Ohio drivers license - residency

To establish residency in Ohio and submit our visa to the Detroit Consulate we need to get Ohio drivers licenses. Both of us learned to drive in Ohio and had drivers licenses here before moving to New Mexico 19 years ago, but we will be required to take a written test to obtain a license. Each of us took the Ohio DMV's online sample test and scored 90% so hopefully, after a quick review of the booklet, we can do the same on the actual test.

To get the Ohio license we need to provide our New Mexico license and our social security cards, which were inadvertently stored with our other belongings in Chicago. Fortunately my sister was easily able to locate these items and send them to us.

We picked up the book on Ohio laws for review prior to taking the tests.
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Saturday I went to take the test, figuring I would be the guinea pig to learn the process before Valerie takes hers. In Ohio it is administered at a different location than the license bureau. Sometimes they are next to each other but not always. The office I went to had 2 employees and no customers. They took my New Mexico license and asked some questions - if I had any other drivers licenses, outstanding citations or dependency problems,- then did a quick eye exam and then directed me to a touch-screen monitor to take the test.

The test is administered on a screen with a photo, the question and 4 answers to choose from. To pass the test you need 30 out of 40 correct and the test stops once you get 30 answers correct (mine stopped after the 31st question). They then gave me back my New Mexico license and a piece of paper and directed me to the department that issues the license, fortunately in the same building at this location.

I went into the office for the drivers license issuance. I relinquished again my New Mexico license (which they kept) and the form from the other office. After the same citation or dependency questions I had to sign some forms stating I had liability insurance , paid $23.00 and was directed to another lady who took my photo and a few minutes later gave me my Ohio drivers license.

It was interesting that this whole process took less than 30 minutes and I could have given them the address for one of the many corn fields in northern Ohio as there was no requirement to prove the address you were giving as your residence.

Fortunately this was one simple step in the process to establish our residency here in Ohio and apply for our visa at the nicer Consulate.