State expects calls regarding late fees

By Marc Kovac

In the past, there was no late fee to penalize people who missed the renewal deadline.

COLUMBUS — The state’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles expects to receive more calls in coming months from Ohioans angry about new fees for those who are late in renewing their driver’s licenses and vehicle plates.

“We’re getting a lot of those right now,” said Lindsey Bohrer, spokeswoman for the state BMV. “We expect we’ll probably be getting a lot more of those for the next year.”

Last year, as part of the biennial state transportation budget, lawmakers approved a number of fee changes, increasing the cost of vision screenings, temporary license plates, personalized plates and commercial plates.

Additionally, the legislation included a new $20 late fee for Ohioans who are more than seven days late in registering their vehicles or renewing their driver’s licenses.

Lawmakers approved the fee increases to help balance the budgets for the Ohio Department of Public Safety, the Ohio State Highway Patrol and related agencies.

Notices about the new late charge have been included in registration renewals due after Oct. 1.

But many residents still are unaware of the new late fee and are under the false impression that they can submit registrations anytime during their birth month and not necessarily by their birthdays.

Not so, Bohrer said. In fact, there was no grace period in the past, either. Residents who didn’t register by their birth dates technically were driving illegally and risked traffic citations.

But in the past, there was no late fee in place to penalize individuals who missed the deadline, Bohrer said. Now there is, and residents who fail to register on time will be charged.

mkovac@dixcom.com