.
Of those, only 32% were the new federally compliant ID’s.
“Since we’ve only been issuing for about 20 months now, and licenses are good for four years, we expect some people will not obtain one until they are up for renewal and/or already have their passport,” Bohrer said.
In case you’re not on the BMV email list, here is what you need to take with you to get the REAL ID.
According to the Ohio BMV’s website you must provide proof of:
- Full legal name
- Date of birth
- Legal presence in the US
- Social Security number
- Ohio street address
To prove requirements one, two, and three you can take one of the following:
- US Birth Certificate or
- US Passport or
- US Passport Card
To prove requirement number four you need to bring one of the following:
- Social Security Card or
- W-2 Wage/Tax Form or
- 1099 Income Statement
To prove number five you will need to bring two items that has your name and your address.
Examples include:
- Bank statement
- Utility bill
- Ohio or Federal Tax Return filing
- Letter from a college or university
- Credit card statement
- Mortgage statement
- Paycheck stub
- Marriage certificate or licence
There is an extra piece of information people need to bring if they’ve ever changed their name, namely married individuals.
If you’ve changed you last name, you will also need to bring:
- Marriage Certificate or Marriage License**
- Certified Copy of a Decree of Divorce, Dissolution, or Annulment of Marriage**
- Certified Copy of a Court Ordered Name Change
**NOTE: If you have had more than one marriage, you may need to bring documentation from each marriage and/or divorce to connect your birth certificate, passport or USCIS documents to your current legal name.
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