How to Check If a License Is Suspended in Ohio
by Lindsey Thompson
If you are unsure whether or not your Ohio driver’s license is suspended, several options exist for checking your status. If necessary, the state also allows you to check if another person’s license is suspended. You can check for a suspended license online, in person and through the mail.
Via the BMV Website
The easiest and fastest way to check if your license is suspended is through the Ohio BMV License/ID Verification portal. Enter your license or ID number, date of birth, first letter of your last name, and last four digits of your Social Security number. The program provides a free, unofficial driving record from the last two years, including any open suspensions. This option is only available when looking for suspensions on your own record.
In-Person
You can request a full, three-year driving abstract that includes current suspensions by visiting a Regional Driver License Reinstatement Center or local Deputy Registrar License Agency. At the agency, you’ll need to fill out BMV Form 1173. If you’re requesting another person’s record, you’ll also need BMV Form 5008. As of 2015, records from a reinstatement center cost $5 and $8.50 from a license agency.
Through the Mail
Another option is printing off BMV Form 1173 at home and mailing it in to the address on the form, along with the $5 record fee. You also need BMV Form 5008 to get another person’s record. Record requests through the mail usually take two to three weeks.
Writer Bio
Lindsey Thompson began her writing career in 2001. Her work has been published in the Cincinnati Art Museum's "Member Magazine" and "The Ohio Journalist." You'll also find her work on websites like Airbnb, Chron.com, and USAToday.com. Thompson holds a Bachelor of Science in journalism from the Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University.
