Ohio BMV starts accepting credit cards for driver fees

COLUMBUS (AP) — The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles says its deputy registrars will soon accept credit cards as payment, after years of people requesting that as an option.

By Friday, Ohioans at any of the 190 deputy registrar sites should be able to use credit cards for driver’s license and vehicle registration renewals and other transactions.

Previously, only checks and cash were accepted because the bureau hadn’t been allowed to pass along to customers the fees charged for using credit cards. State lawmakers changed those restrictions. BMV customers using credit cards now will be charged $1.25 or 1.95 percent, whichever is greater.

BMV spokeswoman Lindsey Bohrer says a few sites began offering the credit card option in a pilot program last week and have received lots of positive customer feedback.