Statehouse News Bureau

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New Bill Would Allow Ohio Drivers' Licenses To Be Valid For Eight Years

By Jo Ingles

Published October 21, 2019 at 8:18 PM EDT

There’s a bill in the Ohio Legislature that its sponsor says will ensure you spend less time at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

Republican Representative Derek Merrin’s (R-Monclova Township) bill would allow you to purchase a driver’s license that lasts for eight years.

“We are trying to save Ohioans time. No one likes to go to the BMV to get their license renewed. Many times, we have long lines. And if you put many people on the eight-year cycle, it would significantly cut down the lines at the BMV," Merrin says.

Merrin says people getting the eight-year license, instead of the current four-year license, would also save $1 in fees. Ohio already allows people to register their vehicles for up to five years.

He says 19 other states already allow drivers to get a license that lasts for 8 years. The bill has just been introduced and has not yet been assigned to a committee.