Ohio Driver License Photo Requirements

Photo law and requirements

Ohio Revised Code § 4507.13(A)(2)(d) requires a photograph of the licensee on the driver's license, and § 4507.06(A)(2) requires every applicant applying in person at a deputy registrar office to be photographed at the time of application. § 4507.061 lets the registrar authorize online renewal for eligible applicants, conditioned in part on the current credential having been processed in person at a deputy registrar office and on the applicant having a photo on file with the BMV; it does not state a photo-retake interval. Ohio Administrative Code 4501:1-1-23(B)(2) requires active-duty service members stationed outside Ohio (and their spouses or dependents) renewing online to submit a digital copy of a 2x2 passport-quality photo with a white background. The photo statutes and this online-renewal rule were reviewed; other BMV rules were not fully audited.

Where the photo is taken

Ohio law requires everyone applying in person at a deputy registrar office to be photographed at the time of application, so an in-person renewal includes a new photo.

Online renewal, photo reuse, and upload

Online renewal is available to eligible applicants whose current credential was processed in person at a deputy registrar office and who have a photo on file with the BMV. The law does not say whether the photo on file is reprinted. Active-duty service members stationed outside Ohio who renew online must submit a 2 × 2-inch passport-quality photo.

New photo upload: Only treat upload as allowed when the linked official instructions explicitly say so.